Business Change Specialist
Employer: Health Research Authority
Location: Home or remote based
Fixed term: 15 months (Until 30/04/2027)
Working hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £38,682 - £46,580 per annum
Closing date: 25/11/2025 23:59
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The HRA is a Non Departmental Public Body with the remit to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health and social care research. We do this by supporting and promoting a robust and efficient regulatory and governance framework in the UK. We provide the Research Ethics Service (RES), Confidentiality Advice function, assessments and assurances on behalf of the NHS, and learning, guidance and advice for the research community. Our ambition is to make the UK a great place to do research, where more money invested in research goes into carrying out relevant, good quality research.
Our purpose is to ensure that research involving NHS patients and members of the public is approved through a proportionate and robust system, that they are provided with the information they need to help them decide whether they wish to take part, and that their opportunity to do so is maximised by simplifying the processes by which high quality research is assessed. We have already delivered significant improvements by centralising and simplifying the approval of research in the NHS in England, and are undertaking a range of significant programmes to deliver further improvements.
Job overview
The Business Change Specialist is responsible for delivering business change activities that enable internal teams and external stakeholders to adopt and embed changes associated with the Research Systems Programme. The role owns and leads discrete business change deliverables—readiness assessments, stakeholder engagement, adoption interventions, and early-life support—and operates with a high degree of autonomy to ensure the successful transition from legacy systems to new digital services.
This role is part of a fast-paced, iterative programme to build a user-centred digital service and achieve a successful transition from current systems (IRAS, HARP and TOPS). The programme will: connect processes for health and social care research in the UK; make the UK a great place to do research that people can trust; and help people collaborate to plan, approve, set up, manage and complete research.
This post is designed specifically to support and deliver the business change activity required to enable implementation of the new digital service
What you’ll do
We're after someone who knows how to land change in the real world — in messy, multi-agency, complex settings. You’ll bring:· A collaborative style that builds trust and engagement across boundaries
· Practical skills in planning, readiness assessment, and user-focused change adoption
A structured, methodical approach rooted in recognised change methodologies
Interviews will take place week commencing 15th Dec
Main duties of the job
· Work closely with Business Change Managers/Leads and the Chief Business Transformation Officer to review stakeholder impacts through agile development and provide data for readiness assessments.
· Engage and advise internal/external stakeholders on upcoming service, system and process changes, supporting effective planning and adoption.
· Work with the Communications & Engagement Manager to maintain the business change communications plan, drafting targeted content.
· Contribute to the development and agreement of change plans for different user groups, ensuring they are tailored, inclusive and aligned with product/service delivery.
· Support the Benefits Manager, Project Manager and stakeholders to identify and leverage benefits.
· Develop and/or advise on the creation of required business change products, engaging relevant end users.
· Co-develop support materials with Communications, Learning & Development and Guidance teams to ensure products are accessible and timed to need.
· Collate data and reports to support Business Change Leads/Managers in preparing and updating business readiness criteria ahead of implementation.
Working for our organisation
Working at the HRA, we are reminded daily of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.
When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement – if it works for us, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note, if applying to our Manchester, Nottingham or Bristol locations, we are only able to offer the role as home based.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This role sits within the HRA Approvals Service directorate, which consists of various teams that all work together to provide the appropriate approval for health research in England and, for some applications, across the UK. This directorate is responsible for:
-Delivering HRA Approval
-Supporting the Confidentiality Advisory Group and advising on the use of confidential patient information without consent
-Working to refine the systems and processes researchers need to follow to ensure a swift, robust and simple experience
-Providing guidance to applicants
-Providing training
-Working collaboratively with external partners to improve the research environment To find out more and to understand the full duties of the role, please refer to the job description attached.
In submitting your application with us, please note the following:
We currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies.
We do not hold a sponsorship licence and are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement.
Where applicants fail to demonstrate how they meet any one of the essential criteria of the person specification, the application will not be shortlisted. You will be considered based only on the information in your application form. CVs will not be considered.
The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
An undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience.
Postgraduate diploma or modules in change, organisational development or project delivery, or equivalent depth of specialist experience gained in business change within a digital or service transformation context
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise
Desirable criteria
Knowledge of the UK health and care/research environment and governance (HRA, MHRA, RECs, DA partners).
Experience
Essential criteria
Delivery of business change/adoption interventions and readiness activities
Evidence-based reporting, through papers/briefings tailored to audience
Collaborative planning/delivery of structured change interventions; user adoption of new services/systems/processes
Desirable criteria
Planning/delivery/evaluation of training or engagement activities in the public sector
Awareness of agile/iterative delivery and integration with product teams
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
Essential criteria
Developed analytical/judgement/interpersonal skills; able to source, interpret and share insights
Able to synthesise complex information for evidence-based outputs
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
Confident engaging where views conflict; uses diplomacy/negotiation; able to say no appropriately
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise
Essential criteria
Experience of planning/managing business change and implementation in a project or non-project environment.
Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to convey complex information clearly to different audiences
Excellent organisational skills; able to manage competing priorities
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
Essential criteria
Strong problem-solving and analysis; uses feedback to plan and report
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
High personal drive, initiative and adaptability; strong team ethos and respect for others
Other
Essential criteria
Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity
In return for your commitment, we offer excellent opportunities for personal development and a healthy work-life balance. The HRA is committed to promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality. We welcome and encourage applications, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity and gender expression, disability, race, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, sex or sexual orientation or any other personal circumstances. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can be made upon request, for candidates with a disability. The HRA welcomes applicants who are interested in flexible working including job share, part time work, secondments or home-based working. Please discuss any preferred flexibility at your interview.
The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.
The HRA does not hold a sponsor licence in respect of skilled worker visas and so is unable to employ candidates requiring sponsorship.
In order to be considered for this position you must address the criteria outlined in the person specification in your supporting statement. You will be considered based on the information in your application form. CVs will not be considered. All contact is made via our Trac recruitment system. Please check your account regularly.
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
If you have a query relating to your application, please contact the recruitment team on HRA.hrqueries@nhsbsa.nhs.uk or 0300 330 9416.
The NHSBSA is responsible for the processing of your application; a privacy notice is available at the following link to advise you on how we will process your personal data.
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