Senior Research Programme Manager

King's College London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading higher education institution in London is seeking a Senior Research Programme Manager to drive the Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression Mental Health Goals programme. This role requires extensive experience in project management and stakeholder engagement to ensure effective delivery of interdisciplinary projects. The successful candidate will lead complex teams and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders. The position is full-time with a contract from April 2026 until March 2030.

Qualifications

• Professionally qualified with a degree/postgraduate qualification in a relevant field.
• Accredited qualification in project or change management (e.g. PMP, AgilePM, PRINCE2).
• Highly proficient in managing complex projects and strategically prioritizing tasks.

Responsibilities

• Oversee delivery of the Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression Mental Health Goals programme.
• Manage interdisciplinary teams and drive high performance.
• Cultivate strong relationships with senior stakeholders.

Skills

Project management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder negotiation

Interdisciplinary team leadership

Education

Degree/postgraduate qualification in a relevant field

Accredited qualification in project/change management

Job description

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About us

The post will be based in the KCL Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN).

The Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre is uncovering the genetic and environmental influences on mental health and psychiatric disorders. Our research encompasses behavioural genetics, molecular genetics, experimental psychology and psychiatry, and neuroimaging. Scientists at the SGDP lead some of the UK's foremost longitudinal cohort and twin studies including TEDS, eRISK, Dunedin, IMAGEN and GLAD.

The NIHR BioResource Centre Maudsley leads the NIHR BioResource for Mental Health. We focus on recruiting participants experiencing mental health conditions, as well as healthy people.

Alongside GLAD MHG and The GLAD study, Prof. Breen's team boasts an accomplished portfolio of clinical and genetic studies which aim to improve treatment and outcomes for those affected by anxiety, depression, eating disorders and other mental health conditions.

About the role

We are looking to appoint a Senior Research Programme Manager to oversee the delivery of the large-scale Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression Mental Health Goals programme (GLAD MHG) and associated projects within the NIHR BioResource Centre Maudsley working closely with Theme Lead Prof. Gerome Breen.

Despite being a leading cause of disability worldwide, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is an underserved market segment with significant unmet medical need, GLAD MHG will leverage proven success and substantial investment from KCL, Maudsley and NIHR BioResource in the GLAD study to create a trial-ready dataset integrating detailed phenotyping, multi-omics, and medical records to support MDD precision psychiatry.

The GLAD Study is the largest anxiety and depression project ever undertaken. The study is part of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) BioResource. It is led by researchers at King’s College London, in collaboration with researchers at Ulster University, University of Edinburgh, and Cardiff University. GLAD was launched in September 2018, and over 30,000 participants have fully enrolled.

We are inviting applications from candidates with the ability and interest in driving forward this ambition programme of work. You will be a skilled negotiator, mentor and operational leader with demonstrable experience of leading the delivery of leading interdisciplinary teams and complex programmes of work. The post requires a skilled communicator, with the ability to cultivate strong, strategic relationships with senior stakeholders-including funders and industry experts-to advance key project objectives.

This is a full-time post available from 1st of April 2026 (earliest) and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31st of March 2030.

About you

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

Essential criteria

1. Professionally qualified with a degree/postgraduate qualification in a relevant field.
2. Accredited qualification in project or change management (e.g. PMP, AgilePM, PRINCE2).
3. Highly proficient in managing complex projects, team workloads and resources, and in strategically prioritising tasks to ensure the successful delivery of projects and programmes, while motivating and driving teams toward high performance.
4. Demonstrable ability to shape and contribute to long-term strategic planning, aimed at advancing thematic or programmatic priorities - and then delivering it.
5. Demonstrable experience of leading an interdisciplinary team and contributing to positive team culture and team and individual development.
6. Experience of successfully negotiating with diverse stakeholders at all levels to influence change and/or drive forward project or programme goals.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience leading project delivery involving the NHS.
2. Experienced in mental health related projects or programmes.
3. Knowledge or experience of coproduction methodologies.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We ask all candidates to submit a CV along with a supporting statement detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. 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.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages.