Research Facilitator
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist health care provider. The Trust delivers care through community outreach sites and inpatient services for children with complex mental health needs. As a teaching and training hospital, we provide education and training to a large number of medical, nursing and allied health professional students each year.
Job overview
Support and assist in the set‑up and delivery of commercial and Alder Hey‑sponsored research studies from early feasibility to study close. Provide a facilitating role that ensures local study teams can deliver research to the best of their ability, including finance management and the development of robust recruitment strategies. Ensure smooth study delivery to MHRA and GCP standards and sponsor agreements, and support national targets for high‑quality research.
Working for our organisation
Sponsorship – The Trust is an approved sponsoring organisation; applications from candidates who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* Act as an administrative point of contact for Alder Hey‑sponsored and commercial studies, maintaining a customer‑service attitude and high professionalism.
* Manage setup of new studies in conjunction with the PI, trial coordinators, lead research nurse, Contracts & Finance Manager, Governance Manager and QA officer.
* Coordinate day‑to‑day activities to keep studies running in accordance with protocols, ethical and regulatory approvals, SOPs, GCP principles, EU directives and UK legislation.
* Work with research nurses and data managers to set up site initiation visits and monitor visits; greet external visitors such as study monitors or sponsors.
* Facilitate and provide guidance to potential researchers, chief and principal investigators regarding income distribution and commercial research incentives.
* Liaise with clinical and non‑clinical staff and study sponsors to resolve day‑to‑day issues that may arise with study performance.
* Contribute to departmental meetings, team briefings and the maintenance of the feasibility database.
* Initiate early meetings with the PI and the commercial research team to document and initiate actions relating to research nurse time, resource issues, support service requirements and early study documentation.
* Ensure patient recruitment and key data are registered on the local portfolio management system and support the design of study recruitment strategies.
* Serve as a point of contact for finance and associated income queries; support principal investigators in responding to feasibility data or patient episode requests within agreed timescales.
* Utilise data capture tools and systems for high‑quality data reporting, including but not limited to edge.
* Collaborate with Contracts and Finance Manager and data administrators on financial accounting, contract actions and data entry for trials.
* Understand individual study financial arrangements and recruitment targets, flag performance barriers and support achievement of recruitment and income targets.
* Work with the data administration team to refine participant identification, screening and recruitment processes within the commercial research portfolio.
* Support study set‑up within agreed timeframes and resolve problems locally or escalated to the CRD management team in a timely manner.
* Support the Research Governance Lead and Quality & Governance Lead in operating a quality assurance system for commercial clinical research studies.
* Provide education and training to CRD staff on research incentive schemes and finance reporting processes for commercial contracts.
* Assist in ensuring the Trust is inspection ready at all times.
Person specification
* Scientific degree relevant to medicine/healthcare or previous experience in a clinical research administrative or coordinating role.
* Knowledge of study set‑up roles and responsibilities for research studies.
* Excellent organisational skills, flexibility, accuracy and attention to detail; ability to multi‑task and work under pressure to meet deadlines while maintaining clarity and accuracy of information.
Equal Opportunities
As black and minority ethnic (BME) employees are currently under‑represented in this area, we particularly welcome applications from members of our BME communities. All appointments will be made on merit.
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