Research Sister/Charge Nurse

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Southampton; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 6 Research Sister/Charge Nurse with vaccination competencies to lead research delivery across CRF/CRDC teams and regional hubs. The role focuses on commercial vaccine studies and supporting a growing portfolio across multiple sites, including travel to Weymouth, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth as required.

You will work with senior team members to deliver studies, provide supervision, and develop clinical research leadership

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse or Midwife on the relevant part of the NMC register.
• Educated to Degree level, or equivalent.
• Evidence of on-going professional/academic development.
• Mentorship qualification (or evidence of meeting NMC outcomes).
• Clinical Skills certification relevant to role.
• Extensive post-registration experience including senior band 5 in clinical research.
• Knowledge of NHS settings and UK policy framework (ICH/GCP).
• Evidence of teaching and supporting learners in practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist research and clinical care to research participants.
• Manage, coordinate and implement research studies.
• Provide line management and clinical supervision to junior staff and regional colleagues; include vaccination training and assessments.

Skills

Vaccination competencies

Leadership

Teaching & mentoring

IT skills

Travel readiness

Education

NMC registration (RN or RM)

Degree level education

Job description

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Job Title: Research Sister / Charge Nurse

Contract Type: Permanent

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Research Nurse with vaccination competencies to join the Southampton Research Hub Team. The team forms part of the NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre - Wessex (CRDC) and the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility (CRF).

Research nursing offers a rewarding, patient-centred career where you can directly contribute to improving healthcare outcomes. We are committed to ensuring that research is considered as a treatment option for eligible participants, including healthy volunteers, and work closely with clinical teams to embed research opportunities within patient pathways.

The Southampton Research Hub Team delivers research across multiple locations. We are based within the Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton and the Southampton Research Hub at Shirley Health Centre. We also work collaboratively with colleagues across our regional research hubs in Weymouth, Portsmouth and Bournemouth, with occasional travel required to support study delivery.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

We are a dynamic, supportive and highly motivated team that prides itself on delivering high-quality research across the region. Our portfolio includes studies with ambitious recruitment targets and rapid study set-up timelines, creating a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to work and develop.

We are seeking a full-time Band 6 Adult Registered Nurse with research experience, vaccination competencies, and the flexibility to work across our regional hubs when required.

As a member of the Band 6 Research Sister/Charge Nurse team, you will work alongside senior research nurses, the research education team, and a wide range of clinical and non‑clinical colleagues to support the delivery of research across the CRF and CRDC.

Our focus is primarily on commercial research, with a strong emphasis on vaccine trials. We also support an expanding portfolio of studies across a range of disease areas, including respiratory conditions, obesity and infectious diseases, offering excellent opportunities to broaden your research experience and develop specialist skills.

The successful candidate will have considerable Band 5 experience in clinical research and can lead a variety of research studies independently in both blinded and unblinded research nurse roles.

Candidates must have vaccination competencies and be willing to travel as required to support the delivery of research in our regional hubs and spokes within Wessex.

You will demonstrate evidence of teaching and supporting learners in practice.

This unique role will enable you to develop both your research leadership skills and clinical skills in the context of delivering an exciting portfolio of different studies within the CRF and CRDC.

Following a robust induction, the successful candidate will be able to:

• Be responsible for providing specialist research and clinical care to research participants
• Manage, coordinate and implement research studies
• Provide line management and clinical supervision to junior staff, students and regional colleagues working within our hub to develop expertise and skills in clinical research and other relevant areas. This will include delivery of vaccination competency training and assessments.

We are looking for an enthusiastic registered nurse who is organised, self‑motivated and aspires to further your career in clinical research.

You will have experience of or an interest in clinical research and can work in a fast‑paced clinical environment and demonstrate the ability to prioritise and deliver agreed objectives within specific time frames.

Experience of vaccination research is essential, and early phase or human challenge research is advantageous.

Team‑working skills, flexibility and motivation will be required to ensure the success of this post.

You will need to have an excellent level of written and verbal communication skills, with IT skills being essential.

The ability to work flexibly to cover different shift patterns, including the occasional weekend or bank holiday, is required, as is the ability to travel and work within our regional locations as required.

We welcome informal enquiries and visits - so please do get in touch with Laura or Lisa!

Person specification

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse or Midwife on relevant part of the NMC register
• Educated to Degree level, or equivalent.
• Evidence of on‑going professional / academic development.
• Mentorship qualification (or evidence of meeting the outcomes of the NMC standards)
• Clinical Skills certification relevant to role and specialty
• Extensive post registration experience, including considerable senior band 5 experience in clinical research or a relevant clinical speciality
• Knowledge and experience within a relevant / acute healthcare / NHS setting
• Understanding of personal accountability
• Logical and consistent work and career pattern
• Recent management or leadership experience
• Interest in Clinical Research
• Knowledge of the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Knowledge of International Conference on Harmonisation/Good Clinical Practice (ICH/GCP)
• Provide evidence of teaching and supporting learners in practice

Desirable criteria

• Specialist qualification i.e. SACT trained
• Certification Leadership or management course
• Clinical Research experience
• Experience as an NMC / HCPC sign-off mentor or clinical practice assessor
• Experience of leading the delivery of a clinical research project
• Experience of being a link nurse (e.g. infection prevention, Manual handling, fire warden, etc)
• Demonstrate ability to liaise / collaborate with MDT

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together