NSS IT / Business IT
IT Systems Developer
Permanent
Agenda for Change Band 6
Salary Scale - £26,041 - 34,876 per annum
Location – Glasgow / Edinburgh
As a vital part of NHSScotland, NHS National Services Scotland’s mission is to enable and support the delivery
of better health and better care, working in partnership. We do this by providing a range of specialised support
services that enable NHS Boards to focus their efforts on delivering health improvement and patient care.
In order to meet the increasing demand from Health Boards and SGHSC, NSS IT are seeking to recruit an IT
Senior Technician to support the delivery of Business IT services for national IT Systems used by NHSScotland.
We seek to appoint an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to contribute to the provision of development
and maintenance of applications within Business IT used to support decision making across NHSScotland. The
post holder will contribute to systems, to enable access to electronic data for health professionals.
You will have excellent inter-personal skills and be able to work as a member of Business IT and liaise with
health professionals in NSS and NHS boards. You will be able to demonstrate excellent organisational skills,
and a high degree of accuracy. The ability to maintain strict confidentially is essential. You will be educated to
degree level (or equivalent) with significant IT experience, a large part of which should have been providing web
based applications with at least 3 years experience using SQL Server and .NET framework.
Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational
health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits.
For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Philip Webb on 0141 300 1149 or Cathy Hunter on 0141
300 1921.
For an application pack please complete the online application form on the SHOW website
www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk. Ref G27382
Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail
regularly (including junk folders).
Further information on NSS is available from: www.nhsnss.org
Closing date for completed applications 13th February 2015.
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health
Service.
NHS National Services Scotland is an equal opportunities employer.
Candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
JOB DESCRIPTION
1.
JOB DETAILS
Job Title:
IT Systems Developer (Senior Technician)
Immediate Senior Officer/Line Manager:
Department Manager
Department(s):
Business IT
Division:
IT SBU
Job Reference:
2. JOB PURPOSE
Develop, implement, test and support IT information systems and solutions to business users across NSS
and NHS boards to time and budget in a demanding and challenging environment.
Responsible for resolving technical problems within the agreed timescale.
Responsible for providing expert technical advice to business users within NSS and NHS boards.
3. DIMENSIONS
NSS IT is a key component of NHSS.
There are over 4500 direct users of services with many thousands of indirect, but significantly dependent,
users across NHSScotland in Trusts, Boards and Practices.
NSS IT has direct responsibility for over 400 essential servers running over 250 applications.
NSS IT has direct responsibility for over for the NSS Local and Wide Area Networks, as well as the
telephone system.
NSS IT manages 15.0 terabytes of data and processes over 75 million data records per year.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
4. ORGANISATION CHART
Programme Manager
Senior Department
Manager
Principal Engineer
Senior Technician
Technician
Junior Technician
5. ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT
NSS IT department is a flexible organisation that reacts quickly to changing business needs in order to
provide an efficient and effective service to NSS and the wider NHS. The Divisional IT departments are
made up of four functional areas:
Application Development
This Service is responsible for full life cycle delivery of development projects covering all aspects of new
systems or enhancements to existing systems. These include projects that are deemed to achieve NHSS
strategic benefit of both financial and patient care significance, on behalf of senior sponsors i.e. SE, Chief
Executive.
Business Projects
The Service is responsible for initiating and managing the development and implementation of the IT
strategy for the NSS IT Strategy Group (reporting directly to the NSS board). The Service manages the
rolling 3 year IT Strategy and implementation plan. Based on this corporate plan, the department prepares
annual objectives for the NSS that must be incorporated into divisional business plans: coordinating the
management of budgets, risks and issues during the implementation. The Service works with the Project
Support Office managing the necessary procedures and metrics to underpin IT projects and to provide
directors and senior management with performance figures as well as operational managers with data to
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
manage resources.
Business Systems
This Service supports all the business systems and infrastructure for NSS. It is the focal point of contact
for all NSS and external commercial groups. The group is made up of discrete Business System teams
focussed on the management of operational or production systems to specific business clients. This
includes the data collection and processing of approximately 60 national surveillance datasets to over 250
NHSS Customers. It also provides a full Helpdesk service for IT, NSS and NHSS customers.
Demand Management
The Service is responsible for managing the relationship with business clients. It works closely with
clients to develop business plans making best use of technologies and leverages the improvements due to
the IM&T strategy into the business. The department manages demand (on NSS IT) and therefore enables
a flexible response to changing client requirements.
6. KEY RESULT AREAS
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Undertake the design, build, test, implementation, operation, support and amendment of IT
systems in accordance with user requirements. Includes hardware build and software analysis,
design and build.
Resolve complex problems in response to user or system reported problems by adopting an
analytical approach designed to identify the cause of any perceived problem, resolve it and avoid
recurrence.
Plan and monitor tasks within projects to achieve desired outcomes, making adjustments and
taking corrective action when necessary.
Be fully proficient in the operation, configuration, repair and maintenance of a wide variety of
specialist computer hardware and software optimising service delivery and business continuity and
reducing costs involved in third party support.
Provide expert technical support to business users ensuring complex issues are clearly explained
and understood. Receive advice and often complex instruction from senior staff or 3rd party
suppliers and carry out appropriate actions.
Be fully conversant in the uses, merits and demerits of potential IT solutions which are currently in
general use in commerce and industry, in a manner which allows NSS to take informed decisions
about the development or procurement of new goods and services.
Undertake such research and developments as deemed appropriate in respect of emerging IT
technologies and products to allow NSS to take early and cost effective advantage of beneficial
technological innovations and more effective ways of working.
Provide advice, support, direction and appropriate training to junior members of staff.
Implement and contribute to IT standards and procedures recognising the possible impact across
the organisation.
