Senior Occupational Health Business Partner

VerseOne Group; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Occupational Health Business Partner at Band 8b to lead Occupational Health services across Basildon and the wider trust. The role demands clinical and operational leadership, with accountability for performance, staffing and service development.

You will drive continuous improvement, champion the Trust's values and work with senior leaders to grow the Occupational Health offer, including contract opportunities and external

Qualifications

• Extensive previous experience within Occupational Health; with extensive experience at a Senior Level.
• Proven experience managing major projects within Occupational Health, using project management tools.
• Experience of policy development.
• Experience in managing and leading a professional HR team and service.
• Experience with contract bidding income generation within an Occupational Health setting.
• Experience in managing a Flu campaign in a large organisation.
• Evidence of managing HSE inspections.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Occupational Health services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective and responsive clinical and case management services.
• Lead on complex case management, sickness absence management and workforce health initiatives, providing expert occupational health advice to managers, senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Oversee service performance through the development, monitoring and reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring continuous improvement and achievement of service objectives.
• Lead clinical governance activities, including audits, risk assessments, incident investigations and compliance with professional, regulatory and organisational standards.
• Drive the development, implementation and review of Occupational Health policies, procedures and health and well-being strategies to support workforce health and organisational priorities.
• Manage, support and develop the Occupational Health team, promoting professional development, workforce planning, recruitment and high levels of staff performance and engagement.
• Lead innovation and service improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance service delivery, efficiency and employee health outcomes.
• Contribute to the commercial development of the service through contract management, external partnerships and stakeholder engagement, representing Occupational Health at a senior level both internal and externally.

Skills

Occupational Health leadership

Project management

Policy development

HR leadership

Contract bidding income generation

Flu campaign management

HSE inspections

Education

Registered Nurse with Full NMC Registration

NEBOSH Qualification

Project Management Certificate

Specialist Degree in Occupational Health (Part 3 on the register)

Master's Degree

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest trusts in the country, following the merger of Mid Essex, Basildon and Southend hospitals in April 2020.

Senior Occupational Health Business Partner

Band 8b

Main area Occupational Health Grade Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 390-COR-BA-5939-C

Site Basildon Town Basildon Salary £66,582 P.A + Fringe HCAS (5%)/Recruitment & Retention Premia £5,000 p.a Salary period Yearly Closing 05/11/2026 23:59

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

Senior Occupational Health Business Partner

Are you an experienced Occupational Health leader ready to make a strategic impact across one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country?

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Occupational Health Business Partner to support and develop Occupational Health services across all three Mid and South Essex sites. Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will provide operational and clinical leadership, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality Occupational Health services.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team, overseeing service performance, staffing, skill mix and case management, while driving continuous improvement, efficiency and innovation. Working closely with senior leaders, you will support the commercial growth of Occupational Health services through market insight, customer engagement and contract development opportunities.

As a visible role model, you will champion the Trust's values and support the delivery of organisational priorities. You will also deputise for the Associate Director of Occupational Health when required.

This is an exciting opportunity for a forward-thinking Occupational Health professional with strong leadership skills, commercial awareness and a passion for service development to help shape the future of Occupational Health across Mid and South Essex.

Main duties of the job

Provide strategic and operational leadership for Occupational Health services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective and responsive clinical and case management services.

Lead on complex case management, sickness absence management and workforce health initiatives, providing expert occupational health advice to managers, senior leaders and key stakeholders.

Oversee service performance through the development, monitoring and reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring continuous improvement and achievement of service objectives.

Lead clinical governance activities, including audits, risk assessments, incident investigations and compliance with professional, regulatory and organisational standards.

Drive the development, implementation and review of Occupational Health policies, procedures and health and well-being strategies to support workforce health and organisational priorities.

Manage, support and develop the Occupational Health team, promoting professional development, workforce planning, recruitment and high levels of staff performance and engagement.

Lead innovation and service improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance service delivery, efficiency and employee health outcomes.

Contribute to the commercial development of the service through contract management, external partnerships and stakeholder engagement, representing Occupational Health at a senior level both internal and externally.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more information on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached Job Description.

This role will also in addition be remunerated with + Fringe Allowance (5%) + Recruitment & Retention Premia £5,000 per annum

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should a high number of applications be received.

Interviews will be held the week commencing 9th November 2026

Person specification

Knowledge

• Extensive previous experience within Occupational Health; with extensive experience at a Senior Level
• Proven experience managing major projects within Occupational Health, using project management tools
• Experience of policy development
• Experience in managing and leading a professional HR team and service
• Experience with contract bidding income generation within an Occupational Health setting
• Experience in managing a Flu campaign in a large organisation
• Evidence of managing HSE inspections

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with Full NMC Registration
• NEBOSH Qualification
• Project Management Certificate
• Specialist Degree in Occupational Health (Part 3 on the register)
• Master's Degree

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Joana Piesare Job title Associate Director of Occupational Health Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0300 443 3530