NHS AfC:
Band 5Contract Fixed term: 18 months (Secondment also available for current NHS Employees) Hours
1. Full time
2. Part time
3. Flexible working
37.5 hours per week Job ref 914-BSA7425996 Site Newcastle, Wakefield and Fleetwood Town Newcastle upon Tyne Salary £31,049 - £37,796 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/09/2025 23:59
Job overview
Do you enjoy solving problems, supporting change, and working with people to make things better?
Are you looking for a role where you can grow your skills, make a difference, and be part of something meaningful?
We’re looking for a motivated and collaborative Optimisation Advisor to join our Workforce Services Directorate, on our Electronic Staff Record (ESR) workstream. We are working alongside the ESR Central team to support NHS Organisations get the most out of ESR, helping them utilise the system’s functionality more effectively and to ensure accurate data to drive business decisions. You’ll work with Optimisation Leads to help deliver projects that unlock the full benefits of ESR. You’ll meet with external stakeholders, build strong working relationships, and help remove any barriers to progress. Your role will support the wider project team in achieving successful outcomes. This includes working with complex data, completing key project tasks, and guiding Optimisation Administrators to carry out updates in ESR where needed.
This position is currently hybrid working, with a main base of Newcastle, Fleetwood or Wakefield.
What do we offer?
• 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
• Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
• Career development
• Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
• Excellent pension
• NHS Car lease scheme
Main duties of the job
As an Optimisation Advisor, you’ll support the delivery of change projects across NHS workforce services. You’ll work closely with the Optimisation Lead and other stakeholders to help services transition smoothly and successfully.
Your key responsibilities will include:
4. Supporting multiple optimisation projects and reporting progress.
5. Building strong relationships with internal teams and external partners.
6. Leading specific activities within change plans and identifying improvements.
7. Managing and supporting team members.
8. Preparing guidance documents and reports to support change.
9. Promoting the benefits of NHSBSA systems and services.
10. You’ll also contribute to wider organisational activities and be responsible for your own development.
For a more detailed breakdown of the role and responsibilities please take a look at the job description attached to the advert. We welcome conversations about this opportunity, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to find out more.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In this role, you are accountable for
1. Provide support, and report to the Optimisation Lead.
2. Support in multiple optimisation projects to ensure successful adoption of change for both NHSBSA and organisations using WSD services and systems.
3. Build excellent working relationships internally and externally, with system and service suppliers, customers and a wide range of stakeholders.
4. Adopt a forward-thinking approach by continuously reviewing the effectiveness of the optimisation activities to identify improvements.
5. Ensure active engagement from Optimisation Administrators, providing clear direction, updates and actions to enable a positive change experience.
6. Support the implementation of business change, highlighting risks, issues and actions in line with required standards across a number of concurrent projects and diverse stakeholder groups.
7. Use high-functioning communication skills to encourage a collaborative customer focused approach.
8. Line manage direct reports and oversee the effective implementation of policies relating to appraisal, absence management, disciplinary, grievance, performance monitoring and personal development plans.
9. Prepare user guidance documents, briefings and process mapping to support the implementation of improvements and process change, ensuring that the benefits of the change activities are identified, measured and owned.
10. Create highlight reports for the Operational Management Team that outline progress, identify problems and propose solutions. Ensure lessons learned are integrated into future activities by conducting evaluations and assessing results.
11. Collaborate with WSD project teams including internal and external members, acting as a subject matter expert. Promote the benefits of WSD systems across the NHS and beyond throughout optimisation activities.
12. Where appropriate collaborate with stakeholders within the wider Workforce Services Directorate and other NHSBSA services to ensure successful delivery of optimisation projects.
13. Participate in broader organisational activities where own recognised strengths may be utilised.
14. Be accountable for your own personal development requirements to be fully equipped to meet current and future management and organisational needs.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
11. Degree level in change management or similar discipline or relevant experience in a middle management role.
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
12. Experience and knowledge of managing change and transition requirements for both internal and client/customer in a fast paced environment.
13. Able to work on own initiative, taking decisions and actions in line with the aims of the organisation.
14. Able to demonstrate effective leadership and motivational skills.
15. Encourage innovation in others.
16. Identify and influence different approaches to working practices.
17. Demonstrate a range of effective communication and presentation skills including drafting reports
18. Focus on customer service and continuous Improvement
19. Change management techniques
20. IT skills for full use of management information
21. Drive and manage significant change to agreed quality standards
22. Excellent time management skills
23. Innovative and forward thinking
Desirable criteria
24. Understanding of the DPA, FOI & GDPR
25. NHS Recruitment/HR Knowledge
26. Ability to work effectively across locations, Comfortable working away from home on occasion with nationwide travelling
27. Comfortable working away from home on occasion with nationwide travelling.
Experience
Essential criteria
28. Experience of implementing new systems and processes on a large scale to a diverse range of stakeholders
29. Business Process Improvement experience
30. Experience in effective problem solving, using analytical skills, creativity and logical thinking to reach a solution
Desirable criteria
31. Wide experience and understanding of the NHS
32. Experience of stakeholder management
33. Experience of transformational change management bringing about sustained service and performance improvement
The NHSBSA is passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, which is a great place to work and truly reflects the diversity of our customers. We welcome applications from talented people of diverse characteristics including age, disability, gender identity and expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any marginalised group. We also welcome applications from all those in the Armed Forces Community.
At the NHSBSA we pride ourselves on being a Disability Confident Leader, Stonewall Top 100 employer and we’ve recently been awarded the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion Gold Standard benchmark.
We offer an invitation to the first stage of the selection process for people with disabilities that wish to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme, and for members of the Armed Forces Community, where all of the essential criteria in the person specification are met.
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