Head of EPRR and System Operations

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board; Coventry, West Midlands; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance programmes

Learning and development opportunities

Generous holiday entitlement

Job summary

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board is recruiting a Head of EPRR and System Operations. The role leads Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response and operational resilience across the cluster, providing expert leadership, assurance and strategic guidance to executives and system partners.

The post holder will oversee EPRR development, business continuity, incident response and system operations, ensuring robust governance, escalation management and compliant delivery of

Qualifications

• Senior level experience in EPRR
• Experience of leading System Operations/Operational Resilience
• Experience chairing senior multi-agency operational meetings
• Experience providing assurance to executive teams and boards

Responsibilities

• Lead and inform the Associate Director of EPRR and SCC
• Support Cluster System Coordination Centre governance and performance
• Develop and improve system operational resilience arrangements
• Oversee system-wide operational coordination and escalation processes
• Lead on development and coordination of EPRR for the ICB
• Provide senior leadership to system escalation meetings and incident coordination

Skills

Senior EPRR experience

System Operations

Leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Masters level or equivalent

Professional qualification in EPRR/Emergency Planning

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board

Head of EPRR and System Operations

The closing date is 05 November 2026

The Head of EPRR and System Operations is the senior strategic lead for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) and operational resilience across the Coventry and Warwickshire and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board Cluster. The post holder provides expert leadership, assurance and advice to the Associate Director System Operations & EPRR, Executive Teams and system partners, ensuring the effective discharge of all statutory EPRR responsibilities and compliance with NHS England EPRR Core Standards.

The role is responsible for leading the development, implementation and continual improvement of EPRR, business continuity, incident response and operational resilience arrangements across the cluster. The post holder will provide strategic oversight of preparedness, planning, training, exercising, risk assessment and assurance activities, ensuring that the health and care system is equipped to prevent, respond to and recover from major incidents, emergencies and disruptive events.

In addition, the post holder will provide senior leadership for system operations, including oversight of the System Coordination Centre (SCC), system operational resilience, situational awareness, escalation management and system flow. They will ensure effective coordination of responses to operational pressures, support whole-system decision-making and maintain robust governance, assurance and reporting arrangements across partner organisations.

Main duties of the job

You will:

• Work to the Associate Director of EPRR and SCC (AD) ensuring that the AD is continually informed and that all statutory, regulatory and operational EPRR responsibilities are undertaken
• Support leadership for the Cluster System Coordination Centre (SCC), ensuring effective governance, performance and operational delivery.
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of system operational resilience arrangements across the cluster.
• Oversee system-wide operational coordination, situational awareness and escalation processes across acute, community, primary care, mental health, ambulance and social care partners.
• Lead on the development and co-ordination of all aspects of EPRR for the ICB
• Provide senior leadership to system escalation meetings and incident coordination arrangements, ensuring actions are delivered and risks effectively managed.
• Lead on system wide planning for critical and major incidents, aligned with the ICB being a category 1 responder alongside NHSE
• Lead on running the business continuity management system for the ICB
• Lead on the effective management of the LHRP ensuring a strategic approach to EPRR across the system aligned with priorities and levels of risk
• Facilitate and support the ICBs response to major incidents and emergencies as appropriate, acting as a specialist knowledge resource in all aspects of emergency planning offering detailed advice across the ICB and external partner organisations.

Interviews are on 12th November.

About us

The NHS is a world-renowned institution and an exciting place to work full of challenges and opportunities. As part of the national health and care reforms, Integrated Care Boards are refocusing on the core role of strategic commissioners, enabling greater impact on population health, reducing health inequalities, improving productivity and supporting transformation across systems. As a result NHS Coventry & Warwickshire ICB and NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire ICB are working together as a cluster.

We are dynamic, forward-looking organisations, passionate about working with health and social care partners to ensure services are integrated, and offer a high-quality patient experience. We thrive on building strong relationships with patients, communities, partners and providers. We provide a supportive, collaborative environment, offering staff opportunities to reach their full potential and achieve a work-life balance through a blend of collaborative workplace attendance and home working.

Joining our team comes with attractive benefits such as:

• Employee Assistance programmes
• Opportunities to learn new skills and develop your career
• Generous holiday entitlement, which increases in line with service.

This post requires a minimum of 3 days per week in office, working towards 4 days per week. This post will be based in the Worcester office but may require working across the cluster offices

Job responsibilities

The Head of EPRR and System Operations is the senior strategic lead for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) and operational resilience across the Coventry and Warwickshire and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board Cluster. The post holder provides expert leadership, assurance and advice to the Associate Director System Operations & EPRR, Executive Teams and system partners, ensuring the effective discharge of all statutory EPRR responsibilities and compliance with NHS England EPRR Core Standards.

