Deputy Director of Approvals

Health Research Authority; Nottingham; Remote; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Home-based contract

Hybrid working for nottingham staff

Staff development investment

Wellbeing focus

Job summary

The Health Research Authority seeks an experienced senior leader to steer regulatory services across the UK, including ethics oversight and confidentiality groups. You will deputise for the Director of Approvals, lead a large workforce and volunteers, and drive strategic policy development while ensuring high-quality performance.

You will collaborate with government, NHS bodies and researchers to advance regulatory standards and support a robust, safe research environment across the country.

Qualifications

• Masters' level or equivalent senior management experience in a relevant subject.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for regulatory services.
• Lead standardisation of regulatory practice across the UK.
• Drive service improvement, innovation and transformation across approvals landscape.
• Oversee performance, planning, risk management and financial performance.
• Deputise for the Director of Approvals and provide leadership when required.
• Build relationships with government departments, regulators, NHS organisations, researchers, universities and industry.
• Lead major programmes supporting HRA objectives and the research environment.

Skills

Regulatory leadership

UK health system knowledge

Ethics frameworks

Data protection law

Strategic management

Education

Masters level or equivalent senior management experience

Job description

This senior deputy post sits in the Approvals Service directorate of the Health Research Authority and on its Executive Committee, working alongside the Director of Approvals. The role leads strategic and operational delivery of regulatory services, including research ethics committees and the Confidentiality Advisory Group, and works to standardise research regulation across the UK. It deputises for the Director across the whole directorate, leading a large workforce and nearly 1,000 committee volunteers, with home-based working available. No visa sponsorship is offered, so the post is limited to applicants who can work without it.

What the job involves

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction, ensuring delivery of high-quality regulatory functions and services
• Lead work to coordinate and standardise regulatory practice across the UK
• Drive service improvement, innovation and transformation across the approvals landscape
• Oversee operational performance, business planning, workforce planning, risk management and financial performance across the directorate
• Deputise for the Director of Approvals, providing leadership and decision-making across the directorate when required
• Build and maintain relationships with government departments, regulators, NHS organisations, researchers, universities, industry and other partners
• Lead major programmes and projects that support HRA strategic objectives and improve the research environment across the UK
• Provide expert leadership on research regulation, research ethics and related policy development
• Lead and inspire a large, diverse workforce and volunteer community, fostering inclusion, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement

What’s required

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters' level, or equivalent senior management experience, in a relevant subject

Experience

• Significant senior-level experience in health and care research management or regulation
• Leading complex change programmes across services, directorates or organisations, managing challenge and objection
• Developing strategies, business plans and financial management, and monitoring performance across services and policies
• Measurable improvements in service delivery

Skills & knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of the UK health and care system and research environment, plus research and data protection law and national regulatory standards
• Significant academic or practical experience of applying ethical frameworks to shared decision-making
• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of management tools and leadership models, eg organisational change
• Analytical skill to interpret legislation and policy, analyse complex, contradictory or incomplete data, and reach evidence-based judgements
• Horizon scanning to anticipate problems and opportunities and propose innovative solutions
• Communicating with senior experts, volunteers and public contributors, preparing complex proposals and business cases, and responding to objections

Other

• Commitment to personal development, seeking and acting on feedback about leadership and personal impact
• Self-motivated, proactive and innovative, working independently
• Flexible and adaptable, prioritising amid change and frequently changing demands
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, with diplomacy in difficult situations
• Collaborative leadership and a high-quality customer service approach embedded across teams

Nice to have

• Management qualification or leadership training, or education to Masters' level or above in health and care research ethics or regulation

What’s offered

• Flexible working, including compressed hours
• Home-based contract, with office-based or hybrid working possible for Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham staff
• Investment in staff development and professional growth
• Focus on wellbeing and a healthy workplace culture