Head of Research Operations

London North West Healthcare NHS Trust; London Borough of Harrow; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000

Job description

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London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country’s top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK.
• St Mark’s Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease.
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice.
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.

Our vision at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust is to put “Quality at our HEART”. Find out more about our ambitious strategy.

Our vision is driven by our HEART values and behaviours which were developed together with our staff.

• H onesty
• A ccountability
• T eamwork

These values describe how we interact with each other and our patients and must underpin everything we do to achieve our vision.

LNWUH is a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Please speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Job overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Head of Research Operations to lead and manage the operational aspects of the Research and Innovation (R&I) department at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH). The Research and Innovation Department is undergoing significant growth, including recently being designated as an NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre. The post holder will be responsible for overseeing the operational delivery of research governance, compliance, and project development across the Trust.

This is a senior leadership role that requires a proactive individual who can set and drive strategic priorities, ensuring that research activities align with the Trust’s R&I strategy and national performance indicators. The role involves collaborating with clinical teams, external stakeholders, and the R&I leadership team to foster an efficient, high-performing research environment that supports the growth of research capacity, quality, and delivery.

Main duties of the job

• Provide senior leadership and operational oversight of research governance, compliance, and project development across the R&I department.
• Develop and implement robust QA frameworks and processes that align with the Trust's research goals and regulatory requirements. Ensure all research projects adhere to the highest standards of quality, data integrity, and patient safety.
• Work closely with the Research Governance and Compliance team to ensure regulatory compliance, with an emphasis on maintaining an inspection-ready environment.
• Develop and implement strategic operational plans, ensuring alignment with Trust objectives, national research priorities, and funding requirements.
• Foster collaboration across clinical, academic, and external stakeholder teams, ensuring seamless integration of research projects and initiatives.
• Lead the development and delivery of operational systems that support the research governance, audit processes, and project development functions.
• Provide senior leadership support in research project development, grant writing, funding applications, and capacity-building initiatives.
• Develop and oversee performance monitoring and reporting systems, ensuring that research activities meet KPIs and compliance standards.
• Represent the R&I department at national, regional, and local forums, contributing to policy discussions and enhancing the Trust’s reputation in research.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in research management, healthcare administration, or related field.
• Additional qualifications in research governance, project management, or finance.

Experience in Research Operations

• Extensive experience leading research governance, compliance, and project development within a healthcare/academic setting.
• Led MHRA Inspection.
• Project Development Experience.

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Proven experience in senior leadership, managing multidisciplinary teams, and implementing research strategies.
• Line Management Experience.

Governance, Compliance & QA

• Strong understanding of UK research regulatory frameworks (UK GDPR, HRA, MHRA, GCP) with proven compliance leadership.
• Some governance experience but limited compliance experience.
• Extensive experience in research funding and contract oversight.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Strong record of developing research partnerships with NHS, academia, and industry.
• Some experience in partnership building but limited to a specific function.

Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills

• High-level analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We promote the wellbeing and safety of all our patients and carers by acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately, according to the standards determined by our policy and procedures. All posts working with vulnerable groups will be subject to an enhanced criminal records check upon appointment and staff will need to give their consent for the Trust to receive regular updates on their criminal records status throughout their employment.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive for certain posts, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. After the closing date we strongly advise you check the email account which is registered. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Our employment checking processes require that all shortlisted applicants provide the contact details of their current HR Department. If shortlisted you will be sent an email reminder to present the contact details of your HR Department at the interview.

Please note the Trust uses identity checking software for verifying the authenticity of identity documents provided by candidates.

As part of our commitment to the Equality and Diversity at LNWUH, we are encouraging applications from BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) candidates as we seek to ensure our workforce structures are representative of the diversity of the communities we serve.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Ufedo Miachi Job title Deputy Director of Research and Innovation Email address [e-mail]