Senior Population Health Intelligence Analyst - Band 8a
Job summary
Are you passionate about using data and intelligence to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities? We are seeking an experienced Senior Population Health Intelligence Analyst to join our growing Data, Analytics and Population Health Intelligence function.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in developing population health intelligence and population health management capabilities across Essex. Working with commissioners, clinicians, public health colleagues and system partners, you will use complex health and care data to identify opportunities for improvement, support strategic decision-making and help shape services that deliver better outcomes for local communities.
The role sits within a multidisciplinary analytics function that brings together data engineering, business intelligence, advanced analytics and population health intelligence. You will contribute to high-profile programmes supporting strategic commissioning, health inequalities, prevention, service transformation and the delivery of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an experienced analyst with strong quantitative and analytical skills, a passion for population health improvement and the ability to translate complex data into meaningful insight and action.
You will have experience working with complex health and care datasets and applying analytical approaches such as population segmentation, risk stratification, forecasting, evaluation and statistical analysis to support decision-making. You will be confident working with NHS, local authority and wider determinants datasets and have experience presenting findings to senior stakeholders.
You will lead population health intelligence projects, support the development of Population Health Management approaches and contribute to evaluation activities that help assess the impact of services and interventions. You will work closely with colleagues across the wider analytics function, including advanced analytics specialists, to ensure robust methodologies are applied to complex analytical questions.
You should have experience using tools such as SQL, Power BI and statistical or analytical software including R, Python, Stata or equivalent. A postgraduate qualification, or equivalent experience, in a relevant quantitative discipline such as statistics, epidemiology, health economics, operational research, population health intelligence or data science would be advantageous.
About us
NHS Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and funding of NHS services for around 1.9 million people across Essex. Our role as an ICB is to bring health and care services together, improve the health and wellbeing of our population and ensure equitable access to services and outcome for everyone. The organisations headquarters is Seax House, Chelmsford, and we operate a hybrid working model (2 office-based days) that includes working across Essex and from home. Essex ICB currently has offices in Brentwood, Harlow and Colchester, in addition to the Chelmsford HQ.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We know that different experiences, ideas and perspectives help create a stronger and more innovative organisation that delivers better outcomes for patients. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including people of all ages, disabilities, sex, gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or personal circumstances. Our policies ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently throughout the recruitment process, including consideration of reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.
Please note that the organisation does not hold a sponsorship licence.
Job description
Job responsibilities
ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY
The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation.
The Senior Population Health Intelligence Analyst will lead the development and delivery of population health intelligence and advanced analytical insight to support strategic commissioning, quality oversight, workforce analysis, contracting and transformation across the ICB. The postholder will apply robust quantitative, statistical and modelling approaches to complex population health questions, including hypothesis testing, segmentation, risk stratification, forecasting, evaluation and interpretation of variation and uncertainty. They will provide senior professional and technical leadership, support prioritisation of analytical activity and ensure outputs are high quality, proportionate and actionable for decision making.
The Senior Population Health Intelligence Analyst will be required to:
- Help design and implement the ICBs approach to population health intelligence, including the use of advanced analytics, modelling and evaluation to inform strategic commissioning and resource allocation.
- Work in partnership across the ICB and the wider Essex health and care system to develop population health insight, including analysis that tests hypotheses, identifies drivers of variation and supports prioritisation of interventions.
- Support the development and implementation of a system-wide evaluation framework for commissioned services and interventions, drawing on quantitative, qualitative and lived experience data, including impact evaluation and, where appropriate, counterfactual approaches.
- Provide professional leadership within the analytical and population health intelligence function, supporting capability development, good analytical practice, and professional standards.
- Support appropriate use of linked population, service and outcomes data in line with information governance, data sharing and safe output requirements, working with data engineering, business intelligence colleagues and external organisations where required.
- Support compliance with data sharing agreements, information governance, and NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) standards to support secure and effective data integration
- Champion a culture of data-driven decision-making across the ICB, supporting commissioners and partners to use intelligence for strategic planning and continuous improvement
- Support delivery of training and development to improve organisational capabilities in analytics, and population health intelligence.
- Support the development of an agreed methodology for segmentation and risk stratification across the ICB, with supporting tools to enable identification of priority populations to inform targeted interventions aimed at prevention, early intervention and treatment to improve outcomes
- Lead development of specific population health intelligence and PHM tools and to support the identification of cohorts of people who can best benefit from targeted interventions
- Work with clinical, commissioning, and public health leaders to translate data into actionable insights that guide commissioning priorities, service redesign, and investment decisions
- Provide specialist population health intelligence input to analytical frameworks and dashboards that support effective strategic commissioning and contract management, working in partnership with Business Intelligence and commissioning teams
- Advise on data access, data quality, analytical methods and interpretation required for robust population health analysis, including appropriate use of primary care, acute, community, mental health, prescribing, public health, demographic and wider determinants datasets.
- Deliver high-quality communications, briefings and presentations for senior leaders that translate analytical insight into clear recommendations for decision making and partner engagement.
