NHS AfC:
Band 6Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 914-BSA7473303 Site Stella House Town Newcastle Upon Tyne Salary £38,682 - £46,580 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 08/10/2025 23:59
Job overview
Join the NHS Business Service Authority as a Support Specialist!
Are you passionate about using technology to make a real impact? Do you have experience in software support and a keen interest in supporting essential NHS services? Can you work closely with a talented and motivated team in a business-critical environment, maintaining and enhancing NHS back-office applications, if you can, and you are up for the challenge, we would love to hear from you!
What do we offer?
1. 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays
2. Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
3. Flexi time
4. Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
5. Career development
6. Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
7. Excellent pension (20.6% employer contribution)
8. NHS Car lease scheme
9. Access to a wide range of benefits and high street discounts!
Main duties of the job
As a Support Specialist your main duties will be:
10. Ensuring critical NHS BSA back-office applications are supported and maintained to exceptional standards. These systems support thousands of current and past NHS employees.
11. You will be leading and developing a team of diverse IT professionals who work to exacting standards and SLA's.
12. You will also be working with internal and external stakeholders ensuring the delivery of outstanding service, resolving issues and enquiries from users and stakeholders on a daily basis.
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. Analyses, interprets and reports information and knowledge of technical subjects and concepts to influence decisions.
2. Applies the appropriate methods and procedures for the development and testing of systems.
3. Designs, develops, enhances, tests, implements and documents BSA IT services to meet stated requirements.
4. Monitors and supports the efficient and effective running of bespoke, third-party and mixed services. Uses incident, problem, request and
change management processes and systems to support successful implementation of system enhancements and fault resolutions.
5. Possesses an advanced skill-level in the technologies (methodologies, languages etc) which have been adopted by BSA Technology
Solutions.
6. Supporting multiple BSA business services – together with an understanding of the wider organisation and strategy – to identify and meet
business requirements.
7. Analyses and resolves a wide range of highly complex non-routine business problems by applying an analytical, creative and systematic
approach, escalating issues where relevant.
8. Resolves conflicting requirements and produces and presents a range of solutions to customers, managers and peers. Makes
recommendations which influence key decisions within and outside own area (eg service design, reporting, training, operational activity).
9. Uses initiative to make decisions on complex technical matters, communicating this to colleagues and management.
10. Supervises, trains, and mentors existing team members and assists customers to develop skills.
11. Establishes and maintains communication with internal and external stakeholders about difficult or complex matters overcoming any
problems in communication, and communicates effectively at all levels to both technical and non-technical audiences, verbally and in writing.
12. Plans and takes responsibility for the work of self and others to achieve given objectives. Co-ordinates this work, including customer
liaison, quality reviews, meetings, implementation and testing activity across a number of teams and functions.
13. Manage time effectively when required to work on a number of tasks in parallel. Adjusts plans as appropriate to take account of conflicting
priorities and deadlines.
14. Produces documentation (such as operating instructions and user guides) at an appropriate level for technical and non-technical
audiences.
15. Selects appropriate methods, tools and applications for application development, test and support.
16. Analyses, interprets and presents information from various sources about complex subjects to influence key decisions.
17. Participate in partnership working with other individuals, groups and agencies inside and outside the NHS BSA.
18. Operates in a quality-oriented environment and continually seeks to improve customer service by examining and recommending changes
to procedures, policies & services.
19. Carries out research and development work to support future business needs whilst maintaining knowledge of market trends and an
understanding of emerging technologies and business opportunities to assess their relevance and application to the BSA.
20. Takes responsibility for personal development and actively seeks development opportunities.
21. Works out of normal working hours as determined by business needs. Participates in on-call rotas as necessary.
22. Deputises for their line manager within appropriately allocated areas of responsibility as required.
23. Contributes towards the development of future work plans and requirements. Assists the planning process by producing time & resource
estimates.
24. Monitors own and others’ health, safety and security in accordance with BSA policies.
25. Ensures own actions support equality, diversity and rights.
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.
Working relationships
Responsible to: Digital Support Manager
Key relationships and connections
1. Digital Leadership Team
2. Strategic Partners
3. Third party software providers
4. End users
5. NHSBSA Colleagues
Person specification
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
13. Works with autonomy and initiative.
14. Accountable for work of self and others.
15. Willing to move outside own comfort zone to increase knowledge and experience.
16. Able to identify and contribute to personal development opportunities.
17. Flexible, responsive and able to work effectively on multiple concurrent streams of work in a changing environment.
18. Able to work in a variety of team structures – team member, team leader, independent work.
19. Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem-solving.
20. Can plan, schedule and monitor work of self and others competently within medium-term time horizons.
21. High degree of technical and business competency. Able to absorb and effectively apply new technical information to resolve complex issues.
22. Ability to analyse, interpret and report information and knowledge related to ideas and concepts.
23. Ability to effectively communicate and work in partnership with internal and external individuals, groups and organisations.
Desirable criteria
24. Ability to effectively lead, influence and develop internal and external stakeholders in area(s) of specialisation.
Experience
Essential criteria
25. Knowledge and experience of a range of the following: - Design - Development - Testing - Implementation - Support
26. Experience of using standard MS Office software (eg Word, Excel)
27. Experience in developing and/or supporting IT systems
Desirable criteria
28. Experience and knowledge of one or more of the following: - Methodologies (Waterfall process, Rapid Application Development, DSDM); - Languages (Java, COBOL, PL/SQL, VB, C#); - Platforms (Unix, Windows, Internet, Intranet); - DBMS (SQL Server, Oracle, DB2); - Middleware (WebSphere, J2EE, Sharepoint)
29. Processes and tools (configuration and release management, incident and problem management).
Qualifications
Essential criteria
30. IT related degree or equivalent OR
31. Significant demonstrable experience in developing and/or supporting IT systems.
Desirable criteria
32. ITIL Foundation (or equivalent)
33. Professionally recognised certification at appropriate level in area of specialism.
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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