NHS Business Services Authority

Implementation Lead - Midlands and East of England

The closing date is 25 June 2025

Job summary

Join NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in a transformative leadership role, playing a pivotal part in the delivery of the Future NHS Workforce Solution.

The solution will build upon the success of the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), which is the HR and payroll system for the NHS. ESR processes £55 billion in payments each year to NHS colleagues, which is 7% of the UK's workforce.

If you have experience of delivering digital transformation, strategic leadership in a complex environment and have experience in workforce this exciting role might be for you.

You'll lead a team dedicated to supporting NHS organisations to prepare for their workforce transformation. This is not just about implementing a new system - it's about enabling the NHS workforce to thrive in a modern, digital environment, supporting long-term organisational change. Please be aware that all roles require travel across all NHS regions where required.

What do we offer?

Hybrid working - offering flexibility to work predominantly from home with the opportunity to be office based should you prefer, or if business needs require it.
27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays.
Opportunities for development
Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
Excellent pension
Various salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Assistance programme, offering free 24/7 support for you and your loved ones

Main duties of the job

We are looking for someone with a deep understanding of workforce systems and experience in service delivery and optimisation within complex organisations. You should have the ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders at all levels, and manage large-scale projects. Excellent communication and data analysis skills, combined with a strategic mindset, will be essential in this role.

Accountabilities include -

Lead the optimisation of the current workforce solution across a range of NHS user organisations.
Lead the annual assessments of the workforce solution, identifying opportunities for optimisation that align with strategic workforce objectives.
Maintain an in-depth technical and functional understanding of the current workforce solution (ESR) to effectively influence senior stakeholders and ensure the full benefits of optimisation are realised.
Assist the Senior Implementation Leads in building and developing the Readiness and Implementation team, setting clear strategic goals and ensuring the team has the necessary resources, framework, and operational procedures to support user organisations effectively.Play an instrumental role in delivering comprehensive support for organisations and support them in their efforts to overcome barriers and secure senior leadership buy-in.
Work alongside the Senior Implementation Lead to develop frameworks that assess the readiness of user organisations to optimise the current solution and successfully implement the future one.

About us

Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.

We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we're proud to be part of something meaningful, that touches millions of lives.

We design our services around customer needs and place people at the heart of our organisation. That's why when you join us, you'll be empowered and supported to help your career grow.

As one of the UK's Best Big Companies to work for, we're connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.

We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every colleague is heard, supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, and you can join our Lived Experience Networks who help us bring our authentic selves to work.

We're committed to being a flexible employer and we try to offer a working pattern that suits you where possible, through hybrid working, flexible hours and more.

Alongside a competitive salary with pay progression, we offer a people-centric benefits package, connecting you to the rewards and benefits you value most!

Ready to join us in delivering business service excellence to the NHS, helping people live longer, healthier lives? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.

We are people connected to care.

Date posted

11 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£62,215 to £72,293 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

914-BSA7121264-B

Job locations

Wakefield House

Wakefield

WF1 3UB

Job description

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for

Operational Service Delivery & Optimisation

1. Responsible for the optimisation of the current workforce solution across the allocated sub-set of user organisations in maximising capabilities and achieving business goals.

2. Provide leadership in the planning and successful execution of annual assessments of the current workforce solution with user organisations to encourage user organisations to identify areas where optimisation can support their strategic workforce objectives and provide enhanced project support for user organisations ongoing optimisation initiatives.

3. Maintain a detailed technical and functional knowledge of the current workforce solution in order to influence senior stakeholders within user organisations in order to maximise the benefits offered through greater optimisation.

Establishment and management of the Readiness and Implementation Team

1. Supporting the Senior Implementation Leads in the creation and development of the Readiness and Implementation team. Support the setting of strategic goals and be responsible for the resourcing, framework development, and operational procedures that will allow the function to provide comprehensive readiness and implementation support for user organisations.

Data Insight & Reporting

1. Accountable for the data quality and insight collection for the current workforce solution and user organisation readiness for the future solution.

2. Support the development of sustainable reporting frameworks/systems (that are within solutions or technologies - to be agreed at a future point) that captures detailed and repeatable intelligence on both User Organisations state of readiness to implement the future solution and the various HR, Payroll and IT systems (including interoperability), among other things, currently in place over a five-year period. This detailed intelligence will support core Programme objectives including the future pilot and wave roll-out strategy, providing visibility on current system optimisation, support tracking each user organisation's implementation status as well as proactively monitoring user organisation's performance over time to get ready for the future solution.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

1. Build and manage relationships with the future supplier and within NHS regions, including ICBs/ICSs and user organisations up to the most senior leadership level and wider stakeholders to foster engagement and collaboration on both the current workforce solution optimisation and the future solutions design and rollout.

2. Influence commitment from user organisations to fulfil their roles in preparing for and implementing the new solution.

3. Imparting difficult to understand, technical and solution related information to senior stakeholders as required.

4. Supporting organisations in their efforts to optimise the current workforce solution and the roll out of the future solution. Influence senior executive stakeholders in a challenging environment to secure buy-in for the programmes vision and objectives and to positively remove or reduce barriers to optimisation and/or implementation of the future workforce solution

5. Representing the NHSBSA on external and internal boards as required.

Developing the capabilities of the User Organisations

1. Support the Senior Implementation Lead in the development of frameworks that will assess the change management, and wider capabilities needed for a user organisation to both optimise the current workforce solution and to successfully implement the future solution.

2. Working with the future supplier teams to develop and roll out the materials, skills and/or products that will support user organisations.

3. A senior member of the Readiness and Implementation team you will have operational knowledge and capability of resource planning and associated budget requirements to support and advise user organisations as they plan and deliver implementation readiness projects, including preparing PIDs and other documentation.

Leadership, Governance, and Continuous Improvement

1. Provide leadership that aligns operational goals with broader programme objectives, reporting, establishing governance standards and ways of working that support both the current and future solutions. Escalating of any opportunities and threats in a timely fashion and providing solutions to mitigate any risk.

2. Actively seek feedback and promote adaptability to continually refine processes, ensuring alignment with both user organisation needs and evolving system requirements.

Team Leadership and Line Management

1. Provide leadership and line management for their implementation team, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.

2. Provide leadership by developing the strategic direction for the team in relation to engagement with stakeholders. This would include improving the knowledge and best practice use of the current workforce solution within user organisations via regional workshops and webinars to drive optimisation and business case benefit realisation.

3. Set clear goals, monitor performance, and provide coaching and development opportunities to ensure team members are equipped to meet both current and future demands.

4. Encourage a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

5. Deputise for the leadership team where appropriate.

Ways of working

1. Work at all times collaboratively with all members of the Implementation team, the wider NHSBSA programme team and NHSBSA teams.

2. Maintaining an understanding of NHS terms and conditions of service and NHS workforce strategies and initiatives and a clear understanding of how NHS organisations work.

3. Communicating with all levels of NHS staff, all types of NHS organisations, and individuals associated with the service such as contractors or consultants.

In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to

1. Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager.

2. Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work.

3. Encourage an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted.

4. Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion.

5. Follow NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.

Applications will be reviewed regularly and we may take the decision to close the advert early at any point up until the closing date, if we receive a high number of suitable applications.

If you're interested in this role, it's important that you get your application in early to avoid missing this fantastic opportunity.

The roles will be appointed on a permanent basis and are being recruited to support a specific workstream within the FWS programme, which is scheduled to run until 2030.