Capacity Development and Training Manager

The Role

Launched in August 2025, the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium (NIHR MDC) is a £50 million, five-year NIHR investment which brings together a diverse range of organisations with expertise in research, capacity development and working with people and communities to deliver a step change in maternity outcomes and developing future research leaders in this area of need. The research carried out by the consortium is organised into five theme and two workstreams and will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. Nine University-led collaborations comprise the MDC.

The NIHR MDC is co-ordinated from Newcastle University (Research and Capacity Development) and the University of Birmingham (Research). The postholder will be based at Newcastle University and work closely with the Consortium team at the University of Birmingham. The University operates blended working but it is expected you will spend the majority of your time on site.

You will plan and manage a range of activity related to career development and training in maternal health and care associated with the delivery of the NIHR MDC’s capacity development plan. The Capacity Development and Training Manager under the guidance and direction of the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development and managed by the NIHR MDC Programme Manager (Newcastle), will coordinate the delivery of a range of capacity development programmes and training initiatives (including internships, PhD studentships, post-doctoral fellows and community researcher opportunities) to those within and external to the MDC. Each of the nine collaborations has a Capacity Development Lead and they form the NIHR MDC Capacity Development Leads Group which is chaired by the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development. The post-holder will work closely with the Capacity Development Leads Group.

The NIHR MDC has been established to increase the evidence base to address maternity inequalities, facilitating a multidisciplinary whole systems approach to address uncertainties across research, innovation and implementation. It will task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle maternity inequalities. The research will have strong community engagement and be guided by inclusive principles. The research will be accessible to those developing policies and services to ensure it delivers the impact needed to improve pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of, maternity services.

The NIHR MDC’s research will help answer the most important questions facing policy makers, Local Authorities and service providers organised across five themes and two workstreams. To do this, we need to inspire and equip the next generation of research leaders in maternal health and care. The UK-wide Consortium will develop an innovative and transformative capacity building programme of career development awards and opportunities that are linked and embedded within the MDC’s research themes and workstreams, reflecting who/what is needed to address maternity inequalities.

The Consortium will focus on growing long-term research capacity and expertise, especially within underrepresented disciplines, professions and underserved communities; inspiring and supporting the next generation of researchers with the right skills mix to work across clinical, practice and research sectors.

This is a fixed-term contract until the end of July 2030.

If you have any queries, please reach out to JUDITH.RANKIN@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK.

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