Research Support Services Manager

King's College London; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College London invites applications for a newly created operational delivery role within the NIHR RSS Hub. Based at the King's Clinical Trials Unit, you will coordinate activity across the partnership with a small team and be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the Centre's operations.

The post is full-time (35 hours per week), fixed-term until 30 September 2028, and requires a proactive, organised approach with experience in health, care or scientific research.

Qualifications

• BSc in health or science or equivalent research experience.
• Knowledge of NIHR and collaborative research programmes.
• Project management experience for policy/operational changes.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Familiarity with governance/regulatory framework for UK research.
• Excellent communication skills across levels.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage concurrent tasks.
• Ability to present complex info to senior groups.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate operational delivery for the NIHR RSS Hub.
• Lead a small team including an administrator.
• Collaborate across partner institutions (GMHT, UCL, Oxford, Leeds).
• Report to the NIHR RSS Director and support centre activities.
• Ensure activities align with Equality/Dignity guidance.

Skills

BSc/Equivalent

NIHR knowledge

Project management

Decision making

Governance & regulatory

Communication skills

Autonomy & independence

Presentation skills

Education

BSc in health/science

MSc/PhD desirable

Job description

To support the RSS Director and team in the delivery of the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Hub delivered by King's College London & Partners. The hub is a centre of excellence for research methodology in mental health and neuroscience.

This is a new role for a highly driven, creative, and organised individual who has a background in health, care, or scientific research. They will be responsible for all aspects of operational delivery for the Centre. This will include bringing together the NIHR RSS team from across the partnership including Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, University College London, University of Oxford, and the University of Leeds.

The post will be based at the King's Clinical Trials Unit at King's College London and will work closely with the NIHR RSS national coordinating centre. They will lead a small team including an administrator who is yet to be appointed.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30/09/28., The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant's own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found .

Required skills and experience

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience,

• BSc in health or science field or equivalent experience in research or research management capacity
• Knowledge of NIHR and of collaborative research programmes underpinned by relevant practical experience.
• Project management skills gained through previous work experience to facilitate major policy/operational changes.
• Excellent decision-making and judgement, working consultatively to find solutions to problems and generate buy-in from others.
• Proven knowledge of Governance and Regulatory framework for conducting research in the UK.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Able to work autonomously, and to make independent decisions on concurrent and overlapping tasks simultaneously, whilst understanding when input from others is required.
• Ability to prepare and present complex and sensitive information to groups at senior level, delivering formal presentations and conveying concepts clearly.

Desirable criteria

• MSc or PhD in a research, health or science field, or equivalent experience in research or research management capacity.
• Experience of collating information and report/publication writing as the lead or a main contributor.
• Detailed knowledge of NIHR and of collaborative research programmes underpinned by relevant practical experience.
• Ability to build effective relationships with key external stakeholders and represent the NIHR RSS to support and enhance its reputation.

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Hub delivered by King's College London & Partners is a centre of excellence for research methodology in Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and is run in collaboration with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, University College London, University of Oxford, and the University of Leeds.

At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

Grade and Salary

£45,031- £52,514 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance Job ID : 157905