Senior Research Nurse Consultant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Collaborative Senior Leadership

• Work as a peer alongside the Clinical Research Portfolio Manager under the clinical leadership of the Clinical Research Lead GP Partnerand the CRDC Directors, ensuring a unified and collaborative approach to research delivery
• Together with the Portfolio Manager, provide complementary leadership that integrates CRDC and Mereside activities, combining clinicalexpertisewith operational coordination
• Contribute to practice-wide strategic planning as a member of the senior leadership team,representingresearch interests alongside the Portfolio Manager
• Work collaboratively with the CRDC Senior Leadership Team (including the Clinical Research Lead GP Partner, Clinical Research Portfolio Manager, and PPIE Lead) to assure successful delivery of the NIHR grant objectives
• Foster a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability across the research team and CRDC network.

CRDC Clinical Leadership (approximately 75% of time, flexibly applied)

• Provide clinical leadership for the Greater Cambridge & Suffolk Commercial Research Delivery Centre (Primary Care), ensuring clinical excellence across the network
• Represent Mereside Medical and the CRDC at regional and national research network meetings with NIHR, CRDC UK, pharmaceutical sponsors, CROs, and partner organisations
• Engage proactively with CRDC member sites (Delivery Hubs, Spokes, and sites in development) to develop their clinical research capacity and capability to deliver to time, target, and quality standards
• Lead the development and implementation of clinical capacity building initiatives across the network, including training programmes, mentorship schemes, and quality assurance frameworks
• Work with the Clinical Research Lead GP Partner, Portfolio Manager, and sponsors to provide clinicalexpertisein protocol design discussions, ensuring primary care feasibility andoptimizingrecruitment strategies
• Work with industry to secure a pipeline of potential studies with feasibility review of operational requirements and resource implications
• Champion research inclusion and patient and public involvement across the CRDC network, ensuring that research strategies align with population demographics and health needs
• Provide clinical and regulatoryexpertiseto support CRDC member sites with trial implementation, protocol compliance, and quality management
• Work with the CRDC team to embed research activities within Mereside's business-as-usual operations and wider service delivery, including patient engagement and inclusion initiatives
• Monitor CRDC clinical performance against NIHR metrics and contribute to regular reporting on network development, capability enhancement, and delivery outcomes.

Mereside Portfolio Clinical Oversight (approximately 25% of time, flexibly applied)

• Work closely with the Clinical Research Lead GP Partner and Clinical Research Portfolio Manager to provide clinical oversight of the entire commercial research portfolio across Mereside's three sites
• Lead clinical team to deliver trials on time and target, adhering to ICH-GCP and all required compliance standards
• Provide clinical and regulatoryexpertiseto sponsor negotiations, feasibility assessments, and site selection decisions
• Ensure that NIHR research governance frameworks are appropriately applied within the context of primary care settings
• Develop andmaintainclinical quality systems including SOPs, training matrices, and audit processes to ensure consistent excellence across all research activities
• Provide clinical oversight of trial portfolio acrossan evolvingrange oftherapeutic areaswhich currently includes (but is not limited to)cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory, dermatology, obesity, and vaccines
• May act as Principal Investigator for nurse-led trials where appropriate
• May manage multiple complex trials simultaneously across different therapeutic areas
• Embed research throughout Mereside organisationally and in service delivery, promoting a culture of research excellence and continuous learning.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide line management and professional supervision to members of the research nursing team, including performance management, development planning, and career progression support
• Foster a collaborative, learning-focused team culture that values excellence, innovation, and patient-centred care
• Contribute to the recruitment, selection, and onboarding of research team members
• Develop and deliver training programmes for research staff across clinical and operational competencies.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• - Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• - Minimum 8-10 years of clinical research experience, including significant leadership and management responsibility
• - Demonstrable track record of senior clinical leadership in commercial clinical research, preferably in primary care or community settings
• - Deep understanding of ICH-GCP, clinical research regulatory frameworks, and the full clinical trials lifecycle from feasibility to close-out
• - Proven ability to build and maintain collaborative working relationships with peers, pharmaceutical sponsors, CROs, NIHR infrastructure, and research networks
• - Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate high-level objectives into practical operational plans
• - Excellent communication and influencing skills, with confidence presenting to senior stakeholders and representing the organisation externally
• - Experience of capacity building, training delivery, and supporting the development of research capability in other sites or teams
• - Highly organised with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage complex, multi-faceted priorities
• - Commitment to research inclusion and patient and public involvement, with understanding of health inequalities and strategies to address them
• - Collaborative leadership style with ability to work effectively as part of a senior leadership team.

Desirable

• - Hold advanced qualifications such as MSc in Clinical Research, GCP Diploma, or equivalent postgraduate qualification
• - Have experience working with NIHR infrastructure including Clinical Research Networks, CRDCs, or other NIHR-funded programmes
• - Have acted as Principal Investigator for clinical trials
• - Have experience of primary care research delivery models and understanding of PCN/integrated neighbourhood structures
• - Have knowledge of contract negotiation including Clinical Trials Agreements and Schedule of Events, particularly NCVR frameworks
• - Have experience managing research portfolios across multiple therapeutic areas
• - Demonstrate understanding of health economics and the commercial landscape of pharmaceutical research.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Mereside Medical Group

Address

Brewhouse Lane

Soham

Ely

Cambridgeshire

CB7 5JD

Employer's website

https://www.meresidemedical.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)