JOB DESCRIPTION
Job
Title:
Senior Business Planner
Reporting
To:
Resource & Capacity Planning Manager
Department(s)/Location:
Central Resource Team, Cardonald
Job Reference number (coded):
1. JOB
PURPOSE
Provide recommendations and offer subject matter expertise to Senior Operational Management on how to effectively deploy resources in order to achieve maximum efficiency and agreed service level targets.
Accurately forecast call demand and deliver resource requirements to Operations at national and local level for 1000+ staff across 4 regional centres and 5 local centres.
Deputise for the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager when necessary in all aspects of the role, including the management of the Central Resource Team.
3. ORGANISATIONAL
POSITION
4.
SCOPE AND RANGE
Supporting 4 geographically distinct contact centres and 5 Local Centres, with circa 1000+ staff members.
Assist Resource & Capacity Planning Manager in delivering resource requirements to the organisation on an on-going basis. Provide support and information to Senior Operational Management, in relation to the deployment of available resource.
Provide support for all members of the Central Resource Team, acting in a managerial capacity in
Resource & Capacity Planning Manager Resource Planners Resource Planning Scheduler Senior Business Planner
the absence of the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager.
5.
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide support for the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager, representing the Central Resource Team in cross-directorate discussions, providing a resource-focussed viewpoint.
To ensure that information held within the resource planning tools is up-to-date and accurate enabling the production of effective forecasts for the creation of shift patterns.
To design and implement national systems to track workforce development within NHS 24.
Design and review shifts and rotas in line with service requirements for all NHS 24's services, circa 1000 staff. Ensuring the best deployment of resource is achieved in order to meet all of NHS 24's service level objectives.
Lead on specialist events, which will result in changes to call volumes/profiles and required resource levels/deployment, such as Public Holidays, advertising campaigns and peak events, such as Festive and Easter.
Represent the Resource Planning team in projects and provide input regarding what impact any new or existing developments/initiatives have on our ability to achieve service level and the deployment of resources. Deputise for Resource & Capacity Planning Manager as and when required
Lead, develop and support Resource Planners and Resource Planning Schedulers in all aspects of role. Offering the team guidance on new initiatives and developments within NHS 24.
Support Resource & Capacity Planning Manager in strategic objectives, offering ideas and subject matter expertise.
Drive forward the Operational Workforce Plan recommending targets for new financial year based on
historical trends and forthcoming initiatives. Maintain Workforce Plan throughout the year, highlighting any variances against plan and offering potential solutions.
Extract and analyse historical call data from the Workforce Management System (WFM) and Symposium in order to generate, monitor and predict call profiles.
Deal with queries from Senior Management regarding resource implications and offer best practice. Develop, implement and maintain the Resource Planning processes and procedures, whilst continuously striving to improve them, generating ideas and solutions.
Ensure frequent, open communication between Resource Planning and Real Time in order to utilise feedback and understand service delivery trends which will improve planning performance.
Attend planning and performance meetings with Senior Management in order to offer resource predictions and highlight any areas of concern, always offering recommendations for potential solution.
Liaise with the Recruitment team, making recommendations regarding contractual hours and working patterns for new recruits. Influence the content of recruitment campaign literature.
Attend monthly Local Partnership Forum meetings, providing input and recommendations from a planning and resource perspective on any issues which may affect service delivery.
changes to working patterns.
Promote Relationship Management and stakeholder Management to ensure strong communication between Resourcing and Operations at all times
Prioritise own workload around tight deadlines in a pressurised environment. Frequently moving from one task to another as a result of interruptions.
Take ownership of own personal development and the development of others within the team. Sharing best practise at all times.
6.
SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
Desktop PC EquipmentTotal View (Workforce Management System) – Maintained by Resource Planning, but viewed by Managers and support staff across the organisation. Extract, analyse, format and present data from all systems and tools which are operated by Resource Planning.
Knowledge of various office equipment and filing systems.
Symposium (Automated Call Distribution System) – Provides historical call data to allow call projections and staffing projections to be made.
Corvu (Performance Management Tool) – Interrogation of call data information to allow us to make necessary resource calculations.
Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access) Intranet and internet
Webstation (Total View Interface) – Viewed by Frontline staff and Management. Deal with queries in relation to Webstation and provide ongoing support through training.
7.
DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
Decision-making responsibility for the processes and procedures followed by various roles within Central Resource Team.
Provide decisions to Senior Operational staff on requests to alter staff's working patterns, both short and long term.
Work in conjunction with Senior Management Teams across all directorates to ensure any potential developments/initiatives taking place have minimal negative impact on resource delivery.
8.
COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
As a senior member of the Resource Planning team, there is a requirement to develop and maintain relationships with a wide range of people, these include:-
Frontline staff
Human Resources – 4 centres & Head Quarters Payroll Team
Training Department Information Services Team IT
Service Support – 4 centres Clinical Service Managers
Service Delivery Analysts (Real Time) Recruitment Department
Senior Operational Managers including Director Level This list is not exhaustive
Communication with the above people/departments can take the form of telephone calls, E-mails, written and face-to-face.
Tactfully resolve contentious issues as and when they occur. Empathise whilst maintaining professional integrity and ensure any decisions taken have minimal impact service delivery.
Make recommendations to Resource & Capacity Planning Manager to take appropriate action to achieve best outcome, ensuring minimal impact to service delivery
Peer group communication
Attending meetings and representing Resource Planning, as and when required.
Required to communicate on a range of complex matters at Senior Level as well as communicating on day to day matters
9.PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Required to travel between all NHS 24's sites.Required to sit at PC in front of VDU for extended periods.
10.
MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
Working to tight deadlines in a pressurised environment whilst ensuring accuracy and most effective decisions are taken.
Deal with conflicting priorities from Senior Management whilst demonstrating a professional and helpful manner at all times.
Achieving the required resource in line with patient needs whilst adhering to government directives in relation to flexible working and joint partnership working within the NHS.
11.
KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
Educated to degree level or equivalent experienceMinimum of 3 years experience in a Resource Planning role, specifically within a Contact centre environment
Experience of operating and maintaining a workforce management system for 1000+ staff in a virtual set-up. Experience of working in a pressurised environment, delivering to tight deadlines and providing input as high at Senior Management/Director level.
A high level of PC literacy is required, with particular strengths in Microsoft Office applications Experienced in the use of Contact Centre tools such as Symposium and Corvu
Evidence of a highly numeric, fast thinking approach to problem solving
Ability to balance a heavy workload and aggressive timescales whilst having an attention to detail Ability to translate often complex or detailed information into simple, brief reports whilst highlighting any issues and meeting the needs of internal/external customers
Ability to work independently and with others with minimal supervision Flexibility to adapt to changing requests and timescales
Ability to extract relevant information from systems and to audit this information against other sources Have a high level of persuasion and negotiating skills
Previous experience of working in a pressurised environment, delivering to tight deadlines. Ability to offer direction and guidance to junior staff members, leading by example at all times.
12. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
