Research Partnership Manager

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester is seeking a Research & Innovation Partnerships Manager (Band 7) to drive external collaborations that advance cancer research and patient care. You will build relationships with pharmaceutical companies, charities, academic partners, and NHS sites, coordinate programmes, and ensure partnerships deliver tangible clinical and research benefits.

The role requires strategic thinking, excellent communication, and the ability to manage multiple

Qualifications

• Experience building external partnerships with pharma, charities, academia.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives and priorities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Experience in research governance and NHS partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Set up and maintain partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, charities, NHS sites and academic institutions.
• Identify and develop key partnership networks.
• Coordinate partnership activity and events.
• Lead service improvement projects to modernise research services.
• Support contract negotiations with business development and research teams.
• Provide strategic reporting on research activity and performance.

Skills

Partnerships management

Project management

Events management

Grant management

Strategic communication

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Research & Innovation Partnerships Manager (Band 7) to join our Research & Innovation Division. This is a key role within the R&I Operations directorate, supporting The Christie's research ambitions through strong external partnerships, strategic collaboration, and the development of new opportunities. You will work across R&I and the wider Trust to build relationships, develop initiatives and ensure our partnerships deliver meaningful benefits for research and patient care. We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive, and self-motivated individual who can build trusted relationships and influence effectively at all levels. You will be confident working with senior internal and external stakeholders, manage complex and competing priorities when working at pace, and skilled at turning strategic objectives into practical outcomes. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to make a tangible contribution to the growth and development of research at one of the UK's leading cancer centres. The post holder will support the delivery of R&I strategic objectives through leading and supporting a range of strategic partnerships, projects, and initiatives across the Division, ensuring activity is delivered effectively and contributes to divisional priorities. Key responsibilities will include developing and maintaining strong relationships with pharmaceutical companies, charities, academic institutions, NHS organisations and other external stakeholders, coordinating partnership activity and events, and identifying and progressing new collaboration and funding opportunities. The post holder will also lead and contribute to service improvement projects, supporting the development and implementation of new approaches to modernise research services and processes. They will provide advice to colleagues, coordinate activity across teams, and monitor progress against agreed objectives, timelines and benefits. The role will contribute to strategic and operational reporting, including the analysis and presentation of research activity and performance information for internal and external audiences. The post holder will be expected to communicate complex and sensitive information clearly and confidently, and to represent R&I professionally with a wide range of stakeholders. The role requires a high degree of autonomy, strong judgement and the ability to manage multiple priorities while working collaboratively across the Division and wider Trust. The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 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 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK. You will be working in a friendly and supportive team which works closely with colleagues across the division and wider Trust. This role will be a great opportunity to support our growth as a centre of excellence in research. Development of key relationships and communications initiatives

• Set up, build and maintain partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, charities, other NHS sites, and academic institutions
• Identify and develop key partnership networks
• Promote research internally within the Trust and externally with pharmaceutical companies, charities, other NHS sites, and academic institutions
• Develop and implement communications strategies on research developments in consultation with the Christie Research Communications Manager
• Produce a range of media and communication materials appropriate to a variety of stakeholder groups
• Responsible for the R&I content on The Christie intranet and internet relating to partnerships
• Advise on, and when appropriate, ensure the implementation of new practice/developments within the Division and across the Trust which may have an impact on the effective and efficient delivery of research
• Work, liaise and communicate with colleagues across the Trust to improve the quality of research and research services
• Provide and receive complex and sensitive information to colleagues and vendors
• Support timely contract negotiations by liaising closely with business development and research teams
• Communicate highly complex strategic information to groups of people at a variety of levels

Project management

• Identify, plan and implement service improvements to modernise research services and practices within the Trust
• Lead on key research partnerships and collaborations, ensuring that business activities are delivered to target and meet agreed timelines
• Plan and organise a broad range of complex research activities ensuring all are completed on schedule and adjustments are made for any issues that arise
• Progress the activities of key research strategy themes
• Facilitate the development of strategic plans for research and the creation of business plans to support research and research service developments inline with Trust's strategic objectives
• Liaise with the Business Planning Team, the Sponsor and the Research Teams to facilitate prompt contract negotiations
• Identify opportunities to develop and pilot new research projects
• Ensure that all research services are delivered meeting agreed deadlines and objectives within a strategic framework set by the NHS and/or the Trust
• General project management duties include:
  • Facilitate key partnership meetings as required
  • Provide information and advice on appropriate collaborations, targeting of applications, dissemination of data and clinical trial implementation
  • Monitor timelines for study set up key stakeholders
  • Plan and organise own work to ensure delivery of corporate and directorate aims and objectives

Events management

• Organise research events on behalf of the division including workshops and symposia aimed at a range of different audiences
• Host key partners such as pharmaceutical companies and charity representatives on tours of research facilities to raise the profile of the organisation
• Arrange for appropriate personnel to take part in discussions with external organisations and stakeholders on local, regional and national committees

Management of key metrics for reporting purposes

• Assist in ensuring that performance and other board/service reports on the Trust's research activities are produced in a timely manner for Division board, other performance committees and to external bodies as required
• Collate and analyse quantitative and qualitative data for the Trust's annual reports such as academic publications, trials recruitment and research grant income
• Assist in the development of new systems for streamlining operational reporting
• Maintain databases and other records systems

Finance and research grant management

• Regularly ensure all potential partnership funding opportunities are identified and disseminated to the appropriate staff within the Trust in a timely manner
• Facilitate key grant applications to enhance the Trust's research income portfolio (i.e. provide medical writing support and collate business cases)
• Support with ensuring that service contracts are in place with external service providers for the delivery of research services by the Trust

Development of operational processes

• Regularly maintain a high level strategy for R&I within the Trust that meets local, regional and national priorities and requirements
• Maintain a clear understanding of local, regional and national policies relevant to clinical research in the NHS and uphold the Trust's standards
• Implement SOPs to improve working practices
• Regularly ensure that systems are established for the organisation and management of research activities under coherent programmes and themes, Attend and participate in meetings and training courses as identified and/or agreed by the line manager and division
• Develop core leadership skills with a view to providing future management to an expanding team

Freedom to Act

• The post holder will be guided by precedent and clearly defined occupational policies, protocols, procedures or codes of conduct. Work will be managed, rather than supervised and results outcomes will be assessed at agreed intervals by the individuals the post is accountable to.
• Perform any other duties within the range of skills and abilities of the post holder, as required
• Work unsupervised and autonomously within the range of skills and abilities of the post holder, as required while adhering to the Trust's policies and procedures

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the role and commensurate with the level and responsibilities of the post. Duties may be reviewed and amended from time to time in response to the changing needs and priorities of the service.

• Strong IT skills using various software packages including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook
• Good presentation skills to deliver information to a variety of audiences
• Strong scientific background and knowledge of academic and industry research processes to understand and progress complex experimental ideas
• Excellent time-management, attention to detail and medical/scientific writing skills to produce detailed accurate reports within tight timeframes