Deputy Service Manager

The Christie Nhs Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester is seeking an experienced Deputy Service Manager for Research Delivery to lead the administrative research workforce across Haematology and Lymphoma portfolios. This 1-year fixed-term post requires strategic leadership to ensure timely trial delivery and high standards of governance.

You will oversee workforce planning, budgets and performance, working with clinicians, the Research Matron and the Research & Innovation division to optimise resources

Qualifications

• Degree level education in a scientific discipline.
• GCP certification.
• Master's degree or evidence of postgraduate studies.
• Significant NHS clinical research management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead administrative research teams supporting Haematology and Lymphoma portfolios; ensure targets are met.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, budgets and governance for trials.
• Coordinate trial feasibility, setup, delivery and close-out across portfolios.
• Develop and implement strategy, performance metrics and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

People management

Clinical research

Education

Degree level education

Master's degree

GCP certification

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated Deputy Service Manager for Research Delivery to join the Haematology and Lymphoma Research Teams at The Christie on a 1 year fixed-term contract.This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for the effective management and development of the administrative research workforce and oversight of a diverse portfolio of clinical trials. Working in close partnership with the Clinical Research Matron, Principal Investigators and wider Research & Innovation Division, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to support high-quality, efficient research delivery.We are looking for an experienced research professional with substantial leadership and management experience and expert knowledge of clinical research. You will have the ability to manage complex research portfolios, develop high-performing multidisciplinary teams and build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.The role provides an opportunity to contribute to the strategic development of haematology and lymphoma research at The Christie and support the continued success of our research portfolio.

Main duties of the job

You will provide leadership and management for the administrative research teams supporting the Haematology and Lymphoma clinical research portfolios, with oversight of trial activity from feasibility and set-up through to delivery and close-out.Working collaboratively with the Clinical Research Matron, you will ensure appropriate workforce and resources are available to support the portfolio and that local and national research performance targets are achieved. You will oversee research performance, workforce planning and development, recruitment, financial planning and management, quality standards and service improvement.You will contribute to the development and implementation of Research & Innovation and local research strategies and metrics, establishing effective processes and pathways to support timely, efficient and high-quality research delivery.The role requires excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills, together with the ability to work autonomously, manage complexity and use performance, workforce and financial information to support effective decision-making and continuous improvement.Please ensure that you meet all the essential criteria outlined in the person specification before applying for this post, as these will be used as part of the shortlisting process.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, looking after more than 64,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 25% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We are the largest radiotherapy provider in the NHS with one in 20 treatments delivered at The Christie. We have up to 15 linear accelerators operating across our network of sites. We operate the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK on our main site and treatments are also provided at 13 other networked sites, and in patients homes. And as a specialist tertiary surgical centre, we focus on rare cancers, complex procedures, and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer surgery, specialising in colorectal, peritoneal, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgery. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We have been named by the UK's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as one of the best hospitals providing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research studies, with more than 800 studies open at any time, caring for over 3,000 patients.

Job responsibilities

Management and Leadership

Provide professional and management leadership to support the development of clinical research activity for defined research recruitment and delivery teams. Ensure appropriate processes are in place to oversee and influence performance of teams including ensuring local and national research targets are met. Conduct trial feasibility to assess the impact on workload in defined research groups and the Trust to establish whether there are adequate resources available to meet clinical trial activity. To have full oversight of clinical trial submission process within their clinical research delivery team and overall responsibility from feasibility through to close out of a team portfolio of clinical trials. Provide divisional representation on relevant trust wide committees relating to governance structures and operational management, where appropriate. Work autonomously in all areas of practice relating to administrative clinical research. Take a proactive approach in ensuring local and national performance and recruitment metrics are adhered to and met. Work with Trust R&I department and research staff to ensure regulatory and governance frameworks are adhered to. Delegation of appropriate trial related activities to members of the research team. Identify workforce requirements to meet the team objectives and have overall responsibility for the recruitment processes within defined area of responsibility. Ensure adherence to and implementation of all Trust wide policies and practices within the administrative research team. Promote and adhere to the EU directive and ICH/GCP.

