Job overview
Are you someone who can easily adapt to different settings, enjoy meeting new people, and would like to make a difference in health and social care through clinical research?
South London Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) is looking for an enthusiastic Research Nurse/Midwife /AHP to join the team.
The post holder will play a key role in ensuring that any research
undertaken within the health and care settings safeguards the wellbeing of the patients and is conducted according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trial) Regulations 2004 and Amended Regulations 2006.
The post holder will facilitate and aid in the recruitment of patients into high quality clinical studies, within Secondary care, Primary care & Wider Care settings. They will work flexibly across the disciplines to ensure the success of the clinical research projects they are assigned to.
The applicant must have considerable experience of working independently and have excellent organisational and time management skills. The staff will play a key role in identifying opportunities to broaden, coordinate and manage a portfolio of clinical research studies (commercial and non-commercial). They will need interpersonal and leadership skills to facilitate collaborative working relationships across a breadth of stakeholders and act as an RDN ambassador.
The post holder will be required to work flexibly across sites within the RDN South London geography.
Main duties of the job
The focus for this role is to lead the delivery of National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) Portfolio studies across varied health and care settings. This will require flexible working across disciplines and the Regional RDN (RRDN) region and will involve the correct identification, recruitment, delivery and follow up for research participants according to the appropriate research protocols. The post holder will be a NMC Registered Nurse, Midwife or a HCPC Registered Allied Health Professional. They will need interpersonal and leadership skills to facilitate collaborative working relationships across a breadth of stakeholders. This post may contribute to line management for and leadership of a team of research delivery staff working autonomously in a variety of specialties and settings.
The role will work alongside different professions from multiple organisations involved in health and care research and will be an integral part of the Agile Research Delivery Team which sits within the RRDN core team. The post holder will be accountable to the Agile Research Delivery Team Manager.
Working for our organisation
From October 2024, the NIHR Clinical Research Network has changed to become the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN). The RDN will build on the successes of the CRN in supporting the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health and care system in England for the benefit of patients, the health and care system and the economy.
The RDN will support:
1. Clinical trials and other well-designed health and social care research studies (Including studies that are delivered outside of an NHS setting)
2. Public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals within NHS settings (that is, acute, ambulance, mental health, community or primary care) or an episode of care which involves contact with the NHS.
The RDN is a new organisation with new structures, governance and ways of working. Study delivery in England will be supported through 12 NIHR Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs). These will work with the national Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and the Department of Health and Care to provide a joint RDN leadership function via the RDN Board, so that the NIHR RDN as a whole function as a single, transparent organisation with a shared vision and purpose. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust will be the Host Organisation for the South London RRDN region.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role provides strategic, operational, and clinical leadership within an Agile Research Delivery Team, ensuring high-quality delivery of clinical research across multiple specialties and settings. It requires working within professional codes of practice while contributing to the advancement of research practice through evidence-based approaches, service improvement, and continuous professional development.
The post holder acts as a role model, supports staff development, and maintains strong links with wider research networks.
The post holder manages information and administration relating to research activities, performing protocol-specific assessments, ensuring accurate and verifiable data collection, reporting adverse events, maintaining regulatory compliance, and supporting the smooth operation of Local Project Management Systems. They interpret complex data and present findings to stakeholders, while liaising with IT teams to resolve data system issues.
In operational management, the role oversees multiple concurrent research studies, taking responsibility for study delivery from screening and informed consent to intervention delivery, follow-up, data management, and sample processing. They support monitoring visits, inspections, and adherence to organisational and national research policies.
The role drives service improvement and continuous development, identifying recruitment barriers, proposing changes to working practices, contributing to clinical governance, and supporting quality improvement initiatives. They are expected to seek innovations, escalate challenges, and promote cross-setting and cross-specialty collaboration.
The post includes performance management responsibilities, supporting target-driven workloads particularly participant recruitment and ensuring compliance with Standard Operating Procedures to support the wider aims of the Research Delivery Network.
The role demands strong communication and stakeholder management skills, engaging diverse communities, supporting equitable access to research, delivering complex information clearly, maintaining confidentiality, and presenting study information to internal and external groups. It also fosters patient, participant, and public involvement in research design and delivery.
Within corporate governance, the post holder ensures adherence to Good Clinical Practice, research governance legislation, data protection requirements, and organisational frameworks, escalating risks where necessary.
(Please refer to the job description/person specification for further details on the role)
Person specification
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria
3. Educated to degree level in science or health related discipline or in another field with experience of research trials or equivalent relevant experience/training and educated or working towards postgraduate degree level.
4. Registered Nurse, Midwife or AHP on relevant part of the professional register (NMC, HCPC)
Desirable criteria
5. Has completed or is undertaking a course in management / leadership.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
6. Knowledge of the governance and legislative framework for conducting clinical research studies, including UK Policy Framework for Health and Care Research, UK Clinical Trials Regulations.
7. Knowledge of the clinical trial and health and care research lifecycle including experience of the setup of clinical research studies in a health and care setting.
8. Experience of the care of patients/participants enrolled in research studies.
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
9. Ability to travel for work
10. Ability to facilitate collaborative working relationships including with the public, research participants, carers and members of multidisciplinary teams.
11. Ability to work autonomously and to motivate self and others.
12. Ability to plan and coordinate multidisciplinary activities associated with the management of research study(ies) including, where relevant, work allocation, deployment and supervision of staff to ensure smooth running of the research study(ies).
Value and Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
13. Adaptable/flexible approach to work.
14. Ability to work calmly, effectively and independently under pressure.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.