Job summary
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is an international leader in cancer research and development and is the largest cancer treatment centre of its kind in Europe. In a global survey we have been ranked as one of the top 10 most technologically advanced cancer centres in the world outside North America. Our strategic ambition to be one of the world's leading comprehensive cancer centres for translational research. We want to transform the clinical care of our patients by developing and implementing a personalised medicine strategy and undertake relevant and innovative research to improve outcomes for our patients.
This post presents an exciting opportunity to lead and manage a group of established research teams with a varied portfolio of phase 1 to phase 3 studies specialising in treating patients with oncological cancers. The team under this post's portfolio will consist of the GI/HPB Research Teams.
There is an opportunity for this post to be a secondment.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will take responsibility for leading the teams from a strategic perspective and have direct line management responsibility for Senior Clinical Research Nurses and Research Portfolio Support Managers. The post holder will work closely with all members of the team to ensure all divisional targets are met within the team.
Key responsibilities of the post include: An understanding of the strategic objectives of the Trust and how these relate to national policy and to the objectives of the Research division. An understanding of the strategic objectives of the division and the ability to use leadership skills to ensure the smooth running of the team.
You will work collaboratively with the other members of the study team and with the wider multi-disciplinary research community. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, possess strong motivation and have the ability to work independently. Flexibility in working is essential.
An informal visit to discuss the post is highly recommended.
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 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 description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Management and Leadership
1. Provide professional and management leadership to support the development of clinical research activity for defined research recruitment and delivery teams.
2. Ensure appropriate processes are in place to oversee and influence performance of teams including ensuring local and national research targets are met.
3. Conduct trial feasibility to assess the impact on workload in defined research groups and the Trust to establish whether there are adequate resources available to meet clinical trial activity.
4. To have full oversight of clinical trial submission process within teams and overall responsibility from feasibility through to close out of a team portfolio of clinical trials.
5. Provide divisional representation on relevant trust wide committees relating to governance structures and operational management, where appropriate.
6. Work autonomously in all areas of practice relating to clinical research.
7. Take a proactive approach in ensuring local and national performance and recruitment metrics are adhered to and met.
8. Work with Trust R&I department and research staff to ensure regulatory and governance frameworks are adhered to.
9. Delegation of appropriate trial related activities to members of the research team.
10. Identify strategies for recruiting patients to clinical trials and support team members in implementing these strategies.
11. Identify workforce requirements to meet the team objectives and have overall responsibility for the recruitment processes within defined area of responsibility.
12. Ensure all Trust-wide policies and practices are adhered to and implemented within teams
Strategic Development
13. Contribute to the development and implementation of the R&I strategy and objectives.
14. Contribute to and implement relevant strategies within the trust including the NIHR Nursing strategy.
15. Foster strategic links and work in close partnership with appropriate key stakeholders to ensure all local, corporate, and national initiatives and targets are met
Finance and Business Management
16. Manage and negotiate research budgets for defined research teams, ensuring oversight of all invoicing and income.
17. Work with the research income and costings team in forecasting projected income to secure funding for the retention and expansion of Clinical trial team nursing and administration posts.
18. Develop business plans to secure funding for the provision of resources as required
Clinical
19. Oversee the management, implementation, and facilitation of clinical trial delivery.
20. Set up processes/patient pathways in specialist research areas to promote a cost-effective timely service for individual protocols (including specialist clinics)
21. Assimilate complex information relating to clinical trials and communicate this information to patients and staff at a level appropriate to their understanding.
22. Work clinically as a resource and role model and to cover absence as required, ensuring a reasonable balance between need, area of expertise and own research.
23. Promote and adhere to the EU directive and ICH/GCP.
24. Demonstration of expert knowledge in specialist area to maintain clinical excellence
Education and Training
25. To design and/or participate in National and Regional study days.
26. To support pre and post registration education development through ensuring all members of staff have access to relevant and required training within the field of research and ensure staff work towards relevant competencies.
27. Ensure educational opportunities are available to all staff and ensure all have personnel development plans as part of the PDR process.
28. Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, ensuring all staff make effective use of learning opportunities.
29. To develop and facilitate educational programs to meet the competencies of the Clinical research nursing and administration teams.
30. Maintain professional development whilst evaluating own specialist knowledge and practice through a process of appraisal, revalidation, and personal development planning.
31. Ensure own knowledge is regularly updated and be aware of relevant developments that may impact on service provision
Quality
32. Support development of SOPs to guide practice within patient recruitment and delivery teams and ensure they are reviewed as appropriate
33. Ensure that all research activity is conducted within the relevant governance frameworks and according to local SOPs.
34. Lead on and participate in service improvement projects and development programmes that contribute to excellent patient experience.
35. Promote a culture of effective collaboration and continuous improvement by implementing the quality strategy and objectives
Information Management
36. Can use a variety of clinical research related information systems including CWP, R-PEAK
37. Produce and utilize reports to manage team performance, including, but not limited to, HR, Financial, patient recruitment, and other KPIs.
38. Ensure teams are involved with, and influences trust Digital strategies in relation to the requirement of the R&I division
Communication and Engagement
39. Represent the Division and Trust at specialist research forums or consultative groups in relation to clinical research.
40. Process highly complex, scientific and sometimes sensitive patient information and when required, communicate this to a wide range of multi-disciplinary staff groups
41. Promote a culture and environment of research engagement and integration across the trust.
42. Ensure that there is effective communication, across all organisational boundaries in relation to clinical trial activities
43. Ensure the interests of the research division are considered in the planning and development of new systems and processes.
44. To raise the profile of clinical research nursing locally and nationally.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
45. oFirst Level Registration
46. oDegree level education
Desirable
47. oMaster's degree or evidence of post graduate study
Experience
Essential
48. oSubstantial Oncology Experience
49. oSignificant experience undertaking, coordinating and managing clinical research.
50. oExperience of developing and working within multi-disciplinary teams and cross organisational working
51. oAbility to organize and prioritize own workload and that of a large team.
52. oEvidence of management/leadership
Skills
Essential
53. oExcellent communication skills.
54. oEffective team working across professional and organisational boundaries.
55. oDemonstrate broad range of management skills
56. oCapable of leading and initiating change
57. oWorking knowledge of office-based packages
Desirable
58. oCapable of presenting research related information to a wide audience
Knowledge
Essential
59. Expert knowledge of clinical trials process and regulatory frameworks
60. Working knowledge of national research agenda and national research organisations
61. Working knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy relating to all sectors of oncology
Values
Essential
62. oAbility to demonstrate organizational values and behaviors.
Other
Essential
63. oCapacity to deal with complexity of issues
64. oFlexible working