Strategic Development

Contribute to the development and implementation of the R&I strategy and objectives. Contribute to the development and implementation of the relevant strategies within the Trust including their local clinical research delivery team strategy and objectives. Foster strategic links and work in close partnership with appropriate key stakeholders to ensure all local, corporate and national initiatives/targets are met.

Financial & Business Management

Manage and negotiate research budgets for the clinical research delivery team, ensuring effective oversight of all invoicing and income. Work with the Research Income and Costings team and Clinical Research Matron to forecast projected income and secure funding for the retention and expansion of the clinical research team. Develop business plans, alongside the Clinical Research Matron, to secure funding for required resources.

Research Performance

Oversee the management, implementation and facilitation of clinical trial delivery within the administrative team. Establish processes and pathways in administrative research areas to ensure a cost-effective and timely service. Assimilate complex information relating clinical trials and communicate it to administrative staff. Promote and adhere to the EU Directive and IHC/GCP standards. Demonstrate expert knowledge in clinical research to maintain high standards of excellence. Working to national Research standards for clinical trial set up and delivery.

Education and Training

Work collaboratively with the Clinical Research Matron to design/deliver and participate in national and regional study days. Support educational development by ensuring all administrative staff have access to relevant and required research training, and by ensuring they work towards appropriate competencies. Ensure educational opportunities are available to administrative staff and ensure all have personal development plans as part of the PDR process. Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, ensuring all staff make effective use of learning opportunities. Develop and facilitate educational programs to meet the competencies of the clinical research administrative team. Maintain professional development by evaluating own specialist knowledge and practice through regular appraisals and professional development planning. Ensure own knowledge is regularly updated and remain aware of relevant developments that may impact service provision.

Quality

Lead the development of SOPs and associated documents to guide practice within the administrative team and ensure they are reviewed as appropriate. Ensure that research activity is conducted within the relevant governance frameworks and in accordance to local SOPs. Lead and participate in service improvement projects and development programs that contribute to excellence in research. Promote a culture of effective collaboration and continuous improvement by implementing the quality strategy and objectives in partnership with the Clinical Research Matron.

Information Management

Use a variety of clinical research and Trust systems and contribute to the implementation of innovative ideas. Produce and utilise reports to manage team performance, including but not limited to, HR, financial, recruitment and other relevant KPIs. Ensure administrative teams are involved in and influence Trust Digital strategies in relation to the requirement of the R&I Division.

Communication and Engagement

Represent the clinical research delivery team, the R&I Division and the Trust at specialist research forums or consultative groups. Process highly complex, scientific and sometimes sensitive patient information and communicate this to a wide range of multi-disciplinary staff groups when required. Promote a culture and environment of research engagement and integration across the Trust. Ensure, in collaboration with the Clinical Research Matron, that there is effective communication across the team in relation to clinical trial activities. Raise the profile of the clinical research delivery team both locally and nationally.

Key values

Demonstrates the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree level education in a scientific discipline.
• GCP certification.
• Master's degree or evidence of post graduate studies.

Desirable

• Management qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in managing and coordinating oncology and NHS clinical research (commercial/non-commercial/academic).
• Extensive experience in developing and working within multidisciplinary teams and supporting cross organisational collaboration.
• Substantial management and leadership experience within the NHS and research.
• Proven experience in managing third party commercial vendors and fostering effective academic collaborations.

Desirable

• Teaching/training experience.
• Experience in developing policies and business plans.

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills.
• Capable of leading and initiating change within teams and cross-organisational.
• Significant knowledge of research systems and office-based software packages.

Desirable

• Excellent presentation skills.
• Capable of presenting research related information to a wide audience.

Knowledge

Essential

• Expert knowledge of clinical trial process and regulatory frameworks.
• Expertise in navigating NHS funding structures and pathways and the implications for clinical research.
• Working knowledge of nation research agenda and national research organisations.
• Working knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policies.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Quality Systems and processes.

Values

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

Other

Essential

• Capacity to deal with complexity of issues.
• Flexible working.
• Autonomous and independent working to lead an effective team.

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.