Agile Research Team ( Clinical) Manager

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust; Norwich; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Norwich is seeking an experienced manager to lead research delivery teams. The successful candidate will manage a diverse portfolio of research projects, enhancing the quality of care and ensuring regulatory compliance. Responsibilities include team leadership, collaboration with multi-professional staff, and developing research capacity. The ideal applicant will have a strong background in healthcare management and a passion for research improvement.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Support for professional development

Qualifications

• Experience in leading multi-professional healthcare teams.
• Strong understanding of research delivery networks.
• Ability to manage diverse research project information systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team to deliver research studies across settings.
• Manage research support based on regional needs.
• Deliver support for social and wider care settings.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Research management

Collaboration

Education

Relevant healthcare management qualification

Tools

Research data management systems

Job description

Overview

NCH&C is proud to be the first standalone NHS community trust in the UK to achieve an "Outstanding" rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another. Praising NCH&C's "compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels", the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.

Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is committed to creating a modern and inclusive work environment. We actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible, and would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.

Before applying for this vacancy please make sure you are familiar with ongoing GOV.uk sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisation's ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future. Specifically for band 3 roles within healthcare please be aware that overseas applicants who are new to care will not reach the minimum salary threshold to obtain a certificate of sponsorship and therefore your application will be withdrawn.

Responsibilities

1. Lead a team of multi‑professional staff to deliver National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) Portfolio studies across varied health and care settings.
2. Manage and lead research delivery and/or research support for wider care settings depending on regional need.
3. Delegate, supervise, provide education and support, conduct appraisals.
4. Work alongside different professions from multiple organisations involved in health and care research and be an integral part of the Agile Research Delivery Team.
5. Deliver the NIHR ENRICH Network and provide an enhanced study support offering for social and wider care settings.
6. Co‑ordinate the local ENRICH network, including long‑term development and implementation plans.
7. Reinforce new and innovative ways to increase research capacity and capability via the Agile Research Delivery Service.
8. Motivate and inspire teams by being a visible leader and acting as a role model.
9. Contribute to Agile Research Delivery Team aspects of RRDN business planning and management.
10. Support the planning and delivery of the Agile Research Delivery Team research portfolio for RRDN.
11. Plan, coordinate and promote the NIHR RDN portfolio – developing short‑ and long‑term plans, identifying and managing resources, setting realistic time frames, monitoring progress, report writing and identifying lessons learned.
12. Provide operational management and leadership for a team of regionally based, flexible, multi‑disciplinary staff supporting NIHR RDN portfolio studies across a range of health and care specialties and settings.
13. Provide local feasibility assessments and reviews for studies, including identifying potential sites / investigators, assessing available research resources and delivering robust recruitment goals.
14. Provide line‑management duties and performance‑related activities for direct reports, with adherence to host policies and procedures.
15. Lead on contractual arrangements for research delivery staff deployed across NHS and wider health and care settings, establishing appropriate professional accountability channels.
16. Manage multiple diverse research project information systems and clinical research data, ensuring high quality delivery and timeliness.
17. Ensure patient, carer and public impact on research delivery, using digital tools such as Be Part of Research and Join Dementia Research.
18. Regularly monitor and review workload to ensure it is manageable and that delegation is reasonable.
19. Support the team to maintain clinical standards and individual personal professional development.
20. Act as a participant advocate, ensuring safety, person‑centred care and a positive research experience in line with the NMC code of conduct.
21. Engage continuously in improvement across the RRDN and promote real‑time feedback into the system.
22. Contribute to local and national policy development related to the Agile Research Delivery Service.
23. Support and embed a consistent approach to staff learning and development opportunities.
24. Ensure all Agile Research delivery complies with national and international regulations, facilitating regulatory inspections as appropriate.
25. Lead and contribute to audits and monitoring of performance and specific projects.
26. Report regularly to senior leadership on Agile Research Delivery Team performance and RDN strategic priorities.
27. Support management and delivery of studies of national importance, including those part of the Active National Delivery Service.
28. Ensure timely, high‑quality delivery of services to the Life Sciences Industry in line with national RDN requirements.
29. Champion the importance of industry research and its contribution to NHS and social care.
30. Manage the Agile Research Delivery Team budget within the designated location or hub.
31. Oversee effective financial management of allocation to the Service and associated functions.
32. Utilise resources efficiently and implement cost‑containment strategies.
33. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and wellbeing, encouraging innovation.
34. Support education events and training to enhance staff research capabilities.
35. Develop and implement innovative models of research delivery and digital tools.
36. Promote the RDN as a learning organisation, generating helpful outputs and improving performance.
37. Support national training programmes led by the NIHR RDN Coordinating Centre.
38. Maintain working relationships with stakeholders and partners, communicating relevant information.
39. Demonstrate good communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.
40. Provide customer‑focused expertise and experience to enhance research delivery.
41. Build visible relationships with research‑naïve sites, facilitating equity of access.
42. Deliver presentations to staff and stakeholder groups.
43. Champion patients, carers and the public, incorporating their interests into the RDN strategy.
44. Embed patient, carer and public involvement within the RRDN at all decision‑making levels.
45. Ensure necessary contracts or agreements are in place before research delivery activities begin.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. People with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview provided they meet the minimum criteria outlined in the Person Specification. All sites are Smoke Free.

Application and Immigration

Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. We are registered with the Home Office as a sponsor for migrant workers, but sponsorship can only be offered against Skilled Worker visas. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a right to work, we recommend checking the Home Office eligibility requirements before applying. Note that the Trust cannot offer sponsorship for some job roles, which will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any application.

Redeployment and DBS

Priority for this vacancy will be given to NCH&C staff who are on the Trust’s Redeployment Register.

If this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and you are not a current employee of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust or being recruited as an Apprentice, the DBS check cost will be automatically removed from your first month's salary. If you are registered with the update service this may not be required.

Selection Process

Our selection processes are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills. Please be advised that the use of AI in applications is monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that does not accurately reflect their skills.

Future Group Model

On April 1st 2025, the Boards of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust will come together to deliver services as a group, with a singular board operating across both organisations. We will remain two separate employers until further notice, and this role will be employed by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.