Research and Development Project Lead

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

The Research & Development Project Lead will enable the planning, execution, and effective completion of clinical trials within the Trust, adhering to standards, timelines, and budgets, while also managing teams and stakeholders.

The role will be key in building and providing local expertise by horizon scanning and mapping the regional landscape for investment opportunities in clinical research appropriate to CPFT services.

They will support CPFT clinicians in seeking public and private collaborations for research enablement.

They will offer high research governance knowledge, and business intelligence to support the development, growth and delivery of clinical research activity across the Trust.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will assist with facilitation and development of the Trust's R&D services through input to planning, negotiating contracts and service level agreements and assist with the production of business cases for investment.

The key purposes of the role will be:

• Leading and monitoring the clinical research feasibility service by disseminating study feasibility requests from external stakeholders, identifying investigators and research groups with specific research interests to take on studies and ensuring expressions of interest are completed and submitted in a timely manner.
• Leading the research governance function of the department, providing support to core R&D functions including delivery, budget management and contracts.

The post holder will work closely and collaboratively with investigators, senior research staff, study sponsors, research networks, professional R&D leads, clinical support staff and the Trust R&D Department to deliver an excellent standard of research and maintain a high profile.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

Lead the clinical research feasibility process by building and utilising expert local knowledge and working closely with the NIHR, Life Science Industry partners and external stakeholders including the Cambridge University Health Partnership (CUHP) to identify researchers for expressions of interest.

Be the lead person for research governance within the Trust. The post holder will be contributing to the development and implementation of robust research governance policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and sound contractual arrangements. The post holder will provide expertise and effective research governance support to the R&D department.

To support the CPFT research PPIE lead in facilitating and promoting effective patient and public involvement in research.

Advise on study set up & review of research capability & capacity, as required. Horizon scanning to identify new research opportunities across all Trust services and geography. Be the main point of contact for external stakeholders for study feasibility providing support to ensure studies are placed at CPFT.

Work with commercial sponsors CROs, and academic institutions to build client relationships. Streamline and improve the efficiency, quality and responsiveness of the feasibility process to maximise researcher engagement and increase the volume of positive expressions of interest and site selection for the benefit of patients and CPFT.

Be a point of escalation for research teams, support departments and external stakeholders and support them to resolve challenges.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or working towards or relevant research experience
• ICH GCP training
• Management Qualification/Experience

Experience

• Extensive research management experience
• Significant experience working in NHS research which has included the approval and set up of clinical trials.
• Experience of compiling and writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and organisational policies
• Budget Management
• Business management including contract development and negotiation with external parties.
• Experience of working with multiple external stakeholders/partners, particularly pharmaceutical industry.
• Previous use of Research Management Software e.g. EDGE, CPMS, NIHR ODP
• Clinical research contracts review experience

Knowledge & Skills

• Set up and delivery procedures for clinical research in the UK
• NIHR and NHS' research strategy and priorities.
• In-depth understanding of commercial contract research feasibility processes
• NIHR RRDN structure and process
• Research activity reporting requirements
• Edge Research Management Champion

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Ability to deal with the variety of personalities and challenges involved in clinical research.

Other

• Willingness to work across sites and research locations within CPFT and partner organisations as per service needs.
• Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required to meet service needs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Job Details

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Windsor Research Unit, Fulbourn Hospital

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

24 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

310-MCORP-7115966

Job locations

Windsor Research Unit, Fulbourn Hospital