As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the ICB in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan:
- From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning.
- From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
- From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
To deliver on the job description set out above, the job holder will be expected to deliver on the requirements set out below:
Policy and service development
- Implement policy and / or service developments related to analytics, business intelligence and insight generation, drawing on requirements from NHS strategies, including the ICB strategy and the 10 Year Health Plan
- Ensure compliance with relevant ICB policies
- Use research and innovation to inform service improvements or performance management
Strategy and analysis
- Use complex linked health and care datasets, including activity, finance, quality, outcomes and wider determinants data, to inform population health decision making.
- Apply advanced analytical methods to complex quantitative and qualitative data, including statistical modelling, regression, forecasting, evaluation, causal inference and interpretation of uncertainty where appropriate.
- Turning analysis into useful insights that can be used to inform decision making and delivery
- Present complex data, information and insights, including qualitative and quantitative data, through clear and simple written and verbal briefings
- Develop and use Population Health Management methodologies and tools, including segmentation, risk stratification, impactability assessment, pathway analysis, benchmarking and evaluation, to support projects and programmes that improve outcomes and service sustainability.
Planning and organisation
- Develop and deliver project plans to support analytical and business intelligence projects, ensuring appropriate governance, risk management, escalations and reporting
- Managing competing priorities, prioritizing own and team resources to effectively deliver on short, medium and longer term priorities
- Ensure accurate reporting and records management
- Support delivery of business plan for the analytical and population health intelligence unit
Communications and Partnerships
- Work collaboratively, modelling inclusive, respectful and compassionate leadership
- Able to take account of a broad range of perspectives, including staff, patients and the public, to inform decision making
- Present information and training to large groups
- Build strong, trust-based relationships across the ICB, with NHS providers, local government, VCFSE partners and communities as needed
- Effective engagement with patients and the public as required
- Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to enable the collective ownership and delivery of projects that are seeking to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver a sustainable health and care system
- Share complex and challenging information which may relate to service performance or staffing
- Able to manage conflict, find compromise and persuade based on evidence as needed
Financial and resource management
- Responsible for management of budget for the analytical and population health intelligence unit, and ensuring delivery against the agreed budget
- Supports procurement of relevant services
Team management and capability building
- Lead a team within the analytical and population health intelligence unit people, including overseeing recruitment, onboarding, development and performance management of team members
- Support staff through ICB transition, including the development of teams to deliver on new ICB portfolios as agreed through transition
- Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint
- Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements
- Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition
- Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team
Other
- Able to use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role
- Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings
- Expected to be physically on site at least 2 days a week (From April 2026), this may be in the ICB office, or in a partner location as required
- Able to use software required to develop high quality analysis and reporting, including Microsoft Office, project management tools, SQL, Power BI and appropriate statistical or analytical software such as R, Python, Stata or equivalent.
Flexibility and evolving responsibilities
As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organization, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures.
For Key Relationships please see attached JD..
Person Specification
Partnerships & Communities
- Experience working on projects requiring cross-organisational collaboration and an understanding of whole-system working.
- Strong influencing and negotiation skills, challenging appropriately and escalating where necessary.
- Able to represent the organisation credibly and positively in internal and external meetings.
Governance and Assurance
- Experience delivering projects that require collective decision-making and effective working within governance processes.
- Experience managing sensitive and confidential information.
- Knowledge of information governance, data protection and data sharing principles relevant to analytics and population health intelligence.
Experience
- Experienced in using NHS, local authority, public health and wider determinants datasets to deliver population health intelligence, including population profiling, needs assessment, health inequalities analysis and actionable insight for commissioning and service redesign.
- Skilled in the application of population health analytical methods, including segmentation, risk stratification, impactability assessment, pathway analysis, forecasting and evaluation.
- Knowledge of the health, care and local government landscape and an understanding of the wider determinants of health.
- Experience of working at a senior level in a relevant healthcare environment (NHS or other).
Personal Attributes and Values
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS 10-year Plan, the NHS People Plan, the Nolan Principles, to championing equality, diversity and inclusion within the ICB and the wide health system
Strategy & Analysis
- Strong data analysis and interpretation skills involving highly complex data, including the ability to select and apply appropriate analytical methods to support Population Health Management and strategic decision making.
- Experience using analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex problems and develop evidence-based solutions.
- Able to translate complex information into clear communications for a range of audiences, including senior leaders and system partners.
- Experience scoping and delivering evaluations of services, projects and interventions.
Qualifications
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience in a relevant quantitative discipline, such as population health intelligence, statistics, epidemiology, health economics, operational research, data science or applied social science
- Evidence of sustained commitment to continuing professional development
People & Culture
- Evidence of compassionate leadership and experience in promoting diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.
- A commitment to continuous improvement, organisational learning and achieving positive outcomes for staff, patients and service users.
- Demonstrates professionalism, self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS Essex Integrated Care Board
Address
Seax House
Victoria Road South
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 1QH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.essex.icb.nhs.uk