OPMU Project Officer

Job responsibilities

Improving Quality and Outcomes

Lead the scoping, planning and delivery of the Emergency and Urgent Care Programme, including the identification of key milestones, deliverables and benefits.

Drive forward the transformation, in conjunction with the operational and clinical teams in order to meet the key performance indicators and milestones that contribute to the overall programme.

Support local delivery of the appropriate targets set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Responsibility for the finances of the projects being managed.

Key Working Relationships & Effective Communication Skills

Operate effectively and work collaboratively with key stakeholders both internally and externally to support the design of clinical and service pathways that will meet strategic and clinical requirements and within financial constraints.

Work in partnership with Project Manager to ensure that communication is clear about progress and outputs of project.

Develop effective partnerships with clinical and non-clinical staff and help to create an environment within which all staff working in the delivery of care are provided with the opportunity of influencing the planning, management and development of time pathways.

Established and maintain regular dialogue with key members of staff working across specialty areas.

Work in partnership to identify and problem solve issues ensuring solutions are fully developed and deployed in line with project plan.

Support the Project Manager as the Trusts point of contact with the innovation of pathways, acting as the link between them and the local operational and clinical teams.

Communicate effectively with colleagues on a timely basis to ensure staff and managers remain informed. This will include providing and receiving at times highly complex information which may be sensitive or contentious, where persuasive motivational and negotiating or empathetic and reassurance skills are required.

Build and maintain relationships with Emergency and Urgent Care services and the Business Development Team within the Trust.

Enabling Patient and Public Involvement

To ensure that patient and public involvement is embedded as appropriate and included within the project plan for each of the work streams at relevant levels of decision making.

Where relevant to act as a champion for patients and their interests and involve the public and patients where appropriate work with service users to ensure that patient views are incorporated into pathway redesign.

Project Management

Support the strategic planning, project management and smooth running of projects within the Emergency and Urgent Care Programme.

Lead the delivery of project plans, ensuring agreed goals are met - allocating tasks as appropriate, identifying risks, issues and interdependencies, considering best practice and current options and ultimately making decisions in the best interests of the project.

Establish and develop documentation to ensure appropriate Task and Finish Groups to drive forward the necessary changes that will support implementation of projects within the Emergency and Urgent Care Programme.

Develop detailed project plans, action trackers, risk and issues log that are systematically in line with the agreed milestones and national/locally agreed timeframes. Work closely with the Programme to ensure all aspects of the project run to time, following up and flagging issues where required.

Support the development and implementation of agreed local plans adopting best practice where appropriate including plans to evaluate the effectiveness of new services and ensure that performance management is in place to support the evaluation.

Ensure the pathway redesign includes a strong focus on quality and delivery, improved patient outcomes and quality requirements.

Collate, prepare and present reports summarising status on issues, appraising outcomes and providing progress reports for the nominated clinical and managerial leads across the system.

Ensure all parties are kept up to date with progress and are engaged and own the work. As project lead ensure all members of task and finish groups are aware of the specific standards/targets they are responsible for delivering.

Provide regular updates (agreed at commencement of project) and reports for work within the Emergency and Urgent Care Programme.

Represent the Emergency & Urgent Care Programme Team at meetings and events associated with the projects within the programme.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Provide and receive complex information and be able to persuade operational and clinical teams of the importance of the project.

Management of the production of the required work programmes, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.

Analytical and judgment skills such as critical reasoning, interpretation of complex information and clear decision making.

Independently plan and organise own workload and the workloads of others involved in the programmes of work.

Organise and co-ordinate the project membership including guiding their work in line with the projects plans and milestones, and ensuring that work is not over-looked, or duplicated, by related projects.

Ensure the PM, and ADO of Divisions are alerted to any deviations from plan which may have material consequences to the delivery, costs or Timeliness of the project.

Initiation, organisation, and participation of events such as workshops.

Provide specialist knowledge across a range of procedures which are underpinned by theory and initiative.

Implement policies and propose changes to practices and procedures for own area.

Regular requirement to develop or create reports and documents maintaining one or more system updates where necessary.

Communications and Working Relationships

Highly advanced communication skills are required for this post. Complex and at times possibly sensitive information needs to be managed in a variety of formats, with wide range of audiences, departments and stakeholders such as:

Effectively communicating to senior leadership team within the Elective and Emergency Divisions on specific project developments and influencing those needed to contribute to work programmes.

Provide highly complex information regarding performance in a motivational manner which encourages collaborative working in order to deliver against targets.

Work closely with Emergency and Urgent Care services and the Business Development Team within the Trust.

Manage staff expectations particularly around developments and changes.

Presentation skills for educational and corporate audiences. Adapting use of language to reduce barriers to understanding and enhance ability to influence others.

Close working with other NHS organisations such as Coventry & Warwickshire, CCGs and other NHS Trusts.

Able to deliver specific training to colleagues on new initiatives as required.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to post graduate level or equivalent level of knowledge of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Project management knowledge to post graduate diploma level or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of successful risk management regarding complex, multi-organisational projects
• Experience to solving a range of operational problems involving HR and finance
• Undertaking service/business planning in a multidisciplinary setting taking into account finance, workforce, equipment and organisational factors
• Experience of working as part of a team
• Experience of persuading and influencing staff at all levels
• Experience of dealing with politically and other sensitive situations and information
• Previous NHS experience

Desirable

• Significant previous experience in a project management role OR equivalent experience of working in a large, complex organisation

Skills

Essential

• Understanding of Emergency and Urgent Care
• An understanding of the political environment in which the NHS operates and its role in serving the public
• Knowledge of administrative procedures, project management and/ or information analysis
• Able to analyse assessments and resolve failures to meet project standards
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Software Applications
• Knowledge of data validation and quality assurance systems
• Awareness of the key deliverable set out in the NHS Long Term Plan
• Demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of good HR practice, including a working knowledge of contract / employment law
• Knowledge of external environment including national and regional strategies and priorities, and the national political agenda
• Knowledge of the clinical and corporate governance agendas and the role of the Healthcare Commission
• Knowledge of governance issues arising from recent investigations into the provision of relevant health services
• Standard keyboard skills

Desirable

• Awareness of best practice national guidance
• Examples of partnership work already undertaken and the knowledge of who those key partners are
• Comprehensive knowledge of NHS data definitions and information standards

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to prioritise own workload
• A commitment to public sector values
• Can write accurate text to tight deadlines
• Must be a team player
• Analytical mind
• Have a flexible and dedicated approach to work
• Enthusiastic and keen to learn
• Highly motivated
• Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities in employment and service delivery
• Personal and professional demeanour and credibility that generates trust and confidence in others e.g. remains calm under stressful circumstances
• Ability to work with clinical staff of all disciplines
• Ability to manage and resolve conflict in an effective but non-aggressive manner

Other

Essential

• Willingness to travel as appropriate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).