Business Support Officer Level 2

Old Moat; Manchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional local authority in Manchester seeks a Business Support Officer to assist the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in health-related projects. This role requires providing high-quality support to the team, organizing tasks, and ensuring smooth operation within the organization. The ideal candidate should possess strong customer service skills, the ability to use initiative, and effective analytical capabilities. The position offers generous benefits and a commitment to community engagement.

Benefits

Up to 26 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Enhanced family leave options

Employee discounts

Learning and development opportunities

Volunteering leave

Qualifications

• Efficiently deal with queries and correspondence from diverse customers.
• Produce accurate statistical data for reporting.
• Identify and extract information from various sources.

Responsibilities

• Support the team with high-quality business functions.
• Coordinate general requests into the team.
• Contribute to developing business support initiatives.

Skills

Customer service

Initiative

Analytical skills

Communication

Collaboration

Job description

About The Role

Working hours: 35 hours per week
Contract type: Time limited to 31 January 2030
Closing date: 11.59pm, 5 February 2026
Interview method: in person

• References – where possible, 3 years’ history is required.

Manchester City Council is seeking a Business Support Officer to support the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) programme in Manchester.

The Business Support Officer will be part of a team of 12 people, with links to the University of Manchester, neighbourhood services and localities across the city. This role involves providing business support to the team as a whole, helping to organise key activities linked to team priorities and coordinate general requests coming into the team.

The NIHR funds the Health Determinants Collaborations (HDRCs) to boost research capacity and capability within local government. HDRCs aim to embed a culture of using evidence to improve decision‑making on health and health inequalities. The programme involves local authorities working with university partners to build collaborative infrastructure, combining local government knowledge with academic research skills. At present there are 30 HDRCs across the country.

The mission for HDRC Manchester is "to put communities at the heart of policy". This means:

• Local residents are more able to directly influence decisions about their area through greater control and influence over research activities and learning new skills and experience.
• Improved decision making and impact across the City Council and partner organisations, through officer and member engagement and clear governance arrangements.
• Investment will turbo‑charge what we are already doing so that it becomes more consistent and more impactful.
• Better, more ‘real life’ research, improving our understanding of the wider determinants of health at a local level.
• Dissemination of learning through Core Cities, GM, government, academia, VCSEF sector.
• Sustainable legacy of working in this way beyond the investment.

To do this the HDRC Manchester team will focus on the delivery of three main pillars: Culture Change; Research; and Methods.

The team will be embedded within Manchester City Council’s Policy, Performance and Reform (PPR) service. PPR is an outward facing, central function that advises and develops policy, undertakes and collaborates on transformation and reform projects and ensures that MCC is data‑driven, and evidence‑led through robust analysis, research and evaluation. The three constituent teams of PPR (Policy, Performance, Research and Intelligence and Reform and Innovation) work together on shared strategic priorities.

Within PPR, HDRC Manchester will be based in PRI: the centre of excellence for data and insight, reporting to the Head of PRI. It will be a new team focused solely on HDRC priorities but would sit close to business‑as‑usual (BAU) teams to enable maximum impact on current council approaches and to support knowledge transfer and increasing capability.

The Business Support role will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of the HDRC programme’s mission and objectives.

Role Responsibilities

• Act as a key member of the HDRC team providing high quality business support.
• Provide high quality, customer‑focused, flexible and timely support thereby contributing to the achievement of objectives of a high quality service.
• Contribute effectively to the development of business support initiatives and value‑added activities to meet the needs of the service.
• Effectively produce and collate accurate information to support the performance of a high quality service.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Abi Larvin, at [e-mail] to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

About the Candidate

We would love to hear from you if you have the following experience and skills:

• Deal efficiently and courteously, with tact and diplomacy, with all queries and correspondence, both written and verbal from a wide range of internal and external customers.
• Use initiative and established procedures to resolve queries at the first point of contact or to elevate when appropriate within agreed timescales and procedure.
• Contribute to the accurate production of statistical data and other relevant information required for statutory and non‑statutory means using initiative to resolve queries within agreed timescales and to a high standard.
• Effectively identify, interpret and extract information from a variety of sources using analytical and interpretation skills to provide meaningful information to both internal and external customers.
• Update and extract information from all management information systems accurately and competently as required including the retrieval and collation of reports to agreed standard and procedure.
• Procure, monitor and maintain office stationery and equipment, ensuring changes are made in line with procedures, budgets and agreed timescales.
• Contribute effectively to the development, preparation and review of all procedures and systems, aligning them to service needs and objectives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to enhance the role of business support throughout the Council, providing cover and flexibility where required.
• Personal commitment to continuous self‑development and service improvement.
• Through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensure diversity is positively valued, resulting in equal access and treatment in employment, service delivery and communications.

About Us

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand.
• We work together and trust each other.
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly.
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things.
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester.

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance – Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension – You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three‑times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave – Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your newborn or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks – Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow – We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member – We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognise three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave – Give back to the community with three days pro‑rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments – Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats – Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text‑to‑speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans.
• Current or former care leavers.
• Have a disability or long‑term condition.

When You Join Us

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability‑friendly.

Right to Work & Pre‑Employment Checks

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre‑employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work – You’ll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK.
• References – We’ll require references from your current and previous employer(s).

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other relevant information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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