Director of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit (73270-0323)

Warwick Medical School (WMS) is seeking to appoint a new Director of Warwick CTU, following the recent announcement that the current post holder has been promoted to Dean of WMS. The new Director, who may come from a clinical, trialist or methodological background, will lead the Division of Clinical Trials and be a valued member of the WMS Senior Leadership Team and will report to the Dean of Medicine.

The University of Warwick is one of the UK’s great success stories. Within 50 years we have become one of the country’s best universities, consistently in the top 10 of UK league tables and rapidly climbing the international rankings of world-class universities.

WMS is a young medical school with big ambitions and a track record of success. We have an excellent reputation for our distinctive portfolio of high-quality education programmmes, and for the excellence and global impact of our research. We strive to be innovative, bold, interdisciplinary, and inspiring. We share the University’s vision of “excellence with purpose”. We are inclusive, enabling talent to shine through from everyone. We are leaders in regional transformation aiming for the best health and wellbeing outcomes.

Warwick CTU

Warwick CTU’s vision is to lead world class clinical trials which transform the lives of patients We are proud of our interdisciplinary, inclusive, and collaborative approach and have established a thriving community of over 160 staff consisting of clinical trialists, statisticians, economists, clinicians, and operational teams.

We are grouped into five main themes: cancer, emergency and critical care, maternal health, surgery, pain, and rehabilitation and clinical trial methodology. We support teaching, early career researchers and fellowships, and patient and public involvement and engagement is embedded throughout our portfolio. With expertise in both designing and conducting trials, we specialise in trials that investigate complex health states and interventions. Our programmes of work draw together quantitative and qualitative methodologies in an evaluation framework. High quality, randomised evidence is generated to inform modern clinical and health care practice. Our work is predominantly in later phase trials which remain a priority for the Unit. Through strategic investment funding from the University, we are well placed to further grow and expand our innovation and translational medicine trial portfolios.

Our core values underpin everything we do; they define who we are and how we conduct ourselves.

Integrity: We always do the right thing and are open and transparent, taking ownership of our actions and learning from the past.

Collaboration: We develop and share ideas, best practice and lessons learnt, collaborating across disciplines and with our external partners.

Respect: We listen to, and value, each other’s opinions, communicating and acting with respect and support for one another.

Excellence: We work hard to create an environment where we can thrive, be the best we can be and, in doing so, make a difference.

Innovation and Efficiency: We use innovative thinking to challenge existing processes, solve problems and ensure efficiency.

Courage: We have the courage to take calculated risks, to ask for and respond to feedback, to speak up and to challenge respectfully when it is right to do so.

Who Are We Looking For?

The successful candidate will have substantial experience of research in clinical trials leading to impact and publication, and an outstanding track record of managing research teams working in the complex environment of health care. They may be clinical or non-clinical and will be an enthusiastic individual who can establish a clear vision and who can translate that vision into action, by inspiring the commitment and trust of others. They will have the ability to lead Warwick CTU in new directions, whilst building on and maintaining current strengths.

We are looking for a Director who will lead by example, and who has substantial experience of building and maintaining cohesive teams with high levels of commitment and motivation. The appointee will actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with others, both internally within the University of Warwick and externally, to enhance the quality of our research and our reputation. They will appreciate the value of public and patient participation, equality and inclusion, health economics and qualitative research in trials, and be familiar with UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research.

The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator with the ability to express complex ideas concisely in a way that engages others and who encourages open communication. They will understand and be comfortable working within all the relevant legal and governance frameworks that apply to clinical trials and associated research and will have a very strong commitment to quality.

Working with the Pro-Dean for Research, the new Director will have the opportunity to shape the recruitment of new academics arising from a £2.1m strategic investment from the University to grow our portfolio of clinical trials and accelerate translational research and innovation.

To find out more and read our brochure please see our website here

How To Apply

To be considered please fill out the online application, including a curriculum vitae, a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and the names of three expert referees.

For informal enquiries, potential applicants are encouraged to contact the current Director of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Professor Gavin Perkins (g.d.perkins@warwick.ac.uk)

Interviews for this position will be held on either the 16th or 19th May 2023.

Full details of the duties and selection criteria for this role can be found in the vacancy advert on the University of Warwick's jobs pages. You will be routed to this when you click on the Apply button.