Go back Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Head of Organisational Resilience
The closing date is 23 November 2025
We have an exciting opportunity for an EPRR and Business Continuity professional to join us as the Head of Organisational Resilience, across Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The Head of Organisational Resilience is responsible for ensuring the Trust fulfils its legal and statutory duties relating to all Emergency Preparedness matters, including the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, NHS England and Improvement EPRR Framework 2015 and NHS England and Improvement Core Standards for EPRR.
We are looking for an EPRR & Business Continuity professional with significant current experience in an EPRR, Resilience or Business Continuity role.
Job responsibilities
* Lead all areas of EPRR activity within the trust, working at Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels in order to discharge our obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and EPRR guidance.
* Lead and coordinate the response to Business Continuity, Critical or Major Incidents within the Trust. Liaise with Multi Agency partners in the Local Resilience Forum and Integrated Care Board as required.
* Be the subject matter expert, supporting the executive team and senior managers on all matters relating to EPRR, Business Continuity and Emergency Response.
* Interpret national policy, procedures and guidance relating to emergency preparedness ensuring delivery and adherence.
* Actively promote awareness of Business Continuity and EPRR across the organisation ensuring sufficient and effective delivery utilising all available resources.
* Manage and actively support relationships with key stakeholders.
* Lead the production and updating of plans and procedures, defining roles and responsibilities and ensuring relevant individuals and agencies are consulted.
* Lead the organisation in the completion of the Core Standards for EPRR, providing guidance and support to ensure these standards are met across the Trust.
* Maintain governance of EPRR programme through working, committee and board groups.
* Provide the Executive Board with reports on progress, where standards have not been met or a risk of disruption has been identified, providing advice and remedial action plans.
* Prepare and deliver regular reports to various committees, as required, providing assurance of the Trusts emergency planning activities and adequacy and appropriateness of local emergency plans.
* Support the organisation in the completion of External Audits, both directly and indirectly related to EPRR and Business Continuity.
* Provide Tactical advice during redevelopment projects, infrastructure works and maintenance, ensuring business continuity is maintained and impacts are mitigated as far as possible.
* Develop and implement an annual work plan for EPRR and Business Continuity.
* Work jointly with key system and regional partners to contribute in the development of future strategies and policies.
* Draft reports summarising status on issues, appraising outcomes, and providing progress reports to the Accountable Emergency Officer (AEO).
* Coordinate Business Continuity and EPRR training and exercising across the Organisation.
* Prepare and deliver training packages in EPRR, CBRN and Business Continuity ensuring all staff with a role in plans are provided with suitable and adequate training.
* Deliver training to ensure Tactical and Strategic commanders are prepared for their role during an incident.
* Responsible for the day to day management of the Organisational Resilience Manager, including supporting appraisals, role development, recruitment and where necessary processes such as grievance and disciplinary matters.
* Develop, lead and maintain change management processes to improve the Trust's EPRR programme; including Training & Exercising policy, awareness, availability and suitability for all staff.
* Support the Head of Operations at both sites to effectively deliver the quarterly Organisational Resilience Committees, ensuring the committees track progress and preparedness across all Core Standards, including Business Continuity.
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. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.
Our Values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
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.
Qualifications & Experience
* Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in a specialist area e.g. Diploma in Health Emergency Planning (DipHEPRR) or equivalent EPRR qualification.
* Extensive knowledge of EPRR or related emergency planning disciplines. Highly specialist knowledge of the diverse range of policies, practices and services related to Emergency Planning, Resilience and Response, e.g., Business Continuity, CBRN, Mask‑Fit testing and Flu Pandemic planning.
* Evidence of post‑qualifying and continuing professional development.
* Understanding of key acute hospital services and their incident response structures.
* Extensive knowledge of governance and EPRR frameworks, particularly but not exclusively within the Health system.
* Experience of multi‑agency working, and Command and Control.
* Qualification in Training and education.
* Qualification in Structured Debriefing.
* Experience of working in a complex public sector environment.
* JESIP command trained.
* CBCI certification.
Communication Skills
* Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level.
* Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts.
* Ability to use informed persuasion to influence others.
* Experience managing reputational risks within an organisation through the application of crisis communication principles.
Analytical Skills
* Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues and create solutions and to resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery.
* Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution.
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.
Address
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital and Bedford Hospital
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital and Bedford Hospital
#J-18808-Ljbffr