Technical Project Manager

Salary: £34,866 to £36,924 with progression to £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 November 2024

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join our project team as a Technical Project Manager.

You will join a dynamic, international, multidisciplinary team working in the area of translational research for neuromuscular diseases and other rare disorders within the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Centre at the Institute of Genetic Medicine.

In this role you will be based at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle city centre, with excellent transport links.

This exciting new role forms part of two important projects (PaLaDIn and RD-TAP) developing innovative and validated tools for integrated IT platforms that will collect real-world, rare disease patient data to inform health decision-making and accelerate recruitment to clinical trials.

With a proven track record in IT project management, you will use your technical skills to develop innovative and validated tools to collect real-world data on patients living with rare neuromuscular diseases and integrate them into data platforms. This will include scoping the requirements of IT tools, developing a user testing plan, and working with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the tools developed are fit for purpose.

As the Technical Project Manager, you’ll need to communicate with both lay and technical audiences and present your work. Alongside excellent IT skills, good communication is critical to this role. You will also bring your knowledge of GDPR, project management, and IT project delivery.

To apply for the position, we’ll need your CV and a personal statement outlining how you are suitable for the role using evidence to highlight how you meet the essential criteria in the knowledge, skills, and experience as listed in the job description.

This post is fixed until the 31st December 2027 in the first instance. Further information can be obtained by contacting Phillip Cammish at Phillip.Cammish@ncl.ac.uk.

Key Accountabilities

• To act as the main point of contact on the projects for scoping out and developing IT platforms to allow for the collection of real-world patient and clinical data from various sources.
• To lead on developing the platforms and being responsible for carrying out rigorous testing of these ahead of launching them for use.
• To work with the IT platform developers to develop innovative platforms that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
• To lead on working with a range of key stakeholders scoping out and planning work around the implementation of the Central Recruitment Database (CRD) model across a wide range of new disease areas.
• Provide a coordinated and efficient service to the various stakeholders, including project collaborators, clinicians, patients, and the pharmaceutical industry.
• Ensure that information is correctly researched, collated, and validated for inclusion into the IT platforms and reports/documents.
• Analyse data in the IT platforms to collect information of relevance to healthcare and link with existing initiatives to publish in appropriate forms (including academic publications, reports for use in policymaking initiatives, as well as information for patients).
• Liaise regularly with others in similar roles or with similar responsibilities (including DMD Hub staff and registry curators).
• Present the integrated IT platforms at relevant meetings and conferences, and write related reports.
• Contribute to project management groups as required to support the projects e.g. Advisory Boards, Steering Groups, interdisciplinary working groups.
• Develop an understanding of the scientific, regulatory, and technical elements of the projects in order to cross-communicate between different work packages.
• Preparation for, and facilitation of, audits and/or inspections.
• Take responsibility for identifying own learning needs, including identifying appropriate courses to ensure up-to-date knowledge in the funding streams available to support translational research, as well as developing an awareness of the regulations governing clinical research and research data.
• Work as part of the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre team to develop common ways of working and promote the use of best practices in project management.
• Supervising temporary staff if required.
• Any other duties as deemed appropriate by line manager.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Knowledge

• Awareness of the benefits and challenges of the collection of health data, particularly in the rare disease field.
• Comprehensive understanding of GDPR requirements and how to apply them in practice.
• Advanced knowledge of project management and relevant business operating procedures.
• Knowledge of project management methodology.
• A proven ability to manage projects to defined deliverables and meet audit requirements.

Skills

• IT literate across a wide range of applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confident, adept and empathetic communicator in a variety of media.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Excellent team-working skills.
• Excellent numerical and data analysis skills.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Ability to communicate technical information to a lay audience.
• Ability to take responsibility and prioritise workloads.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work to agreed targets and strict deadlines.
• Ability to use initiative, think strategically and adopt an active approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to understand complex scientific and medical information.

Experience

• Experience of developing test plans for use on IT software and carrying out rigorous testing ahead of service/product launches.
• Experience of developing and/or procuring an IT solution to solve a problem.
• Experience of working in a project management role.
• Experience of working in a research environment ideally in an international project.
• Experience communicating and discussing sensitive personal information.
• Experience handling complex projects to deadlines.
• Experience of acting in an advisory capacity to colleagues at all levels.
• Experience of networking and dissemination work.
• Experience of healthcare issues related to patients and their families.
• Experience managing complex interpersonal situations.
• Experience dealing with complex numerical and scientific data.
• Experience of engaging clinicians in data provision.

Attributes and Behaviour

• Has the ability to see the “big picture”, to think strategically and to manage complex problems and issues.
• Uses clear, concise and accurate communication, tailoring the approach accordingly and encouraging a two-way communication process.
• Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the organisation where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued.
• Manages time and resources by prioritising and organising effectively.
• Ability to undertake national and occasional international travel with overnight stays when required.
• Ability to undertake work outside of normal working hours and travel nationally and internationally for work on an occasional basis.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent professional qualification) in a relevant discipline, or significant experience of working in an IT project management role.