The NIHR East Midlands Regional Research Delivery Network East Midlands (EM RRDN), hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, supports high-quality research in the NHS and social care by working with partner organisations operating in a broad range of settings across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, and Northamptonshire. We are proud to be at the forefront of health and social care research delivery in the East Midlands, and we provide the infrastructure that enables research to benefit patients, carers, and the public through improved care and treatments. With offices in Leicester and Nottingham, our model incorporates a number of different roles to enable us to drive clinical research delivery performance, and to ensure that research is championed across every level of health and care. The Study Support Service serves as the cornerstone of the Research Delivery Network (RDN), facilitating the effective delivery of studies throughout the system while enhancing strategic capacity and capability. The Study Support Service (SSS) Manager will assume a key leadership position in the EM RRDN Study Support Service, which is seamlessly integrated within the collective national Study Support Service. Working within the SSS Team, the SSS Manager will deliver the Study Support Service across designated specialties and settings, in accordance with nationally defined standards and processes. The role is also responsible for identifying and escalating issues that require regional or national attention and resolution. The role will work in collaboration with Regional Specialty and Settings Leads, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment with broader strategic objectives. The role will provide day to day operational management of the Study Support Service and line management responsibilities for 1-2 SSS team members.Line management of staff members will include undertaking staff reviews to identify training and development needs, establishing how those needs will be met and managing performance against agreed objectives. The postholder will ensure the same review processes take place for all staff with the defined function via appropriate line management arrangements and that skills and capabilities exist to meet current and future business needs. The SSS Team is an established team that offers a positive and developmental working environment. If you are looking for an interesting role that gives you the ability to work with research partners across the health and care system and you have a passion for research, we are keen to hear from you. For more detail about the main duties of this role, please see the job description. Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030). We have four primary goals: • high-quality care for all, • being a great place to work, • partnerships for impact, and • research and education excellence And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities. Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all: • we are compassionate, • we are proud, • we are inclusive, and • we are one team This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve. About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk • MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIE • STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP • ● 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 • BUSINESS PLANNING • ● 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 • INFORMATION & ADMINISTRATION • ● Understand and interpret highly complex information, data and situations to inform plans and make decisions within designated specialities and settings. This may include communicating and presenting to a variety of audiences and the facilitation of collaborative discussions • ● Facilitate the implementation of Information Governance best practice within the Study Support Service • ● Support the implementation and management of the Study Support Service processes that ensure data integrity within relevant RDN systems, enabling the identification of potential concerns and patterns and supporting RDN customers and partners in resolving issues • ● Promote the use of digital innovations including data visualisation tools/dashboards to inform study and process decision making • ● Manage the activities that support study sponsors, funders and investigators to access data to enable them to effectively manage the delivery of their studies (and enable them to request support from the RDN as required) • ● Maintain and support general understanding of costing and attribution tools, process and policy that ensure studies in the region meet national requirements • ● Implement compliance with the DHSC RDN Portfolio Policy to ensure that the process, procedure and monitoring of studies enables sponsors / delegates, research delivery sites and funders to understand and adhere to their roles and responsibilities. For example, this may include satisfying the Eligibility Criteria for NIHR support before they are included on the portfolio and subsequently adhering to the expected actions and requirements set out in the NIHR RDN Portfolio Terms and Conditions • ● Maintain oversight of the RDN portfolio within designated specialties and settings to proactively identify potential issues and opportunities, working as an active partner to resolve and action follow-up activity • ● Lead the coordination of the National Specialty and Setting Groups (e.g. organise national meetings and support the general activities of the National Specialty and Setting Leads) • OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT • ● Deliver the Study Support Services across designated specialties and settings, in accordance with nationally defined standards and processes. This will include pre-approval services (planning and placement; national cost attribution services) and post-approval services (portfolio oversight; on-request services) • ● Act as regional champions and specialists as required, such as for AcoRD, Digital Recruitment, Be Part of Research, Join Dementia and for NHS and Primary Care based National Contract Value Review • ● Supervise the alignment and coordination of the NS&SL support for funders and sponsors in study design, deliverability and participant access to bring compatibility with the advice and guidance provided by the Study Support Service to further ensure optimal planning, placement and 'on request' performance monitoring of studies • ● Project manage specialty and setting initiatives at regional, and occasionally national, levels • ● Facilitate communities of practice and events, encouraging system-level collaboration and learning to solve operational challenges and pursue opportunities for strategic development • ● Workload allocation and supervision (with Potential for line management) of B6 Study Support Service Facilitators • SERVICE IMPROVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT • ● Ensure a customer-centric approach to service delivery, ensuring that the needs and expectations of stakeholders are met or exceeded • ● Collaborate closely with Specialty and Setting leadership to contribute to regional and national improvement projects • ● Cultivate a robust knowledge base within the assigned portfolio by establishing communities of practice with relevant study and site delivery teams, and by making effective use of data • ● Actively seek and share feedback from customers and partners, so as to provide a responsive service and identify opportunities for improvement • ● Identify and implement strategies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Study Support Service operations regionally and nationally, including piloting and evaluating ideas as part of national working • ● Problem-solving, on request, to support RDN customers with identified challenges in study delivery • PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT • ● Monitor and evaluate performance metrics relating to portfolio to identify areas for improvement • ● Facilitate the exchange of best practices among stakeholders to optimise study performance and outcomes • ● Ensure seamless coordination with other services and functions within the RRDN and across the national network, working with other teams to provide a consistent experience and work as one organisation • LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY • ● Champion the RDN’s capacity and capability to support Life Sciences Industry research and the contribution of the Life Sciences Industry to the NHS • ● Ensure that RRDN Study Support Services provided to the Life Sciences Industry, within designated specialities and settings, are provided consistently, within the required timeframes and to a high quality standard and in line with identified national RDN requirements • ● Engage in, and support, business development activities, including: Providing clinical research expertise and knowledge to support optimal research delivery in discussions with commercial organisations; and attending meetings and presenting at events, webinars etc • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES • ● Provide comments to inform decisions of funding allocations, including strategic development funding relevant to designated specialities and settings • ● Have an overview of the resource allocated to their areas of work, and proactively support the management of this allocation and report on its use as required • CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT • ● Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging team members to seek out opportunities for innovation • ● Jointly consider new improvements for national adoption, escalating local challenges and sharing all innovations • ● Implement cross-specialty, cross-setting and Study Support Service collaborative innovations for improved research delivery • COMMUNICATION & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT (NHS AND NON-NHS) • ● Maintain effective communication and coordination with stakeholders across the Research Delivery Network • ● Communication of complex and difficult information both orally and in writing, both internally to colleagues and externally to a range of audiences. This may include delivering presentations and writing reports, and can involve communication where there may be barriers to acceptance • ● Act as a main point of contact for sponsors and research delivery sites, providing a consistent and coordinated experience, and proactively supporting in identifying opportunities for capacity and capability development • ● Work within designated health and care specialties and settings to identify and develop further opportunities to embed research into the NHS, non-NHS and wider health and care environment • CORPORATE GOVERNANCE • ● Support the management of compliance with RRDN contractual requirements (e.g. the Performance and Operating Framework) and with Host-related policies and procedures • ● Maintain working knowledge of, and act in accordance with current legislation, including Good Clinical Practice, research governance legislation, and the Data Protection Act • ● Escalate risks that may need to be considered for the corporate risk register • ● Implement and make suggestions to Standard Operating Procedures, ensuring national consistency • This advert closes on Wednesday 6 May 2026