Business Officer (Maternity Cover) in Carlisle

Cumbria Health are looking for an experienced and flexible individual to join the Business Team, providing key support to business development, contracting, and funding activity. This role sits within the Business Team, reporting to the Senior Business Manager, and supports organisational growth and service development across Cumbria Health. The post holder will act as a first point of contact for new business opportunities, supporting contracting, funding, and partnership activity.

Working closely with senior colleagues, the role supports external funding applications, procurement bids, tender monitoring, and the identification of emerging opportunities. The post holder will also oversee the Outbreak Management contract, working with the Rota team to ensure effective service responses. The role includes high level administrative support such as contract management, KPI monitoring, and audit activity. Strong organisational, communication, and IT skills are essential. This post is based at head office. This is a 12 month full time maternity cover post, working 37.5 hours per week - Monday to Friday.

Main duties of the job include:

• Search for, identify, and lead on funding bids and sourcing funding partners and organisations.
• Lead the search for, identify and assist with procurement opportunities and tenders on procurement portals, locally and nationally.
• Proactively support the management of service contracts and assist with annual returns, reports and KPIs that sit in each contract.
• Manage the financial monitoring of services, including cost tracking for various services, and delegate related tasks within the Business team.
• Support the Business team by assisting with the preparation of tender applications and monitoring the financial aspects of ongoing contracts.
• Assist with the identification of financial growth opportunities for the organisation.
• Assist with the smooth transition of new projects or funding streams transitioning these to operational and community teams.
• Manage the business aspects of the Medical Student and various training schemes process, including monitoring income and expenditure.
• Lead on award nominations, ensuring the organisation continues to effectively showcase and promote its achievements.
• Assist with the initial implementation and, where required, the mobilisation of new services, ensuring allocated projects and associated tasks are completed.
• Lead on projects where appropriate as and when needed such as Outbreak Management contracts.
• Assist with SLA production and writing for new services in conjunction with the Business Team.
• Provide support to the Estates Manager with the Social Value and Sustainability plan inclusive on ongoing monitoring and data inputting for the business team.
• Manage invoicing for new and ongoing projects independently, support the Senior Business Manager and Associate Commercial Director with invoicing arrangements as required, and monitor the financial system to ensure invoices are sent and payments received, updating the business tracker accordingly.
• Membership support and management, linking with partners for regular updates such as Social Enterprise UK / Carlisle Ambassadors / Cumbria CVS / Vonne.
• Assist community, partner, and stakeholder engagement initiatives to build relationships and support organisational objectives.
• Develop communications and promotional materials for a range of services.
• Develop and present business cases, including sensitive and confidential topics, at Executive meetings.
• Assist in seeking out cost-saving initiatives working alongside the Associate Commercial Director.
• Engage with stakeholders to explore and develop business opportunities.
• Provide proactive support to the senior leadership team on tasks and projects as needed.
• Approve stationery purchase orders, ensuring orders are appropriate and cost-effective.
• Create and provide content for the external newsletter to support communications and engagement.
• Support the Senior Business Manager and Associate Commercial Director with tasks as appropriate.
• Collaborate closely with multiple teams across Cumbria Health, fostering strong working relationships.
• Engage with VCSE and public sector organisations as appropriate to support collaboration and partnerships.
• Oversee shared business inbox, responding to queries as needed.
• Manage the process and coordinate with rota and control for outbreaks (scabies, flu, strep) to ensure patient care and accurate service invoicing.
• Handle incoming calls and respond to queries when required.

Person Specification:

• Positive, confident, well organised, and able to build rapport and effective relationships at all levels.
• Demonstrate initiative and flexibility.
• Experience of Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint and Excel.
• Accurate and efficient typing, problem solving and analytical skills, numerical skills.
• A desire/interest to work in the administration field and commitment to self-development.
• Experience in tender processes and providing Data Analysis.
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and willing to learn.
• Able to adapt to fluctuation in workload, hard working, reliable, and resourceful.
• Respect confidentiality of patient information and able to prioritise workload effectively.
• Excellent team player with advanced Microsoft office skills, report writing skills, and problem solving and analytic skills.

Qualifications:

• Business Degree (or equivalent).
• Project Management Prince 2.

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.