Change and Release Manager (NHS AfC: Band 8b) - Health Research Authority

The HRA is a dynamic organisation, delivering excellent services through its committees, simplifying the health research process and championing research in the NHS. We hope that you are as enthused by our vision, our plans and our operations as we are.

Main area Change and Release Manager Grade NHS AfC: Band 8b Contract 24 months (Fixed term contract until 30th June 2027 with possibility to make permanent depends upon funding) Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working
• Home or remote working
• Compressed hours

37.5 hours per week Job ref 980-HRA7302606-A

Site Nottingham – Equinox House, City Link Town Nottingham Salary £64,455 – £74,896 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/07/2025 23:59

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

CV Recruitment – We want to make applications for this role as easy as possible! Please apply using your CV.

Please do not apply if your previous application for this role was unsuccessful.

Health Research Authority is looking for an experienced Change and Release Manager who can set up, standardise and lead complex digital transformation changes through the programme governance, ensuring adequate risk assessment and scheduling of changes and releases for a stable and reliable technology service. The successful candidate will take a hands-on approach to ensure that technical changes to software and services are adequately assessed for impact, prioritised, scheduled, authorised and implemented in line with agreed processes and using appropriate tools.

Successful candidate will have experience of continuous release management in an Agile/SAFe environment and will play a leading role in planning, managing, and overseeing software releases across various technology environments (internal and dependent external organizations)

Main duties of the job

· Establish RSP change and release management capability keeping in mind Agile delivery practices

· Demonstrate broad industry experience in change management and implement a successful change management process from zero to full maturity

· Be the responsible owner for the Change Management policy and supporting processes including chairing the Change Advisory Board (CAB)

· Strategic planning, coordination and execution of change and release management processes.

· Champion change management – responsible for change management lifecycle, analysing impact and managing risk. Be the main escalation point and make decisions for all technical changes, coordinating releases and interdependencies.

· Work closely with Agile(scrum) teams and change managers to define release schedules, align resources (internal and external) and manage dependencies

· Commitment to transparency, customer-centricity, system stability and performance to ensure stakeholders are kept informed throughout the release process.

Working for our organisation

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’re 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 help us to deliver the best services.

We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community. This includes:
• age
• disability
• ethnicity
• gender identity and expression
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation
• other diverse characteristics

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 you, we’ll do our best to make it work for us.

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 HRA Digital. The HRA Digital directorate is responsible for developing, delivering and supporting complex solutions within the HRA’s portfolio or national information systems for health research. This includes a major programme to build a new Integrated Research Application and Workflow system and to achieve the successful migration and eventual closure of current systems (IRAS and HARP).

The HRA Digital team is a collaborative, supportive team consisting of HRA employees, secondees, contractors and vendors.

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.

The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters degree level (or equivalent) in an IT or other relevant discipline or relevant experience
• ITIL Service Management foundation
• Agile Change Management or equivalent Agile certification

Experience

• Demonstrable experience in managing product releases or projects with multiple contributors and delivering on time-based release schedules

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Ability to navigate constantly evolving situations to ensure plans achieve goals and specific outcomes within agreed timescales

Experience

• Experience of working in Agile and DevOps environment

Other

• Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity

Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills

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. 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.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The HRA offers a variety of career paths for its staff as well as a wide range of benefits, including NHS pensions and discounts.

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