Research Portfolio Officer

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board

The Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB) Research Team is committed to improving care for our patients through creating a culture of robust, well-evidenced healthcare commissioning and more impactful research.

We are looking for a motivated individual to support the effective delivery of research management activity across BNSSG ICB. The Research Team are a customer focused, innovative support to academics working with health and care colleagues, and a support to health & care colleagues working with academics on applied research projects with mutual benefits.

This is a full time, one year fixed-term post. The funding for this post is allocated on an annual basis so we are limited in contract length, but there is an expectation the post will be extended.

Main duties of the job

The Research Team support the generation and development of research ideas, help to create collaborative multi-disciplinary teams, contribute to securing project funding and are involved in the planning and delivery of research. The Team also supports impact from research findings, facilitating their accelerated uptake in the local health & care system.

This role offers the chance to be involved in a small, supportive and innovative team at the forefront of research outside of hospital. Everything the Research Team does is aimed to support knowledge mobilisation:

Evidence informing commissioning and practice,

Practice informing the creation of evidence through genuinely co-designed collaborative research projects.

Sharing best practice and solutions between the projects on our Portfolio (~40 NIHR grants and ~50 development projects)

About us

We are committed to creating an inclusive organisation that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community; from people of all ages, disabled people, all genders, people from ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ people, people with diverse gender identity and expression, people from all religions and beliefs and other diverse characteristics, and we have processes in place to ensure that all applications are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

Job responsibilities

Support the Research Manager in the delivery of the annual Research Team workplan, and contributing to the knowledge mobilisation work of the ICB/ICS.

Overseeing a sub-section of the ICB/ICS research portfolio. The post-holder will support the full breadth of the research journey, being the ICB/ICS representative on collaborative projects that are in early idea development, project teams applying for NIHR grants, project teams delivering NIHR grants, and supporting the implementation of evidence.

Identify and assess the risks associated with any course of action including financial and business risks, mitigate and manage those risks

Represent the ICB/ICS on hosted grant project management group meetings, sharing best practice between research teams, and offering guidance to research teams.

Support other Clinical Effectiveness members as and when required, and deputise for the Research Portfolio Manager on ad-hoc basis.

Directly manage the Research Communication Officer,responsible for day-to-day work assigned to Research Communication Officer.

Support the use of research as part of the core business of BNSSG ICB/ICB.

Contribute to the image of the Research Team as a dynamic, customer-focussed, collaborative centre of research, evaluation excellence, and improvement science, committed to partnership working locally and nationally

Facilitate Knowledge Mobilisation in order to support the ICB/ICB effort to ensure that evidence informs health & care practice, and that health & care practice informs the production of evidence.

Support the development of high quality health & care relevant research and actively support the development of funding opportunities for the ICBs research community and support the preparation of funding bids

Promote patient involvement in research and all ICB research activities.

Work collaboratively with staff of the West of England AHSN and ARC West to help ensure that ICB/ICB staff are aware of and able to access the opportunities offered by the West of England AHSN & ARC West.

Deliver the established systems to facilitate smooth procedures for ensuring research grants are costed appropriately.

Influence and inspire NHS staff (clinical and managerial) at all levels to become involved in relevant research in line with local health & care priorities.

Manage a portfolio of projects, involving a broad range of complex activities and projects, and the formulation of medium to long-term project plans/strategies, with the flexibility to adjust these plans as necessary.

Maintain a project management methodology that will provide transparency and support a clear audit trail and quality management across all work streams using the Research Teams systems.

Review and contribute to the Research Teams Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and policies to govern the conduct and management of research in line with national guidance and governance frameworks.

Support the preparation for any inspections by regulatory authorities.

Support the provision of appropriate research advice, guidance and training to ICB staff.

Contribute to engagement activities that ensure that the research community is informed of research and development opportunities.

The job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
• Good Clinical Practice (CGP) qualification, or willingness to undertake this.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy.
• Calculating, allocating and reviewing NIHR research, service support and Treatment costs or equivalent financial experience.
• Experience of performance monitoring and management of a wide range of projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge and understanding of the DH Research Governance Framework and current initiatives.
• Knowledge and understanding of research.
• Contributing to applications to NIHR or equivalent grant funding bodies.

Communication Skills

• Proven ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic or re-assurance skills are required to gain agreement and/or cooperation to overcome barriers to understanding.

Analytical

• Rigorous analytical approach with good attention to detail and accuracy, and the ability to synthesise a range of information and to complete tasks on time.
• Self-motivated and able to prioritise own work programme and work to tight deadlines.

Planning Skills

• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.

Management Skills

• Experience of dealing with performance or potentially contentious issues.
• Able to manage competing demands/priorities, sometimes to tight timeframes.
• Training/teaching experience.

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.

Employer name

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board