The role is responsible for leading the development, implementation and continual improvement of EPRR, business continuity, incident response and operational resilience arrangements across the cluster. The post holder will provide strategic oversight of preparedness, planning, training, exercising, risk assessment and assurance activities, ensuring that the health and care system is equipped to prevent, respond to and recover from major incidents, emergencies and disruptive events.

In addition, the post holder will provide senior leadership for system operations, including oversight of the System Coordination Centre (SCC), system operational resilience, situational awareness, escalation management and system flow. They will ensure effective coordination of responses to operational pressures, support whole-system decision-making and maintain robust governance, assurance and reporting arrangements across partner organisations.

The Head of EPRR and System Operations will lead the strategic development of EPRR, business continuity, operational resilience, urgent and emergency care pressures, incident coordination and major incident response arrangements. The role will foster strong partnerships across NHS organisations, local authorities, emergency services, UKHSA, Local Resilience Forums and wider health and care stakeholders to strengthen system resilience and preparedness.

Acting on behalf of the Associate Director as required, the post holder will deputise across the System Operations and EPRR portfolio, represent the organisation at senior local, regional and national forums, and provide strategic leadership during periods of significant operational pressure, critical incidents, business continuity events and major emergency responses.

As part of your application, please disclose if you have recently been in receipt of the Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS) or Voluntary Redundancy. Please note that this information is collected solely for administrative purposes; it will not form any part of the selection process.

Person Specification

Experience

• Senior level experience in EPRR.
• Experience of leading in System Operations, Operational Resilience, Urgent and Emergency Care, System Flow or related operational environments.
• Experience of chairing senior multi-agency operational meetings and managing complex system escalation.
• Experience of providing assurance and advice to executive teams and boards.
• Experience of leading operational performance and resilience improvement programmes across complex health and care systems.
• Demonstrable experience of working across Integrated Care Systems and multi-agency environments.
• In depth additional expert knowledge acquired over a significant period of time in the following area(s): Health emergency preparedness, resilience and response the risks and threats that face the NHS across the provider and commissioner spectrum
• Have experience in the application of the EPRR framework and applying this in the context of health category 1 responders. Detailed understanding of the ICB, system, provider collaborative, providers and Place arrangements.
• Have an appreciation of the relationship between LRF, OHID, NHSE, UKHSA. Experience of delivering against competing priorities and deadlines while also directing the work of teams/individuals.

Qualifications

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in a specialist area.
• Hold a professional qualification in EPRR, or related field of work such as Emergency Planning
• Professional registration (NMC, HPC)

Management Skills

• Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others.
• Experience of managing and motivating a team and reviewing performance of the individuals.
• Manage relationships with suppliers including of Information Systems.

Analytical Skills

• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations as part of horizon scanning
• Comfortable in leading on decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action.
• Strategic thinking ability to understand interdependencies between complex priorities

Freedom to Act and Physical Skills

• Must be able to work fully autonomously to lead the EPRR function, work to tight and often changing timescales and manage an effective relationship with the AEO.
• Capable to work in a highly pressurised environment, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• To confidently represent EPRR functions and risk management within a wide range of forums and across stakeholders.
• Experience of identifying and interpreting National policy.
• Experience of researching best practice (globally, private and public sector), interpreting its relevance and processes/ practices which could be implemented successfully to achieve system reform (advising on policy implementation)
• Expert knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite with excellent keyboard skills.
• Ability to travel between locations across the cluster for on-site presence.
• Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.
• Previously responsible for a budget, involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes
• Used to working in a busy environment
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
• Willing to engage with and learn from peers, other professionals and colleagues in the desire to provide or support the most appropriate interventions
• Professional calm and efficient manner
• Effective organiser, influencer and networker
• Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals.
• Completer/Finisher

Communication Skills

• Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
• Able to represent the ICB in relation to EPRR and SCC at a local, regional and possibly national level.
• Able to assimilate complex information and present across a wide range of stakeholders, including at times in highly pressurised environments.
• Able to communicate confidently internally and externally to the wider NHS and partner organisations

Planning Skills

• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Demonstrable experience of delivering results through the development and management of teams to ensure success and use a range of levers in the absence of direct line management responsibility
• Ability to build robust cross functional working relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders to drive forward planning and incident response.

Employer name

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board