Digital Benefits Manager

NHS; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Reading is seeking a Benefits Manager to oversee the identification and realization of benefits across a portfolio of digital programs. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership, develop a benefits management framework, and monitor financial performance to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Candidates should have extensive experience in benefits realization and financial management within a healthcare setting. Flexibility in working from home and on-site is offered.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in managing benefits realisation in healthcare or public sector.
• Significant experience in financial management including budget forecasting.
• Deep understanding of benefits management frameworks and methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for benefits management across Trust programmes.
• Develop and maintain a benefits management framework aligned with goals.
• Monitor financial performance of benefits realisation and rectify discrepancies.

Skills

Financial management

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Agile methodologies

Data analysis

Education

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Project or benefits management qualifications

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Agile project management tools (e.g., Jira)

Job description

The Benefits Manager is responsible for overseeing the identification, tracking, and realisation of benefits across a portfolio of digital programmes and projects at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

This role is essential for ensuring that all change initiatives deliver measurable, value-driven outcomes aligned with the Trust's strategic goals. They will work within an Agile delivery framework with project and programme teams.

The postholder will lead the development of benefits management frameworks, ensure alignment with financial and operational objectives, and provide strategic direction for the benefits management team.

The role also encompasses financial responsibility, human resource management, and collaboration with senior stakeholders to ensure that benefits are delivered effectively across the Trust.

Whilst the role offers flexibility with on-site and home working, there is a requirement to attend site regularly to work closely with users.

Main duties of the job

• Provide strategic leadership for the benefits management function, ensuring that benefits are identified, tracked, and realised across the Trust's programmes and projects.
• Develop and maintain a benefits management framework that aligns with the Trust's strategic goals and ensures the delivery of quantifiable and qualitative outcomes.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on benefits management processes and methodologies, ensuring the Trust follows best practices and achieves a high return on investment.
• Monitor the financial performance of benefits realisation, identifying variances from expected financial outcomes and providing recommendations to rectify discrepancies.
• Analyse complex data sets to track benefits realisation, identifying trends, variances, and opportunities for improvement.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all matters related to benefits realisation, providing regular updates to senior management, boards, and governance bodies

About us

Diversity is what makes us interesting... Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.

Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.

If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.

Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.

Job responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the benefits management function, ensuring that benefits are identified, tracked, and realised across the Trusts programmes and projects.
• Develop and maintain a benefits management framework that aligns with the Trusts strategic goals and ensures the delivery of quantifiable and qualitative outcomes.
• Lead a team of benefits analysts, including the direct line management of staff, ensuring performance management, development, and succession planning.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on benefits management processes and methodologies, ensuring the Trust follows best practices and achieves a high return on investment.
• Act as the senior point of contact for benefits management within the Trust, advising senior executives and stakeholders on the progress and realisation of benefits.
• Ensure that benefits realisation aligns with organisational goals, particularly in financial savings, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency.

2. Financial Responsibility & Budget Management:

• Lead on financial benefits tracking, ensuring all projects and programmes have robust financial baselines and trajectories for cost savings and return on investment (ROI).
• Monitor the financial performance of benefits realisation, identifying variances from expected financial outcomes and providing recommendations to rectify discrepancies.
• Work closely with the Finance Directorate to ensure that all financial benefits are aligned with the Trusts financial objectives and that reporting is consistent with financial governance.
• Ensure budget forecasting is conducted accurately for the benefits team, including managing resources to ensure the benefits team operates within allocated financial limits.
• Responsible for the benefits realisation budget, ensuring costs associated with benefits management are justified, monitored, and controlled effectively.

4. Communication & Relationships:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior executives, clinical leads, project managers, and other key stakeholders across the Trust.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all matters related to benefits realisation, providing regular updates to senior management, boards, and governance bodies.
• Communicate complex benefits data to both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring transparency and understanding of key benefits indicators.
• Lead the development of communication strategies that ensure benefits tracking and realisation are understood across the organisation.
• Represent the Trust in external forums and networks, sharing best practices in benefits management and influencing national policy where relevant.

