Deputy Head of Business Intelligence

The Christie International; Manchester; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester seeks an exceptional Deputy Head of Business Intelligence (Diagnostics) to shape diagnostic intelligence, combining strategic thinking, technical expertise and people management to support data-driven healthcare.

You will lead BI delivery, dashboards and reporting across the diagnostics function, working with senior clinical and operational leaders to inform performance and service improvement.

Qualifications

• Degree in a quantitative subject is required.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.
• Experience in healthcare analytics and BI is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead BI, analytics and reporting solutions for diagnostic services.
• Provide day-to-day leadership of the BI function and dashboards.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational teams to translate needs.
• Promote data visualization and reporting best practices.
• Support capacity modelling and service transformation.

Skills

Healthcare analytics

Business intelligence

Performance reporting

Stakeholder management

Data visualization

Education

Degree in a quantitative subject

Post-qualification development/CPD

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Main area Business Intelligence Grade Band 8a Contract 18 months (Fixed term contract) Hours 37.5 hours per week (Fixed term full time) Job ref 413-111243-GMC-RS

Site Operational Performance Improvement - E00927 Town Manchester Salary £57,528 - £64,750 Pro rata, per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 09/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

We are seeking an exceptional and motivated Deputy Head of Business Intelligence (Diagnostics) to shape the future of diagnostic intelligence across Greater Manchester. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced analytics leader to combine strategic thinking, technical expertise and people management to support high-quality, data-driven healthcare.
Working with senior clinical, operational and executive leaders, you will lead the development of innovative business intelligence solutions, providing insights into diagnostic performance, capacity, demand and patient pathways. You will lead the diagnostics analytical function, ensuring accurate, timely and impactful reporting to inform operational decisions, service improvement and strategic planning.
We are looking for someone with a strong background in healthcare analytics, business intelligence and performance reporting, who can communicate complex information clearly and influence change through evidence-based insight. You will be passionate about improving patient services through data, developing others and leading transformational improvement in a dynamic NHS environment.
This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on diagnostic services, working with talented colleagues committed to innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Main duties of the job

As Deputy Head of Business Intelligence (Diagnostics), you will lead the delivery and development of business intelligence, analytics and reporting solutions supporting diagnostic services across the organisation.
You will provide day-to-day leadership within the BI function, developing analytical capability and ensuring high-quality outputs. You will oversee dashboards, performance reports and visualisations that inform performance management, operational delivery and strategic decisions, while supporting the ongoing development of analytical services.
Working with clinical, operational and corporate teams, you will identify intelligence needs and translate complex requirements into effective analytical solutions. You will promote best practice in data visualisation, statistical analysis and reporting, using data to support demand and capacity modelling, forecasting, pathway improvement and service transformation.
You will bring significant experience in healthcare analytics and business intelligence, strong stakeholder management skills and an understanding of NHS performance frameworks and data flows. You will be able to interpret complex information, advise senior leaders, manage competing priorities and deliver innovative solutions that improve services and patient outcomes. Experience in diagnostics, performance management and BI tools such as Tableau or Power BI is desirable.

Working for our organisation

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, looking after more than 64,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 25% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We are the largest radiotherapy provider in the NHS with one in 20 treatments delivered at The Christie. We have up to 15 linear accelerators operating across our network of sites. We operate the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK on our main site and treatments are also provided at 13 other networked sites, and in patients homes. And as a specialist tertiary surgical centre, we focus on rare cancers, complex procedures, and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer surgery, specialising in colorectal, peritoneal, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgery.

We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We have been named by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as one of the best hospitals providing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research studies, with more than 800 studies open at any time, caring for over 3,000 patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Intelligence

• The post holder will have responsibility for the business intelligence platform (Tableau – Curator) and will lead on planning, development, research of new technologies and provision of reporting to ensure all ICB & Alliance requirements are met.
• Liaise with key customers such as the director of performance and Pathway Board leaders to understand their needs and design efficient solutions that meet the needs of the organisation whilst making appropriate use of the technologies available.
• Provide a high level of customer service to end users of informatics products to ensure their continued engagement and to promote effectiveness both internally and externally. This will include coordinating end user support and training as required.
• In conjunction with key stakeholders, prioritise and negotiate new developments and amendments to existing products.
• Proactively seek to improve the reporting capability of the alliance
• Provide effective instruction to the data warehouse team, ensuring ongoing development of data feeds are efficiently conducted.
• To contribute and provide expert advice on the development of new reporting domains, especially where the Alliance is undertaking innovation work.

