Delivery Unit Manager - Band 8a


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£57,528 to £64,750 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Chelmsford, CM1 1QH
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	4 Sept 2026
Closing date:	17 Sept 2026

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Summary

ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation. This post will sit within the Corporate Services Directorate, which is committed to delivering high quality corporate services through collaboration across team boundaries, the adoption of new approaches and the use of modern technology. The directorate will create the conditions for the ICBs success by ensuring that its corporate functions are efficient, responsive and aligned to organisational priorities. The Delivery Unit Manager will play a key role in supporting the ICBs streamlined operating model, helping the organisation maintain disciplined focus on a defined set of strategic priorities. Working as part of a small, high impact team, the postholder contributes to the coordination, oversight and assurance of priority programmes, ensuring that delivery is consistent, transparent and aligned with organisational expectations. Their work strengthens the ICBs ability to track progress, identify risks and maintain momentum across its most important areas of focus. A central aspect of the role will be supporting the adoption of consistent delivery approaches across all priority areas. The postholder will work closely with programme leads and senior responsible officers to embed shared methodologies, reporting standards and performance frameworks. By promoting alignment and reducing variation, they help create a coherent delivery environment that enables the organisation to understand progress clearly and intervene effectively when challenges arise. The postholder will act as a key point of coordination for data and intelligence relating to priority delivery. They will gather, analyse and synthesise information from multiple sources, ensuring that progress updates are accurate, timely and meaningful. Through structured monthly meetings with each priority area, the postholder assesses delivery confidence, identifies emerging risks and ensures that issues are escalated appropriately. Their work will support a culture of constructive challenge, accountability and evidence based decision making. The postholder will provide practical support with delivery planning, risk management and performance tracking, helping SROs maintain a clear line of sight on progress and areas requiring attention. They also contribute to preparations for the CEOs quarterly performance meetings with executive directors, ensuring that discussions are grounded in robust analysis and a shared understanding of organisational priorities. The role requires strong cross organisational coordination. The postholder brings together colleagues from clinical, operational and corporate teams to support collaborative working on key directives and shared priorities. They help ensure that interdependencies are understood, that information flows effectively and that priority programmes benefit from collective expertise and aligned effort. Their work strengthens organisational cohesion and supports the ICBs wider ambitions for improvement and transformation. The manager also plays an important role in supporting the governance and reporting processes that underpin the ICBs approach to priority delivery. They ensure that progress reports, risks and key decisions are clearly documented and appropriately routed through central governance structures. Their contribution helps maintain transparency, strengthens assurance and supports the Executive Team in maintaining oversight of organisational performance. Through strong analytical capability, disciplined coordination and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Delivery Unit Manager helps ensure that the ICB maintains focus on the outcomes that matter most. Their work enhances organisational delivery capability and supports the successful implementation of the ICBs strategic priorities. As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the ICB in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan: From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning. From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health. From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES To deliver on the job description set out above, the job holder will be expected to deliver on the requirements set out below: Policy and service development Implement policy developments that support effective project and programme management to support the delivery of the ICBs strategy and Population Health Improvement Plan Ensure compliance with relevant ICB policies Use research and innovation to inform service improvements or performance management Strategy and analysis Use of complex health data sets, including those relating to performance across activity, finance and quality to inform decision making Analysis of complex qualitative and quantitative data relating required to support projects and programmes Turning analysis into useful insights that can be used to inform decision making and delivery Present complex data, information and insights, including qualitative and quantitative data, through clear and simple written and verbal briefings Use of Population Health Management methodologies and tools to inform projects and programmes that will improve outcomes for patients and sustainability of health services Planning and organisation Support development and delivery of strategic project plans across the ICB, ensuring appropriate governance, risk management, escalations and reporting Managing competing priorities, prioritizing own and team resources to effectively deliver on short, medium and longer term priorities Ensure accurate reporting and records management Support delivery of business plan for the Delivery Unit Communications and Partnerships Work collaboratively, modelling inclusive, respectful and compassionate leadership Able to take account of a broad range of perspectives, including staff, patients and the public, to inform decision making Present information and training to large groups Build strong, trust-based relationships across the ICB, with NHS providers, local government, VCFSE partners and communities as needed Effective engagement with patients and the public as required Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to enable the collective ownership and delivery of projects that are seeking to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver a sustainable health and care system Share complex and challenging information which may relate to service performance or staffing Able to manage conflict, find compromise and persuade based on evidence as needed Financial and resource management Responsible for management of budget for the Delivery Unit, ensuring delivery against the agreed budget Supports procurement of relevant services Team management and capability building Contribute to leadership of the Delivery Unit, including overseeing recruitment, onboarding, development and performance management of team members Support staff through ICB transition, including the development of teams to deliver on new ICB portfolios as agreed through transition Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team Other Able to use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings Able to use software required to develop report, including ability to deliver high quality documents through Microsoft suite (word, power point, excel), project management software (e.g. Aspyre) and nationally available tools to support best practice. Flexibility and evolving responsibilities As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organization, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures. KEY RELATIONSHIPS The post holder will need to build constructive relationships with partners from across the health and care system. Key relationships will be with: ICB senior leadership Information Governance team Local Authority partners NHS Providers NHSEI regional partners Other system partners, such as VCFSE

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