Produce reports for senior and project management with regard to complex technical issues.
7. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK and DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
Direct reporting on both an informal and formal basis to the Department Manager. Performance is
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
reviewed informally on a regular basis and formally on a quarterly basis, in line with NSS appraisal
guidelines.
A significant portion of the work undertaken by the postholder will be based on project objectives where
the postholder will be required to determine how such objectives can be achieved. In relation to such
work, the postholder may work closely with a designated project manager.
If necessary the postholder may refer to a manager for guidance. However, to ensure optimum service
delivery the postholder will be required to prioritise tasks and where appropriate delegate to junior staff.
8. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Internal
Direct communication with business users to optimise the level of service provided and to ensure that
users fully understand any complex issues involved.
The postholder will communicate on a daily basis with colleagues within the IT Department. Such
discussions will generally be technological or procedural in nature and will be aimed at ensuring
customers are provided with coherent and integrated solutions from the IT Department.
Cross-Divisional communication to ensure standardisation across divisions.
External
The postholder will be responsible for developing and supporting a number of applications and services
utilised by colleagues employed at NHS institutions around Scotland. Communications with this element
of the customer base can be challenging because face-to-face contact is often not possible and because
technological inconsistencies may exist between NSS and the institution involved. The postholder must be
skilled in communicating information clearly and in understanding the requirements of the customer.
Direct communication with third party vendors. These communications will normally be related to
technical issues but in some cases may be related to contractual or financial matters.
9. MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF THE JOB
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The postholder will be expected to undertake a wide variety of work, which may have conflicting
priorities. This includes providing ongoing support of existing IT solutions while delivering new
projects and initiatives and keeping up-to-date with ever changing current and emerging
technologies. This mix of workload and the overall volume which it represents needs to be
managed and undertaken in a manner which results in the best possible service being delivered to
the customer base.
Achieving consensus to address customer expectations while conforming to defined project
budget, cost and quality definitions.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
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Ensuring that personal and team goals are achieved against a background of continual personal,
team and organisational change.
Undertaking research and development with a view to ensuring that NSS adopts those emerging
technologies which represent real business benefits and which can be proven to be more cost
effective than solutions which are currently utilised.
Implementing policies and technological solutions in a manner which comply with the
organisation’s IM&T strategy.
10. SYSTEMS
Responsible for the design, development, test, implementation, maintenance and support of major IT
information systems and solutions across the agency incorporating: operating systems (e.g. Unix, Linux
and NT); database and warehousing software (e.g. Oracle, SQL Server); web technologies (e.g. CSS, JSP,
ASP, Java, Apache, XML, Web services, SOAP, .NET, IIS and Tomcat); web services monitoring (e.g.
Big Brother and Nagios); Business Information software (e.g. BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports);
communications infrastructure (e.g LANs, WANs and associated security hardware); desktop application
support (e.g. Microsoft Office suite), backup and recovery procedures (e.g. Commvault) and Helpdesk
support (e.g. Assyst).
11. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL EFFORT
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Physical Effort
The post may be involved in the maintenance and administration of a variety of computer systems and
peripherals. In such cases, the postholder must have the ability to relocate such equipment. Such
activity may be a frequent (daily) feature of this post.
The post holder will be required to rebuild a machine or replace specific parts to resolve some issues.
Mental effort
Ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time, e.g. when designing and developing complex IT
systems or when investigating or resolving complex technical issues which is a significant component
of this post.
Ability to move rapidly from one task to another where there is contention for service, e.g. when a
service has to be restored as a matter of urgency while the post holder is involved in a high priority
development project.
Emotional Effort
 Ability to keep one’s own emotions under control when dealing with conflicting situations in a
pressurised environment.
 Ability to cope with unexpected problems and to take responsibility
 Ability to cope with pressure
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
12. ENVIRONMENTAL/WORKING CONDITIONS & MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
The post may require regular presence in a facility, which is designed to provide an optimal
environment for computer equipment rather than staff. The temperature, level of light and noise in this
environment are considerably below that which would normally be considered acceptable for standard
office accommodation.
The nature of this post may requires regular maintenance of computer equipment which is essential to
the ongoing business continuity of the NSS and exposes the postholder to the following situations;
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Working in proximity to live electrical circuitry.
Working in cramped conditions, occasionally below floor level.
Working in conditions and with equipment, which are unclean.
Continuous use of VDU
13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
The Senior Technician should be educated to degree level, or should have obtained degree-equivalent
qualifications such as professional membership of the British Computer Society.
The Senior Technician should have at least 5 years’ experience in a technical IT role, with at least 3
year’s experience in the required skillset (e.g. SQL Server 2005/2008, Visual Studio.NET, Oracle, NT,
Visual C#).
The postholder should have an appreciation of the business requirements of NSS and combine this
knowledge with finely tuned customer relation skills.
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
Job Holder
Signature:
Head of Department Signature:
Date:
Date:
HR Department will check job description format and content and then
send the job description to the AfC Team
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
HR Representative’s Signature:
Date:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
IT Systems Developer (Senior Technician)
Essential
Desirable
At least 5 years’ experience in a
technical IT role, with at least 3 year’s
experience in the required skillset:Qualifications,
Training &
Experience
Knowledge of health data.
Developing web applications using
Visual Studio.NET, Visual C#, SQL
Server 2005/2008, Javascript, CSS.
Setting up websites / applications
using IIS.
Attention to detail.
Analytical skills for identifying and
resolving complex data issues.
Personal Qualities
Customer focused with strong
interpersonal and communication
skills.
Able to manage a number of
simultaneous tasks with the same
level of focus and concentration.
Strong team player.
General
An appreciation of the business
requirements of customers in NHS
Scotland.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.