Band 8a Deputy Head of Contracting Healthcare Data Research

Integrated Care System; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare organization as a Band 8a Deputy Head of Contracting Healthcare Data Research. You will manage complex contracts and financial strategies to support innovative healthcare research while ensuring compliance with regulations. This role is key to maximizing the value of healthcare data assets and fostering collaborations that advance healthcare innovation.

Qualifications

• Experience in technology, healthcare, and research innovation.
• Knowledge of NHS Contract and Finance processes.
• Proven ability to negotiate and manage contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead on managing complex contracts and financial strategies.
• Implement robust financial controls and contribute to transparent reporting.
• Negotiate agreements with academic, industry, and public sector partners.

Skills

Negotiation

Project Management

Data Governance

Education

Degree or equivalent professional qualification

Management qualification (e.g. DMS, DipHSM)

Training to post-graduate diploma level

Tools

Microsoft packages

SQL

Python

R

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 8a Deputy Head of Contracting Healthcare Data Research

The closing date is 13 July 2025

The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) Research Development & Innovation department are committed to the responsible use of data to improve patient care and the population's health and well-being. The Post holder will be working within the Research Data Team responsible for managing a range of projects within the Research Data and West Midlands Secure Data Environment Portfolios.

The successful candidate will lead on managing complex contracts and financial strategies that underpin innovative data-driven research initiatives. The postholder will ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and funding requirements while driving efficient resource allocation. This role is key to supporting the delivery of impactful healthcare research by aligning financial and contractual frameworks with organisational objectives and research priorities. This role will enable the organisation to maximise the value of healthcare data assets, balancing innovation with the need for financial sustainability and regulatory compliance.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be required to provide strategic oversight of funding agreements, ensuring that financial operations support the long-term sustainability of research programs. They will be required to negotiate and manage contracts with academic, industry, and public sector partners, fostering collaborations that advance healthcare innovation. By implementing robust financial controls and processes, they will contribute to transparent reporting, risk management, and accountability. The postholder is required to work on their own initiative on a regular basis and manage their own workload; this will require excellent planning and organisational skills. The postholder must be able to communicate information to a wide range of staff groups, i.e. Consultants, data scientists, external stakeholders from both academia and Industry and Work proactively with all Senior members of the Healthcare Data Research team to develop and manage the team serving the Trust's health data research platforms.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person Specification

Qualifications

• *Degree or equivalent professional qualification, management qualification (e.g. DMS, DipHSM, etc) plus acquired training to Masters level or equivalent experience e.g.in the field of finance, contracting.
• *In depth knowledge in data Research including training to post-graduate diploma level or equivalent NHS training and experience.
• *Experience of further academic/personal development
• *In-depth knowledge of NHS Contract and Finance processes including training to post-graduate diploma level or equivalent NHS training and experience.
• *Evidence of relevant continued professional development

Experience

• *Experience in technology, healthcare, and research innovation
• *Experience in writing contracts that support with the delivery of healthcare projects
• *Experience in Grant applications and funding routes
• *Experience working with Commercial companies to service data requests
• *Experience of an agile user centred approach to project management
• *Proven ability to negotiate and motivate teams to ensure project delivery.
• *Experience in understanding technical discussions and documentation including data and digital themes.
• *Experience in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• *Experience of working in hospital setting
• *Understanding of Research Data Governance process
• *Experience of working with public & private sector funding
• *Experience of working with industry and HEIs
• *Experience in managing or supporting marketing, communications, and events.
• *Knowledge of Data science and data research within the NHS
• *Understanding of the needs of hospital staff, clinicians, and researchers.

Additional Criteria

• *Knowledge of IT systems and software programmes, specifically Microsoft packages.
• *Knowledge of NHSE national Programmes and Guidelines
• *Knowledge of finance systems, NHS contract processes and grants.
• *Ability to work autonomously and to tight deadlines.
• *Proven relationship management skills across stakeholder groups
• *Ability to work under pressure.
• *Effective team working/Collaborative.
• *Professional, calm, and efficient manner
• *Positive and flexible approach to work
• *Ability to work under pressure within tight deadlines and prioritise workloads
• *Flexible approach to work with a strong motivation
• *Strong attention to detail
• *The post holder will be required to work flexibly for this post
• *May be required to work and travel across all UHB sites and externally as required by the role
• *Understanding of SQL, Python or R languages

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.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust