Senior Research Manager

Company Description

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public.

The NIHR RfPB programme provides funding for high quality health and social care research in the NHS in England, and allocates funding on a regional basis, for project grants of up to £500,000 and 36 months in duration. The team currently manages a portfolio of over 1,300 projects and delivers three funding competition cycles per year.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, this fixed term role will involve overseeing some of the team's commissioning and/or monitoring activities and will require a strong leadership style, along with the ability to work collaboratively with other Senior Programme Managers.

The post provides the opportunity for exciting external liaison, with interfaces to UK Government, academia, industry and the clinical community.

Job Description

• Overall responsibility of the team’s commissioning and/or monitoring activities, and overseeing the team in these activities
• Contributing to and leading strategic programme and departmental initiatives
• Drafting SOPs, work instructions and template documents and issuing guidelines
• Attending regional advisory committee meetings in a supervisory capacity, providing advice to the committee when required
• Act as a representative of RfPB in NIHR cross cutting working groups as appropriate
• Liaising regularly with internal and external stakeholders, including attending, organising and leading meetings, representing the funder’s perspective at meetings and promoting and representing funding programmes at external events
• Identifying enhancements to working practices and defining, implementing and supporting the processes to deliver operational excellence
• Developing and maintaining excellent professional relationships with other GMG teams, applicants and award holders and with colleagues within NIHR and across customer organisations, and acting as a role model to colleagues at all levels
• Operationalising ad hoc special project work; assisting in the preparation of regular programme reports and papers
• Line management of up to three members of staff
• Monitoring the quality and timelines of the work of Research Managers within the RfPB team in line with the agreed indicators
• Staff recruitment and mentoring, training and supervision of new and existing staff.

Qualifications & Experience Required:

• A degree in biomedical, health or social sciences
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• A track record in successful management of projects and programmes
• Able to think strategically, interpreting complex information, putting information in context and having a clear view of the “big picture”
• Excellent writing skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, able to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, working to challenging targets and deadlines
• Excellent analytical and complex problem solving skills, with a solution based approach
• Highly developed communication skills and customer focus, including experience of external liaison
• Committed team player with an ability to build effective working relationships
• Experience of working in a research management environment, preferably within a healthcare setting

Desirable:

• A higher degree in a medical, scientific, technical or social discipline
• Knowledge of the UK’s health and care research landscape
• Line management and staff development experience

Salary & Benefits

• £45,700
• Bonus - subject to company performance
• 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Life Insurance
• Benenden Healthcare
• Season Ticket Loan
• Laptop, IT equipment and remote IT support

We offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, flexible working arrangements.

This is an office based, home working (hybrid) role with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices a minimum of 4 days a month, which might increase, subject to team requirements.

Application Process

If you are interested in working with us and feel you have the appropriate background and skills, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above and apply with your CV, (with the cover letter attached in the same document), outlining your suitability for the role and highlighting your experience against the required criteria.

NB: This is a 12 month FTC role.

Grange House, 15 Church St, Twickenham

Please quote REF 782Z on all correspondence.