ePMA System Manager

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Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You'll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you'll do the best work of your life - and make a difference to other people's lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

The ePMA System Manager plays a key role within the Pharmacy and digital services teams, supporting the effective management, configuration and development of the Trust's OPTUM Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) system. The post holder will act as the Trust's subject matter expert for the system, ensuring it is configured, maintained and developed to support safe, effective and efficient clinical services.

Working closely with pharmacy teams, clinicians, operational managers, IT services and system suppliers, the post holder will oversee the day-to-day operational management of the system, including configuration, system upgrades, data quality monitoring and troubleshooting. The role also includes responsibility for coordinating system improvements, supporting service redesign and ensuring compliance with Trust policies, national standards and information governance requirements.

The post holder will lead the ePMA support team and provide specialist advice, guidance and training to staff across the organisation, ensuring users are confident and competent in the use of the system. Through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, the role will contribute to the continuous development of digital prescribing services across the Trust.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for the operational management and continuous improvement of the Trust's OPTUM ePMA system. This includes ensuring the system remains fit for purpose, supporting clinical services and enabling accurate recording of patient activity.

Key duties include managing system configuration, overseeing upgrades and system developments, and working closely with system suppliers, IT services and NHS Digital to maintain system functionality and performance. The post holder will also ensure that appropriate downtime procedures and business continuity arrangements are in place.

The role involves providing specialist advice and support to clinical and operational teams on the use and development of the system, as well as delivering training to end users across the organisation. The post holder will monitor data quality, produce reports and work with teams to ensure that information recorded within the system meets Trust standards and supports service planning and decision making.

In addition, the post holder will manage and support a team responsible for system administration, ensuring an effective helpdesk function, maintaining training materials and ensuring staff are appropriately trained and supported.

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
• Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the Trust's OPTUM ePMA system, ensuring it is configured correctly and supports safe and effective clinical services. This includes maintaining system functionality, managing user access and supporting system configuration in line with organisational requirements.

The role will involve coordinating system upgrades, testing enhancements and working closely with IT teams and system suppliers to resolve issues and improve system performance.

The post holder will support data quality by monitoring reports, identifying areas for improvement and working with operational teams to ensure accurate data recording and compliance with information governance requirements.

They will provide training, advice and ongoing support to system users across the Trust, ensuring staff are confident in using the system and that training materials and procedures are kept up to date.

The post holder will also contribute to business continuity planning, support system downtime processes and work collaboratively with clinicians, managers and other stakeholders to support the effective use and continuous improvement of the system.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Advanced IT skills
• Knowledge and experience of supporting projects
• Analytical skills, involving investigation and resolution of complex queries.
• Delivering face to face training to teams, large and small and 1:1

Desirable criteria

• Specialist knowledge and expertise of OPTUM ePMA System
• Specialist knowledge of managing a patient administration system

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GCSE Maths / English or equivalent
• Degree Level or Sufficient experience in working in a complex environment

Desirable criteria

• NHS Management qualification - diploma level 3 or above or equivalent significant experience
• NVQ/Diploma level 3 in IT or Health and Social Care

Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Band 5 ePMA System Manager (JD) (PDF, 744.5KB)
• Band 5 ePMA System Manager (PS) (PDF, 520.3KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• Staff Benefits (PDF, 152.7KB)