Information Analysis

• As a subject matter expert, the post holder will be an informatics specialist with in-depth knowledge in a number of areas, including but not limited to: Cancer wait times, National guidelines for reporting, local and operational nuances and best visualisation practices.
• Analysing, interpreting and resolving of complex queries
• Maintaining a high level of quality and accuracy within work, both personally conducted and by the analyst function generally.
• Have strong knowledge and skills in the use of statistical tools and techniques, including but not limited to: Benchmarking, Statistical Process control, modelling and extrapolation techniques. The holder will be responsible for promoting the use of these techniques within the alliance.
• Have strong knowledge and skills in the design and creation of analytical products, including; gathering user requirements, visualisation best practices, dashboarding best practices and how these products constitute a wider analytical offer.
• To be instrumental in the further development of the analytical offer, without being constrained by the limitations of the user to articulate their requirements.
• Promote the importance of data quality

Communication

• Communicate complex analytical, statistical or technical matters to non-technical users.
• Train and advise analysts within the function, ensuring the ongoing development of analyst capability.
• Provide technical knowledge and expertise at relevant stakeholder groups, such as pathway boards.
• Build productive relationships both internally and externally through open and respectful communication, ensuring all feedback is constructive and well received.

Training

• Provide technical guidance and support as appropriate to members of the alliance analyst function
• Promote analytical excellence within the Alliance and ICB

Staff Management

• Manage allocated staff, including recruitment, induction, workload prioritisation, delegation, day to day management, performance monitoring and appraisal, identifying development requirements and opportunities and by acting as a lead specialist, exemplifying professional standards.
• Plan, prioritise and coordinate staff workload to achieve work objectives within agreed timescales.
• Responsibility for defining, implementing and monitoring internal procedures and standards within the intelligence function, to ensure effective governance, high quality products and staff wellbeing
• Promote a culture where staff feel empowered and accountable for the service they provide
• Planning and prioritising own and others workload to ensure that agreed deadlines are met

Personal Effectiveness

• Ability to work flexibility to a high standard, dynamically prioritising working as required
• Ability to work transformatively within alliance work priorities.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level in a relevant subject (such as Mathematics, Economics, Statistics, Operational Research, or a related quantitative or analytical discipline) or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience in specialist area.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development

Experience

• Strong knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training,
• Experience of triangulating data from different sources and demonstrate an appreciation of the differences that might occur in large datasets,
• Able to apply methods to explore presenting issue and identify key issues
• Experience of working in Health and Social Care services as either a provider or commissioner
• Experience of working with data with different levels of data quality
• Comprehensive experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 or Agile and Managing Successful Projects
• Experience working with diagnostics or cancer data

Skills

• Must be able to provide & receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult & controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large & influential groups
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
• Able to contribute to planning over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans
• Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others
• Can make informed decisions in the absence of complete information
• Can work to demanding and changing timescales
• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues & create solutions & to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery
• Can use segmentation and or clustering to better understand population being modelled
• Able to build and document complicated and varied types of model including forecasting performance

Knowledge

• Understanding of Key BI concepts & principles including data visualisation
• Understanding of information in the context of populations to develop contextual views of health and social care operations and evidence impact on the health of the population
• Understanding of NHS / Local Authority data flows & legislation linked to performance, planning & accountability frameworks pertaining to the NHS

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
• Committed to personal development and supporting others to do the same

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

Application Information

Application Information - If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

Sponsorship Information

Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications.Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Pre-Employment Checks

Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards . These include:

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role, payment of this will be the applicants responsibility)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history andreferences.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

Role Offer

If You're Offered the Role - you will be agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Additional Information

Additional Information - We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.