Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

The Business Development and Project Management Office is looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic Project Support Officer to provide a skilled and dedicated resource to the Business Development element of the team. The post holder will support in both business development, market analysis and the mobilisation of services in times of transition. The post holder will also provide wider administrative support to the wider Project Management Office.

The post holder will be highly organised with exceptional planning and communication skills, both verbal and written, with a high level of numeracy and computer literacy, an understanding of project management processes and documentation and a willingness and ability to learn new skills quickly.

This is a unique opportunity working across Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust services, developing your skill and experience and playing a role in developing service provision across the Trust. The post holder will provide a range of programme and project related support skills in order to enable quick and effective process and governance leading to successful project delivery. Including:

If you feel you have experience, skills and potential to make a real difference in a progressive NHS Trust that hugely values our people and teams, then we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The PSO will support the Business Development Manager to ensure the timely response to business opportunities, managing the tender pipeline and supporting a number of projects.

Additionally, the PSO will provide administrative support to the wider Business Development and Project Management Office. This will include responsibility for organising and supporting a number of business development and project related meetings, minute taking, agenda setting and maintaining action logs.

Liaison with senior internal stakeholders and external organisations will be an important aspect of the role.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Working for our organisation

This opportunity will entail working across the wider NHS system in Sussex and will enable you not only to develop your skills and experience but also to play a vital role in improving the support to people with complex eating disorders in Sussex and Hants.

The post holder will support the Planning and Business Development Office to ensure the successful implementation of strategic transformation of services across Sussex, and other regions where SPFT may provide services in the future.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To work directly with the Business Development Manager to provide a comprehensive and highly effective secretarial and administrative support service. To support and collaborate with other members of the Business Development and Project Management Office to ensure smooth running of various programmes

To be responsible for the development and management of a range of duties including appointment booking, complex diary management and effective and robust filing systems, adhering to Trust's policies of file management

To maintain standard programme documentation including: programme plans, risk and issue logs through regular updates with the team, ensuring that the quality of information and documents is

To develop and maintain a central library of Business Development documentation and to maintain accurate records and files on the programme and associated work streams

To organise, prepare documentation and take minutes of a range of programme meetings including some more technical meetings covering finance and commercial issues

To provide a first point of contact for all face to face and telephone enquiries from a broad spectrum of people - senior leadership, external NHS partners and third party suppliers (legal, financial, commercial advisers )

To provide excellent administrative and secretarial support, using appropriate software packages, working to strict timescales and to a very high standard of accuracy, following correct Trust presentation standards and using appropriate Trust templates

To undertake ad-hoc pieces of work which may include the construction and management of complex spreadsheets and data collection in accordance with need, utilising a range of software packages and reports available within the Trust

To be proactive in organising and prioritising workload, managing own time effectively, highlighting problems as they arise and proposing possible solutions within available resources

To act as a central point of contact and ensure the smooth running of the Business Development and Project Management Office

To ensure that requests are dealt with professionally, following up as appropriate and referring to line management as necessary

To produce, and add value, to each task through utilisation of existing skill sets and Microsoft Office functions (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/SharePoint)

To update and create documentation and presentations

To create reports and assist with project communications as necessary

To attend and fully participate in weekly/monthly team meetings, to assist the development of best practice and standardisation of administration processes across the team/service. To take minutes as and when necessary

To support the facilitation and organisation of key stakeholder engagement events, workshops, clinical audits and performance meetings

To provide budget control support to the Business Development Manager including the raising of Purchase Orders, receipt of goods/series and monthly cost reconciliations

To organise the ordering of any essential equipment/supplies for the team as and when necessary, in line with the Trust's Procurement procedures

To participate in the Trust supervision and appraisal policy/system

To undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with line manager as part of the personal development planning process

To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development with agreed timescales

To contribute positively and proactively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the team

To contribute to the health and safe working environment by adhering to Health and Safety regulations and Trust policies

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.