Business Support Manager

Job summary

We are looking for a Business Support Manager to work within the Operations team supporting two divisions based at UKHSA Porton; Countermeasures Development, Evaluation & Preparedness (CDEP) and Diagnostics and Pathogen Characterisation (DPC).

You will be joining a fast-paced operational team who ensure the smooth and efficient running of two busy scientific divisions. This exciting opportunity will allow the applicant to develop the role and contribute to the successful operation of the divisions by supporting the workforce planning, recruitment, people management and staff engagement elements of business operations.

CDEP and DPC deliver a laboratory-based capability to prepare for and respond to infectious disease challenges, particularly caused by pathogens of pandemic potential. CDEP works out of new world-class research facilities and supports the testing of vaccines against COVID-19 and other emerging / pandemic threats. DPC focuses on the key initial steps in the control of infections, namely pathogen identification, characterisation and development of diagnostics.

Main duties of the job

• Developing in-depth knowledge and understanding of relevant UKHSA policies and procedures to ensure divisional practice and ways of working are aligned and optimised.
• Assist senior colleagues in developing and delivering the department operational strategy in support of the scientific strategy: executing the strategy, identifying and responding to opportunities as they arise.
• Contribute to and support the development and delivery of divisional workforce and recruitment strategies.
• Reporting through line manager on a regular basis to critically evaluate the results of activities and key issues in areas of responsibility.
• Contribute to and lead on change initiatives and process improvements as required.
• To support or take a lead in influencing other departments/service providers to improve/enhance the services they provide to divisions.
• Provide reports, prepare presentations and participate as the divisional representative as required with internal and external colleagues, stakeholders and customers.
• To undertake Line Management and associated responsibilities as required.
• To perform any other duties required by the line manager commensurate with grade.
• To ensure that the department undertakes work in accordance with the UKHSA's code of safety practice and to work within any Quality Systems that are applicable to the site.

Please note, the above list is not exhaustive.

About us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Details

• Date posted: 28 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £41,983 to £48,128 a year per annum, pro rata
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
• Reference number: 919-CG-309508-EXT
• Job locations: Scientific Campus, Porton, SP4 0JG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Working as a Business Support Manager, you will:

• Directly support the workforce planning, recruitment and people management aspects of the Operations Teams work and develop subject matter expertise in these areas.
• Have direct and in-direct Line Management responsibilities for staff working within the business support or business administration teams as required by business need.
• Have responsibility for supporting end-to-end delivery of divisional recruitment and resourcing requirements against divisional workforce and engagement plans.
• Liaise with hiring managers to determine recruitment requirements before engaging with senior managers to ensure business approvals are obtained.
• Develop and prepare specification documents and present business justifications aligned to budgetary and strategic considerations.
• Manage and track submissions, and monitor and support recruitment performance throughout the entire process lifecycle.
• Build and maintain highly effective relationships with key internal stakeholders and resolve any issues with delivery as they are identified.
• Identify and implement efficiencies and improvements in how the divisions interact with corporate and directorate processes and specified ways of working; looking to design and embed local process and best practice as agreed.
• Work closely with the department scientific staff and Operations Managers in addition to specialist teams and functions including Recruitment, HR, Private Offices and Business Support teams, Finance and Health, Safety and Security colleagues.

As the role develops, and dependent on workload, the individual may get involved with other areas of the Operations Teams remit.

You will:

• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work confidently with colleagues at all levels.
• Be a good team player who is also capable of working with autonomy and managing your own workload effectively.
• Thrive in a process-driven environment but be open and reactive to change and flexible when needed.
• Be pro-active, an excellent communicator, good at troubleshooting, problem solving and lateral thinking.
• Have experience of supporting scientific or comparable knowledge-based workforces within highly regulated operational environments.

Please note the above list is not exhaustive.

Essential Criteria:

• Honours Degree in a relevant business, operations or people management related subject, or demonstrable experience in a similar or comparable business management position.
• Proven experience of delivering effective verbal and written communications to stakeholders at all levels of seniority, both internally and externally.
• Strong track record of working in a process-driven environment whilst being open and reactive to change and flexible when needed
• Proven experience in gathering and utilising relevant data and management information to report on performance and to inform decision making.
• Excellent time management skills ability to organise workload effectively, prioritising work as necessary often in a continuously changing environment.
• Team player with ability to work on own initiative and identify areas for action and improvement.

Desirable Criteria:

• Confident IT and advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint
• Experience or working knowledge of supporting scientific workforces within regulated laboratory environments.
• Experience of writing or contributing to Business Cases and management of approval processes
• Knowledge of public sector regulatory compliance and governance issues
• Previous experience of working within a public sector or academic body
• Experience of setting, monitoring or reporting on KPIs

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is usingSuccess Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1: Application &Sift

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You willbe requiredto complete an application form. You will be assessed onthe listed 6 essential criteria, and this will be in the form ofa:

• Application form(Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

• 1000 word supporting statement

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please beadvisedyou will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over1000 words.

Longlisting:In the event ofa large number ofapplications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile Meets all essential criteria willproceedto shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event ofa large number ofapplications wemay conductan initialsift, on the lead criteria of:

• Strong track record of working in a process-driven environment whilst being open and reactive to change and flexible when needed
• Excellent time management skills ability to organise workload effectively, prioritising work as necessary often in a continuously changing environment.
• Team player with ability to work on own initiative and identify areas for action and improvement.

Desirable criteria maybeusedin the event ofa large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2:Interview

Success profilesSuccess Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be invited to a single face to face interview in Porton.

If face to face interviews areplanned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Behaviours and Experience will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Communicating and Influencing - Lead behaviour
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Experience will be assessed through experience based questions.

Interviewdates areto be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as office based at our Scientific Campus in Porton.Based at our scientific campus, you will be required to have a Counter TerrorismCheck security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Please note, hybrid working is not available for this role.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basicdisclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter-Terrorist Check.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Salary InformationIf you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.