Job summary
The Life Science Key Account Manager, as a senior manager in the Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), will work as part of a national Research Delivery Network (RDN) Industry facing team to develop and manage relationships with Life Sciences companies, and the NIHR wider stakeholders within the clinical research environment including non-commercial funders and other parts of the research ecosystem to attract and grow clinical research delivery in the UK.
This role will work closely with RDN Industry facing teams across the RDN to ensure equality and consistency of service for all customers, nationally and regionally. Using horizon scanning data, business intelligence and NIHR expertise and relationships, the postholder will provide a tailored service to key accounts as a single conduit, representing the RDN nationally. The post holder will promote the RDN services, ensuring that key themes and opportunities are communicated into the RDN. The postholder will work closely with other key industry facing teams , External Affairs and Strategic Partnerships and the Department of Business and Trade to explore opportunities and enable access to NIHR infrastructure.
Main duties of the job
- Strategic Leadership
- Business Planning
- Information & Administration
- Operational Management
- Service Improvement & Development
- Performance Management
- Life Sciences Industry
- Financial Management Responsibilities
- Continuous Improvement
- Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Corporate Governance
About us
From October 2024, the current NIHR Clinical Research Network will be changing 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:
- Clinical trials and other well-designed health and social care research studies (including studies that are delivered outside of an NHS setting);
- Public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals within an NHS setting (that is, acute, ambulance, mental health, community or primary care) or an episode of care which involves contact with the NHS.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Develop business cases/options papers for the RRDN Leadership team to inform decisions regarding workforce and organisational development
- Responsible for managing the budget and associated resources relating to the RRDN Life Science Key Account service
- An in depth understanding of the Study Support Service offer, impact case studies and latest innovations that supports each life sciences customer to optimise their study delivery, including Be Part of Research and Join Dementia Research
- An in-depth understanding of the National Contract Value Review principles and their impact on regional delivery organisations, including national costing methodology, internal disbursement requirements and invoicing, which all support research capacity for life-sciences
- To use horizon scanning data, business intelligence and your NIHR expertise and relationships to provide a personalised service to key accounts ensuring that key themes and opportunities are made visible to the RDN
- Act as an ambassador for the RDN and an advocate for the key accounts managed
- To lead and support the development of Key performance indicators for the RRDN Life Science Key Account Management in alignment with national indicators
- Identify, establish and maintain working relationships with the relevant stakeholders and partners e.g. Health and Care Delivery Organisations, Life Science Partners, CROs, Industry facing teams across all settings, patients, carers and the public
- Ensure that effective governance arrangements are in place for identifying and mitigating risk and that a culture exists of continuous service review, transformation and evaluation and where staff can raise concerns safely and expediently with service delivery
- To provide strong visible, inclusive and compassionate leadership across the RDN Life Science Key Account Management, ensuring delivery of high quality, safe and effective services, against agreed outcome measures, service level agreements, activity and finance targets
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Develop business cases/options papers for the RRDN Leadership team to inform decisions regarding workforce and organisational development
- Responsible for managing the budget and associated resources relating to the RRDN Life Science Key Account service
- An in depth understanding of the Study Support Service offer, impact case studies and latest innovations that supports each life sciences customer to optimise their study delivery, including Be Part of Research and Join Dementia Research
- An in-depth understanding of the National Contract Value Review principles and their impact on regional delivery organisations, including national costing methodology, internal disbursement requirements and invoicing, which all support research capacity for life-sciences
- To use horizon scanning data, business intelligence and your NIHR expertise and relationships to provide a personalised service to key accounts ensuring that key themes and opportunities are made visible to the RDN
- Act as an ambassador for the RDN and an advocate for the key accounts managed
- To lead and support the development of Key performance indicators for the RRDN Life Science Key Account Management in alignment with national indicators
- Identify, establish and maintain working relationships with the relevant stakeholders and partners e.g. Health and Care Delivery Organisations, Life Science Partners, CROs, Industry facing teams across all settings, patients, carers and the public
- Ensure that effective governance arrangements are in place for identifying and mitigating risk and that a culture exists of continuous service review, transformation and evaluation and where staff can raise concerns safely and expediently with service delivery
- To provide strong visible, inclusive and compassionate leadership across the RDN Life Science Key Account Management, ensuring delivery of high quality, safe and effective services, against agreed outcome measures, service level agreements, activity and finance targets
