Job Description
We are seeking an experienced and motivated leader to join the Study Support Service at the East of England Regional RDN. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in how research studies are planned, supported and delivered across the NHS and wider health and care system. You will work within a collaborative national network focused on improving the consistency, quality and efficiency of research delivery.
You will join a supportive and knowledgeable team that values partnership working, continuous improvement and shared learning. We work closely with research sites, sponsors and system partners to solve challenges and strengthen research capacity across the region. Our culture is open, respectful and improvement-focused, with strong peer support and opportunities to develop leadership skills.
In return, we offer flexible working, excellent development opportunities and the chance to build expertise across a broad research portfolio. If you are motivated by making a difference to research delivery, enjoy collaborative problem‑solving and want to grow your leadership capability within the NIHR Research Delivery Network, this is an excellent opportunity.
As Study Support Service Manager you will lead delivery of Study Support Services across designated specialties and settings, ensuring high-quality pre‑approval services (planning and placement and national cost attribution tools) and post‑approval services (portfolio oversight and on‑request support).
You will line manage Study Support Service Facilitators, allocating workload, developing capability and supporting performance. You will work closely with research delivery organisations across the East of England to support study feasibility, address delivery challenges and strengthen research capacity and capability.
You will collaborate with regional and national colleagues to ensure consistent service delivery and contribute to improvement initiatives across the network. You will use data and insight to monitor portfolio performance, identify risks and target support where needed.
Examples of decisions you will make include:
- Determining study planning and placement recommendations based on feasibility and capacity.
- Deciding when portfolio performance issues require intervention or escalation.
- Prioritising team resource and improvement activity across specialties.
This role suits a collaborative, organised professional who combines operational delivery with partnership working and continuous improvement.
- Act as a liaison between various stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration, communication and alignment of objectives.
- Work as part of a community of specialty and settings leaders across the national network, promoting the consistency of experience across a nationally‑harmonised Study Support Service.
- Collaborate with designated Local Specialty and Settings Leadership to align operational activities with strategic objectives.
- Provide strategic support to designated research delivery sites, drawing on and contributing to national network intelligence.
- Support the implementation and cascade of national strategic direction within the region and the local RRDN.
- Develop and undertake activities which contribute to the annual business planning cycle.
- Support with reviewing, evaluating and approving research site delivery plans, and have delegated responsibility for periodically performance monitoring against those plans to ensure that RDN funding is being used appropriately and effectively within specific specialties and settings.
Visa and Immigration
If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.
Travelling to Work
Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours. We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.
The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.
The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. Applications to the Travel Office are required for this service. We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.
The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.
If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.
DBS
If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check. If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is below Band 4 (AfC).
NHS Service
Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.
UK Registration
You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role. When you submit an application which includes professional registration details, you are providing consent to the checking and verification of this information.
Application
Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e‑mails (and Spam) regularly.
We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.
We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short‑listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.
Flexibility
Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances. Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is a 1,200‑beded teaching hospital with state‑of‑the‑art facilities for modern patient care: 1,100 beds in the PFI and 100 in Cromer Community Hospital.
The NNUH is part of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group which includes the James Paget Hospital, in Great Yarmouth and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King Lynn.
We carry out nearly one million outpatient appointments, day case procedures and inpatient admissions annually. The population we serve is predominantly the people of Norfolk and north Suffolk, although some patients are referred from further afield especially to access specialist services available at this Trust.
Our staff of c10,000 care for and support patients who are referred to us by around 100 local GP practices and from other acute hospitals. We run more than 60 specialist services as a tertiary centre, including more than a dozen specialist cancer and radiotherapy treatments, and we are one of the biggest cancer centres in the country.
We provide complex spinal surgery services, specialist Neonatal Intensive Care, neurosciences services and specialist cardiac services. Our Trust runs specialist dermatology, rheumatology, endocrinology, adult congenital heart disease services, treatment of complex liver and pancreatic diseases in adults, cystic fibrosis services and intestinal failure services. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre. NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs.
At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare, and our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’. If this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.
Our Values
- People‑focused – We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.
- Respect – We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.
- Integrity – We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.
- Dedication – We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.
- Excellence – We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.
Benefits
- Flexible working hours
- Fast‑Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
- Multi‑Faith prayer room
- Discounted gym memberships
- Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
- Wagestream – access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
- Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH site
- Free 24‑hours confidential counselling support
- On‑site Nursery
- On‑site cafes offering staff discounts
- Support in career development
- Flexible staff bank
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
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