5. Planning & Organisation:

• Develop and implement benefits management plans for all major programmes and projects, ensuring that benefits are clearly defined, measurable, and achievable.
• Ensure that benefits realisation is embedded within the project lifecycle, from business case development through to project closure.
• Lead the creation of long-term benefits tracking mechanisms, ensuring sustainability of benefits beyond project delivery.
• Plan and organise regular benefits reviews, ensuring that all benefits data is up to date and accurately reflects the current status of projects.
• Manage dependencies between projects and ensure the realisation of benefits across multiple projects is coordinated and aligned with Trust priorities.

6. Analytical & Judgement Skills:

• Analyse complex data sets to track benefits realisation, identifying trends, variances, and opportunities for improvement.
• Use advanced judgement to assess whether benefits are likely to be realised and make strategic decisions to ensure any risks to benefits realisation are mitigated.
• Conduct scenario analysis and sensitivity assessments to forecast benefits realisation and ensure realistic expectations are set.
• Use a data-driven approach to evaluate the success of benefits realisation, reporting on outcomes to senior leadership teams.

7. Policy, Service, Research & Development:

• Lead on the development of benefits management policies, ensuring they are aligned with Trust priorities and the latest best practices in benefits realisation.
• Regularly review and update benefits policies and procedures, ensuring they are reflective of the Trusts changing needs and objectives.
• Undertake research into benefits management best practices from both within the NHS and external organisations, ensuring continuous improvement of benefits processes within the Trust.
• Lead on complex audits and research activities to ensure benefits are being delivered efficiently, using evidence-based methods to improve outcomes.

8. Information Resources & Reporting:

• Develop and maintain benefits tracking systems, ensuring that accurate and up-to-date information is available for all key stakeholders.
• Ensure that benefits data is integrated into Trust-wide reporting systems, providing a clear line of sight for senior management on benefits progress.
• Oversee the production of benefits realisation reports for project boards, governance committees, and senior executives, ensuring accuracy and clarity.
• Use IT and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI) to produce dashboards and reports that track benefits realisation in real-time.

9. Change Control & Benefits Tracking:

• Lead the benefits change control process, ensuring that any changes to scope, budget, or timescales are fully assessed and approved by appropriate stakeholders.
• Ensure that all projects have clear benefits tracking baselines, with measurable indicators for both financial and non-financial benefits.
• Ensure that benefits tracking mechanisms remain in place post-project delivery to ensure long-term sustainability of benefits realisation.

10. Technical Skills:

• Oversee the use of benefits management tools, ensuring that the team has the technical capabilities to effectively track and report on benefits.
• Lead on the integration of benefits tracking systems with other project management tools, ensuring seamless data sharing and analysis.
• Ensure the team has the appropriate technical skills to manage large-scale benefits tracking systems and produce detailed reports.

Person Specification

Education, Qualifications

• Evidence of post graduate education to master's level in or significant equivalent experience relevant to the role.
• Recognised qualification in project or benefits management, such as Managing Benefits, Lean Six Sigma, Professional Scrum Master (PSM) I, or equivalent practical experience.
• Evidence of continuous professional development, particularly in benefits realisation, programme management, or financial management.
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject area (e.g., MBA, MSc in Project or Programme Management).
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., APM, PMI, Benefits Institute).

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Extensive experience in managing benefits realisation across a large portfolio of programmes and projects, ideally within a healthcare or public sector environment.
• Significant experience in financial management, including budget forecasting, cost control, and ROI assessment.
• Experienced working in Agile project lifecycle frameworks, i.e. Scrum or Kanban
• Deep understanding of benefits management frameworks and methodologies, with a proven track record of delivering measurable benefits.
• Extensive experience in working with senior stakeholders, including executives, clinicians, and project managers, to influence decisions and ensure the realisation of benefits.
• Experience of using Agile project management software (e.g. Jira, Trello, etc.)
• Experience of analysing highly complex data/problems and provide resolutions where required.
• Knowledge of NHS financial systems, business case development, and commissioning processes.
• Experience in managing change control processes and the associated impact on benefits realisation.
• Previous experience in leading benefits management in large-scale transformation projects.
• Knowledge of the GDS or NHS Service Standard

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent financial management skills, including the ability to track, forecast, and report on financial benefits.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to plan, execute, and oversee complex benefits realisation plans.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound decisions in complex situations.
• Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage competing demands and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Advanced IT skills, including the ability to use project and benefits management software and data analysis tools (e.g., MS Project, Power BI).
• Experience delivering training and workshops on benefits management methodologies and processes.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.