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or equivalent experience
- Significant experience or knowledge in research and development (R&D), science or healthcare
- Significant specialist knowledge of the NHS, R&D systems and the context of the importance of the life sciences in this context
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience of owning and writing complex business cases
- Broad knowledge and experience of utilising information technology to provide management information reports, particularly financial and activity reporting
- Experience at dealing with very senior people both internally and externally e.g operational management
- Proven experience of working successfully as part of diffused leadership teams
- Proven staff management experience with the ability to gain their support, motivate and develop them
- Experience of managing a customer-focused service
- Experience of working in healthcare in an operational management or business management or development capacity
- Experience of working with the life sciences sector or working within R&D within the NHS/academic sector
- Ability to negotiate commercial contracts and non-commercial agreements with the commercial sector, the public sector, universities and charities
- Professional leadership at an operational level
- Experience at project management, with a good understanding of the complexities involved
- An understanding of business and marketing principles
Desirable
- Research management and administration including governance, sponsorship, costings, contracts, finance and clinical trial agreements
- Appreciation of clinical research methodologies and trials organisation
- Advanced experience of using R&D databases
- Experience of working in the private healthcare sector and International business experience
- Senior level experience of managing R&D activity in the health and social care/university sector
- Demonstration of strategic thinking and strategy development
- Experience of design management and delivery of completed research projects in the health, social care or university sector
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Robust leadership skills
- Ability to exercise initiative
- Excellent organisational skills
- Team building and staff training skill
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
- Evidence of strong analytical skills and high level of numeracy
- Ability to work to tight deadlines under pressure
- Experience of managing a wide range of complex duties
- Good IT skills, particularly in use of Web applications, Google Workspace applications and MS Office applications and with respect to research databases
- Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a high standard
- Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects and activities, involving multiple agencies and individuals to tight deadlines
- Ability to manage challenging and stressful situations
- Strong problem-solving skills
Values and Personal Qualities
Essential
- Able to lead, motivate, and delegate
- Compassionate
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or equivalent experience
- Significant experience or knowledge in research and development (R&D), science or healthcare
- Significant specialist knowledge of the NHS, R&D systems and the context of the importance of the life sciences in this context
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience of owning and writing complex business cases
- Broad knowledge and experience of utilising information technology to provide management information reports, particularly financial and activity reporting
- Experience at dealing with very senior people both internally and externally e.g operational management
- Proven experience of working successfully as part of diffused leadership teams
- Proven staff management experience with the ability to gain their support, motivate and develop them
- Experience of managing a customer-focused service
- Experience of working in healthcare in an operational management or business management or development capacity
- Experience of working with the life sciences sector or working within R&D within the NHS/academic sector
- Ability to negotiate commercial contracts and non-commercial agreements with the commercial sector, the public sector, universities and charities
- Professional leadership at an operational level
- Experience at project management, with a good understanding of the complexities involved
- An understanding of business and marketing principles
Desirable
- Research management and administration including governance, sponsorship, costings, contracts, finance and clinical trial agreements
- Appreciation of clinical research methodologies and trials organisation
- Advanced experience of using R&D databases
- Experience of working in the private healthcare sector and International business experience
- Senior level experience of managing R&D activity in the health and social care/university sector
- Demonstration of strategic thinking and strategy development
- Experience of design management and delivery of completed research projects in the health, social care or university sector
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Robust leadership skills
- Ability to exercise initiative
- Excellent organisational skills
- Team building and staff training skill
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
- Evidence of strong analytical skills and high level of numeracy
- Ability to work to tight deadlines under pressure
- Experience of managing a wide range of complex duties
- Good IT skills, particularly in use of Web applications, Google Workspace applications and MS Office applications and with respect to research databases
- Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a high standard
- Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects and activities, involving multiple agencies and individuals to tight deadlines
- Ability to manage challenging and stressful situations
- Strong problem-solving skills
Values and Personal Qualities
Essential
- Able to lead, motivate, and delegate
- Compassionate
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
