NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

Operational Support Officer

The closing date is 19 October 2025

Job summary

Fixed Term 31st March 2026

Are you looking for a new challenge and would like to work in a fast-paced environment that will give you the ability to gain experience of a wide area of health and care?

Candidates will need to be organised, able to solve problems and work to tight deadlines whilst maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Excellent communication skills and a friendly, approachable nature are essential for this role.

The ICB System Operations Centre (SOC) supports a proactive approach to managing urgent and emergency care including hospital bed pressures and queuing ambulances at busy emergency departments across the region to improve system working and performance. It provides a clear point of contact in hours as the centre for operational understanding and management of system pressures and actions.

This administrative post is a key position being the hub, working alongside providers in resolving challenges; you will be right at the centre of the SNEE health and care system, no day will ever be the same as the last, or the next.

Our small team provides proactive and reactive support to system partners to improve patient flow through the health system, working with providers to resolve matters. You will be a key point of contact for colleagues on daily operational issues working across 7 days (on a rota pattern) covering 8am-6pm Monday-Friday office based and 8am-6pm at weekends which will be remote home working (enhanced rates paid) and is one weekend in three.

Main duties of the job

Follow standard operating procedures for the Operations Hub to enable a universal way of working throughout the team. Work collaboratively with the wider team to develop and update the Operations Hub standard operating procedures as required

Support the function and follow standard operating procedure associated to complete the ICBs duties in relation to Patient Initiated Choice (PIC). This procedure will include the postholder contacting patients to discuss their choice of elective care options and occasional liaison with providers external to our system to clarify capacity availability

Ensure there is utilisation of a consistent format for key briefings and maintain effective and accessible information systems

Provide accurate records of meetings and update logs. Manage actions from meetings that are assigned to the Operations Hub, briefing colleagues on required actions to be completed, securing updates to ensure actions are completed in a required timeframe and to accurate and appropriate professional standards

Responsible for scheduling meetings including booking venues for events and sourcing materials required

Work with the operational hub team to ensure all meetings are supported appropriately for the Operations Hub, UEC Operational Team and Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR)

About us

The Government has recently announced it is looking to make some significant changes to the NHS structure in England. This will have an impact on the ICB, but we are unclear at this stage on what that impact will be. Unfortunately, at this moment in time we cannot give any guarantees that the position is not going to be affected by the news. Any proposed changes will be subject to full consultation with staff and their representatives and will follow management of change guidelines as stipulated by ICB Policy and NHS Agenda for Change.

The NHS Suffolk and North-East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) plans and buys healthcare services for our population. This function is commonly referred to as commissioning. To do this, we work within a budget of around £2.7 billion, which is set by NHS England, and work closely with local government and the NHS providers in our area. Our performance is judged by how well our local health and care system as a whole is working, including the health outcomes of our communities.

The ICB has delegated some authority to the three health and wellbeing alliances that operate in Suffolk and North-East Essex to act on its behalf. This is to ensure that the needs of smaller, local areas are addressed.

The ICB remains accountable for all of its functions, including those it has delegated. Local residents have a big role to play in the operation of the ICB. We rely on the experiences and perspectives of our communities to help shape our decision-making.

Date posted

09 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

5 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

D9710-ICB477

Job locations

Endeavour House

8 Russell Road

Ipswich

Suffolk

IP1 2BX

Job description

Job responsibilities

The job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.

Person Specification

Equality & Diversity

Essential

Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Other

Essential

An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust
Good time keeping
Willingness to work out of hours as part of the System Coordination Centre rota
Flexible approach to work
Ability to work from our three offices in Colchester, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, as necessary

Skills

Essential

Experience of successfully managing tasks and working with other people to ensure objectives and deadlines are met and quality maintained
Excellent time management skills with ability to reprioritise
Skills for communicating complex information and administrative matters, requiring developed interpersonal and oral/written communication skills

Desirable

Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
Experienced at minuting system wide meetings
Knowledge of the current Health and Care system
Experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment

Knowledge, Training and Experience

Essential

Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
Formal minute taking skills
Ability to foster good working relationships
Intermediate skills in using Microsoft 365 products
Ability to prioritise and respond flexibly to frequent changing demands
Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources
Ability to attend meetings and process correspondence containing highly sensitive information.

Autonomy

Essential

Able to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own work to changing and often tight timescales

Person Specification

Equality & Diversity

Essential

Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Other

Essential

An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust
Good time keeping
Willingness to work out of hours as part of the System Coordination Centre rota
Flexible approach to work
Ability to work from our three offices in Colchester, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, as necessary

Skills

Essential

Experience of successfully managing tasks and working with other people to ensure objectives and deadlines are met and quality maintained
Excellent time management skills with ability to reprioritise
Skills for communicating complex information and administrative matters, requiring developed interpersonal and oral/written communication skills

Desirable

Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
Experienced at minuting system wide meetings
Knowledge of the current Health and Care system
Experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment

Knowledge, Training and Experience

Essential

Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
Formal minute taking skills
Ability to foster good working relationships
Intermediate skills in using Microsoft 365 products
Ability to prioritise and respond flexibly to frequent changing demands
Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources
Ability to attend meetings and process correspondence containing highly sensitive information.

Autonomy

Essential

Able to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own work to changing and often tight timescales

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.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

Address

Endeavour House

8 Russell Road

Ipswich

Suffolk

IP1 2BX

Employer's website

https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

Address

Endeavour House

8 Russell Road

Ipswich

Suffolk

IP1 2BX

Employer's website

https://suffolkandnortheastessex.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)