Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Digital Integration and Development Team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where innovation meets impact in the heart of healthcare technology. As a Systems Integration Development Specialist, you will be a vital contributor to a team of technical experts dedicated to the development, support, and security of the Trust's integration architecture. Your role will focus on the operational support and enhancement of system-to-system interfaces, ensuring that the Trust's digital infrastructure remains agile and responsive to changes in its application portfolio. With a strong emphasis on clinical safety and seamless user experience, you'll help enable healthcare systems to access essential health data accurately, efficiently, and securely.
This hybrid position offers the flexibility of working two days a week in the Bedford office and three days remotely, supporting a balanced and productive work environment. The interview process will be conducted face-to-face at our Bedford offices and includes a short technical exam covering computer programming, SQL, and HL7 standards. If you're passionate about digital transformation in healthcare and ready to make a meaningful difference, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The role
- Take the lead on ensuring the quality of system integration development: reviewing and improving code and documentation for readability and maintainability.
- Provide expert support for operational interfaces and messaging platforms across the whole Trust integration architecture.
- Analyse system integration requirements, reviewing specifications and preparing detailed designs for bespoke integration solutions.
- Proactively identify risks and issues that affect release scope, schedule and quality.
- Create and manage development work packages for junior team members, ensuring the most effective use of available resources to meet operational need and project constraints.
- Develop system-to-system HL7 interfaces and other integration solutions using efficient, well-structured ObjectScript code; InterSystems HealthShare; SQL and other tools to meet agreed designs and project requirements.
About you
We're looking for someone with strong systems integration, development, organisational and communication skills, as well as excellent attention to detail. You'll have experience of IT within Healthcare or in a large IT department with a large system portfolio.
This is a very team-focused environment, so you'll need to be adaptable and enjoy team work too. High levels of personal resilience is a must as this is a very fast-paced and at times challenging environment. Any experience of team leadership/supervision is extremely advantageous.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high-quality training and development to help you grow your career.
We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting-edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job. Please review for the full details and responsibilities.
Ensuring the efficient organisation of systems integration or development services within department, making best use of capacity to deliver activity within the terms of the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and with cost-effective utilisation of staff and non-pay resources.
Developing and maintaining in-depth specialist knowledge of the relevant programming languages and methodologies as appropriate to deliver the Trust strategy.
Designing, developing, coding, debugging and supporting the trust messaging platforms.
Developing interface specifications and reviewing vendor specifications in line with objectives or business requirements.
Proactively identifying risks and issues that affect release scope, schedule and quality.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job. Please review for the full details and responsibilities.
Ensuring the efficient organisation of systems integration or development services within department, making best use of capacity to deliver activity within the terms of the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and with cost-effective utilisation of staff and non-pay resources.
Developing and maintaining in-depth specialist knowledge of the relevant programming languages and methodologies as appropriate to deliver the Trust strategy.
Designing, developing, coding, debugging and supporting the trust messaging platforms.
Developing interface specifications and reviewing vendor specifications in line with objectives or business requirements.
Proactively identifying risks and issues that affect release scope, schedule and quality.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant IT Degree or equivalent knowledge and relevant experience in specialty.
Desirable
- InterSystems HealthShare training / certification.
- SQL training / certification.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding and experience of full software development life cycle.
- Ability to analyse and break-down complex requirements into manageable tasks.
- Knowledge and understanding of the concepts of healthcare system integration, including messaging standards such as HL7, XML, JSON and HL7 FHIR.
Desirable
- Understanding of Information Governance, IT Security and confidentiality.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS and Healthcare IT.
Experience
Essential
- Strong experience of systems integration across a mixed computing environment.
- Experience developing in an object-oriented coding language and experience of using SQL to interrogate relational databases.
- Experience of using messaging and middleware platforms to manage data flow between software applications.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a large organisation with a wide range of staffing levels and being able to liaise with level from Administrative Staff to Senior Managers.
- Experience of working within an NHS IT Department environment and liaising with Third Party Suppliers.
- Experience of working with HL7 messaging.
- Experience of using InterSystems HealthShare to build and maintain system-to-system interfaces.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant IT Degree or equivalent knowledge and relevant experience in specialty.
Desirable
- InterSystems HealthShare training / certification.
- SQL training / certification.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding and experience of full software development life cycle.
- Ability to analyse and break-down complex requirements into manageable tasks.
- Knowledge and understanding of the concepts of healthcare system integration, including messaging standards such as HL7, XML, JSON and HL7 FHIR.
Desirable
- Understanding of Information Governance, IT Security and confidentiality.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS and Healthcare IT.
Experience
Essential
- Strong experience of systems integration across a mixed computing environment.
- Experience developing in an object-oriented coding language and experience of using SQL to interrogate relational databases.
- Experience of using messaging and middleware platforms to manage data flow between software applications.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a large organisation with a wide range of staffing levels and being able to liaise with level from Administrative Staff to Senior Managers.
- Experience of working within an NHS IT Department environment and liaising with Third Party Suppliers.
- Experience of working with HL7 messaging.
- Experience of using InterSystems HealthShare to build and maintain system-to-system interfaces.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
