Senior Research Project Manager

The Christie NHS FT; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading NHS cancer research organization based in Manchester is seeking a skilled Project Manager to oversee the Living With & Beyond Cancer research theme. This part-time position involves managing project objectives, budgets, and stakeholder communications in a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate has a degree, relevant experience, and strong analytical and communication skills. A competitive salary package is offered, along with the flexibility of remote work options.

Qualifications

• Strong background in managing budgets and financial documentation.
• Experience of developing systems for collecting project information.
• Ability to deliver training to junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage the delivery of BRC objectives across themes.
• Provide timely reports on progress to multiple stakeholders.
• Coordinate collaborative projects across different organizations.

Skills

Project management

Budget management

Analytical skills

Interpersonal communication

GCP trained

IT skills (MS Office)

Education

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

PhD, MSc in Health Research or equivalent

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

Job description

We are looking for a resourceful and motivated individual to join our Living With & Beyond Cancer (LWBC) research theme, who enjoys working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.The NIHR funds Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) as experimental medicine centres of excellence via competitive application every five years. Manchester BRC was awarded £64.1 million (2022-28) to provide infrastructure funding across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria Manchester Biomedical Research Centre Manchester Biomedical Research Centre

The post holder will be expected to drive the delivery of BRC objectives across Themes and Clusters, provide accurate, timely and high-quality reports on project progress and outputs against forecasts and strategic aims both internally (including to the BRC senior management team) and to external bodies (including the NIHR), and will work with theme/cluster leads, programme leads and key researchers to identify and overcome risks to ensure successful delivery of the theme objectives.

We support flexible working, with home-based and office-based options. Some travel across Greater Manchester may be required.This is a part-time role at 0.5FTE, for a fixed term until March 2028. If already employed by The Christie, an internal secondment would be considered. Agenda for Change banding is pending for this post and therefore this is Band 7 subject to evaluation.

Main duties of the job

You will be the primary point of contact for Manchester BRC LWBC Theme management. You will develop and maintain appropriate project plans and performance management systems, ensuring that timely and accurate progress updates are provided as required, and analyse and evaluate Theme progress on a regular basis, formulating, presenting and implementing strategies to minimise risk and maximise benefit to the BRC.You will manage the Theme budget, produce reports including the Theme annual report and ad hoc internal reports.You will develop and report impact cases and work closely with the BRC Communications team to ensure newsworthy items are identified and reported in a timely fashion.You will support industry and charity collaborations and help source external funding opportunities to further develop the research theme.

About us

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.

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Managerial and Administrative Activities

1. The primary point of contact for BRC LWBC project management, particularly around the development of research projects and reporting of project outputs.2. Develops and coordinates programmes of work within themes and as a Cluster.3. Develops and maintains appropriate project plans and performance management systems, ensuring that timely and accurate progress updates are received by the BRC and Divisional Senior Management Teams, Trust Board and Executive Directors, and by the NIHR/DHSC and other external stakeholders as required.4. Oversees and interacts with local project teams in the management and delivery of projects including MFT, BRC partner Trusts and University employees and, where appropriate, external organisations.5. Analyses and evaluates project progress on a regular basis, formulating, presenting and implementing strategies to minimise risk and maximise benefit to the BRC, accountable body and funder.6. Works closely with the BRC, CRF, R&I operational teams and University departments to coordinate and provide analytical support relating to current objectives and future strategy at Theme and Cluster level.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience gained in a work environment
• Evidence of continued professional development
• PhD, MSc or Further qualifications in Health Research or equivalent experience gained in a work environment

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of developing and maintaining comprehensive and systematic systems for collecting and processing project information
• Experience of managing budgets and liaising with finance staff
• Experience of writing a range of reports, strategy documents and grant applications.
• Recent experience of line management including completing PDRs.
• Significant experience of leading and managing a number of projects simultaneously from inception through to completion and evaluation, with demonstrable focus on delivery of outputs / targets
• Experience of successful working with a range of internal and external stakeholders to manage project delivery
• Experience of developing and delivering collaborative projects between multiple organisations/stakeholders
• Experience of analysing complex data to assess risk and monitor progress against plans, managing deviations and issues appropriately to ensure successful project delivery
• GCP trained
• Recent experience of working in both a university and NHS research setting
• Experience of delivering training to junior staff
• Experience in bringing about and managing change
• Experience of working and/or liaising with industry
• Experience of using software and online tools related to research outputs (e.g. MIMAS Web of Knowledge, ISI Journal Citation index, Scopus, Zotero, Endnote)

SKILLS

• Comprehensive IT skills (including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, databases, Internet and email)
• Analytical and judgment skills, ability to think strategically, identify risks and solve problems
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal including the ability to formulate presentations, reports, bid documents and guidelines to a range of audiences
• Ability to represent the BRC to external partners and stakeholders
• Ability to influence and negotiate with different professions and organisations and within a multidisciplinary environment
• Working to tight deadlines and ability to prioritise competing demands under pressure to achieve targets
• Ability to exercise own initiative
• Enthusiastic, resolute and flexible approach to work

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of NHS and/or University research
• Knowledge of NHS and/or University research

VALUES

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

OTHER

• Will require some level of home-working and travel across partner organisations for meetings and events
• Cross cover within core management team may be required

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearper annum pro rata