Senior Research Physician

EMS Healthcare; East Ham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

GMC fees paid

Private Healthcare

Free onsite parking

Bank holidays + 25 days' annual leave

Buy & Sell Holiday Scheme

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave

1 Occasion Day per year

Healthshield

Cycle to Work Scheme

Tech Scheme

Electric Car Scheme

Subsidised company events

Wellbeing support

Job summary

EMS Healthcare is seeking a Senior Research Physician to provide senior medical oversight across clinical trials within the Clinical Research Division. You will ensure participant safety, protocol adherence, data integrity, and regulatory compliance, collaborating with the Chief Medical Officer, Principal Investigators, sponsors, and operations teams to support trial strategy and governance.

You will lead and mentor Research Physicians, oversee multiple studies across community-based and mobile

Qualifications

• Medical degree with GMC registration and licence to practise.
• Extensive experience in clinical research or trials with senior oversight responsibilities.
• Experience as Principal Investigator in a comparable senior role.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior clinical leadership across trials, ensuring safety, protocol compliance, and data integrity throughout the study lifecycle.
• Lead feasibility assessments, protocol reviews, and study start-up planning in collaboration with sponsors and internal teams.
• Maintain oversight of ICH-GCP, regulatory requirements, ethics standards, and sponsor protocols across studies.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Attention to detail

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder management

Education

Medical degree (GMC)

Tools

EDC systems

Electronic data capture

Job description

Location: Northwest / Hybrid

Closing Date: Friday 2nd October 2026

The Senior Research Physician will play a leading role in the successful delivery of clinical trials within EMS Healthcare’s Clinical Research Division. This role is responsible for providing senior medical oversight across studies, ensuring the highest standards of participant safety, protocol adherence, data integrity, and regulatory compliance in line with ICH-GCP and applicable UK regulations. The postholder will work closely with the Chief Medical Officer, Principal Investigators, sponsors, and operational teams to support trial strategy, study feasibility, clinical governance, and high-quality study delivery across community-based and mobile research settings. The role also includes leadership, mentorship, and contribution to service development, helping to strengthen EMS Healthcare’s research capability and reputation.

Main Duties

Leadership and Oversight

• Provide senior clinical leadership across assigned trials, ensuring participant safety, protocol compliance, and data integrity throughout the study lifecycle.
• Act as Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator as required, taking accountability for medical decision-making and oversight within delegated studies.
• Provide leadership, supervision, and mentorship to Research Physicians and wider site teams, supporting capability development, competency assessment, and high standards of practice.

Trial Feasibility and Strategy

• Lead or significantly contribute to feasibility assessments, protocol reviews, and study start-up planning, working with sponsors and internal stakeholders to determine operational and clinical suitability.
• Contribute to business development activity by identifying research opportunities, supporting sponsor engagement, and providing senior medical input into proposals, bid responses, business cases, and service development initiatives.
• Review study budgets, contracts, and resource requirements from a medical and operational perspective, helping to shape commercially viable and clinically robust study delivery models.

Clinical Governance

• Maintain senior oversight of compliance with ICH-GCP, regulatory requirements, ethical standards, and sponsor protocols across assigned studies.
• Lead or support investigations into protocol deviations, safety events, and quality concerns, ensuring appropriate documentation, escalation, and corrective actions.
• Support and represent EMS Healthcare during audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews, and help drive continuous improvement in governance and quality systems.

Support and Mentorship

• Provide expert clinical guidance to Principal Investigators, Research Physicians, and multidisciplinary study teams to support safe and effective trial delivery.
• Act as a senior mentor for junior medical colleagues and contribute to training, induction, and the ongoing development of research capability across the organisation.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Develop and maintain strong sponsor and client relationships, acting as a senior medical contact to support confidence in study delivery, responsiveness, and clinical quality.
• Build credible and effective working relationships with regulatory authorities, ethics committees, investigators, and senior internal stakeholders to support successful study delivery and organisational reputation.
• Collaborate with the EMS Healthcare Medical Advisory Committee and cross-functional leaders to shape clinical standards, improve services, and support organisational priorities.

Operational Efficiency

• Provide senior medical oversight across multiple studies and research sites, ensuring consistent standards of safety, quality, protocol compliance, and participant experience.
• Oversee high-quality clinical trial delivery across community-based and mobile research settings, ensuring medical input supports efficient, safe, and participant-focused operations.
• Contribute to the development, review, and refinement of clinical and operational protocols, SOPs, and quality systems in line with evolving service needs.
• Represent the medical function at sponsor, client, and cross-functional meetings as required, providing senior clinical insight, escalation support, and operational oversight.

Experience- Essential

• Medical degree with full GMC registration and licence to practise.
• Significant experience in clinical research or clinical trials, including acting in a senior medical role with responsibility for oversight, decision-making, and study delivery.
• Previous experience as a Principal Investigator in a comparable senior research physician role.
• Demonstrable experience of overseeing multiple studies and/or sites within a regulated research environment.
• Strong working knowledge of clinical trial conduct, participant safety, regulatory compliance, protocol implementation, and risk management.
• In-depth knowledge of ICH-GCP, research governance, and ethical standards in clinical research.

Experience – Preferable

• Experience across therapeutic areas such as obesity, cardiometabolic conditions, neuropsychiatric conditions, or infectious diseases.
• Knowledge of EMS Healthcare’s mobile clinical services, decentralised research delivery, or managed service models.
• Postgraduate academic or professional qualifications relevant to research, such as the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine or other significant recognised investigator training.

Key Skills

• Strong leadership and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence multidisciplinary teams and work effectively across departments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with confidence in engaging sponsors, investigators, internal teams, and external stakeholders.
• Excellent attention to detail and sound clinical judgement, particularly in relation to participant safety, compliance, and quality.
• Proficiency in clinical trial systems, electronic data capture platforms, and documentation standards required for regulated research environments.

Other Requirements

• Commitment to delivering high-quality, participant-centred clinical research services and improving research outcomes.
• Ability to work autonomously in a field-based role while providing visible senior support to multidisciplinary teams across multiple sites.
• Willingness to travel and contribute flexibly to the needs of a growing national research service.

You work hard for us; we work hard for you. It is that simple. And we know, it sounds too good to be true (we hear that a lot). But trust us, this could be the best decision you make.

We invite applications from individuals who share our commitment to professionalism, integrity and clinical excellence, and who are passionate about delivering high-quality, participant-centred care within our communities.

• Competitive salary in keeping with Pharmaceutical Industry standards, reflecting experience
• GMC fees paid
• Private Healthcare
• Free onsite parking
• Bank holidays plus 25 days' annual leave, increasing to 28 days after 5 years' service
• Buy & Sell Holiday Scheme
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• 1 Occasion Day each year (e.g. a child's first day at school, a nativity play, or your birthday)
• Healthshield
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Tech Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Subsidised company events and gatherings
• Wellbeing support from our qualified Mental Health First Aiders, as well as through our health scheme