Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and highly organised Research Programme Manager to join The Royal Marsden on a 9-month maternity cover contract.
This is a pivotal role, providing operational leadership for a prestigious, multi-million-pound NIHR-funded research programme, delivered in partnership with leading academic and clinical organisations. The postholder will play a key role in ensuring continuity of programme delivery, governance, and stakeholder engagement during the absence of the substantive post holder.
In addition to programme management responsibilities, the role contributes to a corporate research operations function, supporting the development of high-quality research funding applications across The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).
Main duties of the job
The postholder will have lead responsibility for championing best practice approaches in a defined area of research operations. This could include equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) in research; the development and evaluation of 'medtech'; and skills and development for researchers (fellowships).
The ideal candidate will have significant project or programme management experience within a clinical research setting. They will be proactive and highly organised, with a strong administrative background and an excellent attention to detail. They should also have experience of supporting funding applications for clinical research.
About us
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals - one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey - as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.
At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.
At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:
- Provide high-level leadership, proactively organising programme management and governance to ensure appropriate oversight, attribution of responsibilities and effective communication with programme contributors.
- Build, engage and energise the multi-organisational team, setting high performance expectations, including standards for the maintenance of accurate records of programme progress against work plans.
- Oversee the reporting structure through which project leads are held accountable at programme level, ensuring the programme has policy/strategies in place for patient and public involvement and engagement, broader stakeholder engagement, dissemination, equality, diversity and inclusion, intellectual property protection and exploitation.
- Work closely with the Marsden Head of Trial management, trial managers for individual projects and respective clinical trials units to ensure efficient delivery of all clinical trials within the programme portfolio. They will need to undertake due diligence to ensure that those who conduct research on our behalf are qualified to do so.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:
- Provide high-level leadership, proactively organising programme management and governance to ensure appropriate oversight, attribution of responsibilities and effective communication with programme contributors.
- Build, engage and energise the multi-organisational team, setting high performance expectations, including standards for the maintenance of accurate records of programme progress against work plans.
- Oversee the reporting structure through which project leads are held accountable at programme level, ensuring the programme has policy/strategies in place for patient and public involvement and engagement, broader stakeholder engagement, dissemination, equality, diversity and inclusion, intellectual property protection and exploitation.
- Work closely with the Marsden Head of Trial management, trial managers for individual projects and respective clinical trials units to ensure efficient delivery of all clinical trials within the programme portfolio. They will need to undertake due diligence to ensure that those who conduct research on our behalf are qualified to do so.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Advanced or higher degree qualification (e.g. MSc or PhD) in a in the health, medical or biological sciences or equivalent experience of research design and/or conduct.
- Project or programme management qualification/accreditation (eg PRINCE 2 or MSP) or equivalent experience such as managing NHS based clinical/health research projects/programmes.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of establishing, developing and managing a multiorganisational (Higher Education Institutions, NHS, commercial organisations and others) team within a matrix structure.
- Experience in operational leadership, including committee governance and reporting to stakeholders.
- Experience of devising and/or managing complex budgets working within the AcoRD framework.
- Experience of project managing or making significant contributions to research funding applications with the aim of developing/translating technologies into patient benefit.
Desirable
- Experience of establishing and monitoring multi-party contracts
- oExperience of designing and delivering training
Skills / knowledge / abilities
Essential
- High-level organisational approach to manage relationships, resource allocation and risks.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to effectively network and build relationships with people from a diverse range of experience, seniority. With an ability to work beyond organisational boundaries.
- Ability to communicate with confidence and diplomacy to influence through credible debate and proven ability to manage by leadership and negotiation.
- Proactive problem-solving skills, with an ability to autonomously and/or collaboratively drive mitigation/resolution.
- Excellent presentation/report writing skills, with a keen understanding of how to meet the needs/expectations of audiences.
- An understanding of research funder missions, remits and schemes, UK health and clinical research infrastructure and how they add value through research.
- An ability to rapidly gain an understanding of a new work area/topic, autonomously driving own learning/information gathering.
- A high level of 'digital competency', including an ability to use standard resources such as Microsoft 365 and acquire new digital skills as required.
- An appreciation of the importance of demonstrating impact, knowledge mobilisation and the diversity of methods to disseminate research work, and the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property.
Desirable
- An understanding and value of the UK standards for patient and public involvement in health research.
- An understanding of the importance of identifying and mitigating health inequalities through research design.
- An understanding of the academic career pathway.
Other requirements
Essential
- Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Advanced or higher degree qualification (e.g. MSc or PhD) in a in the health, medical or biological sciences or equivalent experience of research design and/or conduct.
- Project or programme management qualification/accreditation (eg PRINCE 2 or MSP) or equivalent experience such as managing NHS based clinical/health research projects/programmes.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of establishing, developing and managing a multiorganisational (Higher Education Institutions, NHS, commercial organisations and others) team within a matrix structure.
- Experience in operational leadership, including committee governance and reporting to stakeholders.
- Experience of devising and/or managing complex budgets working within the AcoRD framework.
- Experience of project managing or making significant contributions to research funding applications with the aim of developing/translating technologies into patient benefit.
Desirable
- Experience of establishing and monitoring multi-party contracts
- oExperience of designing and delivering training
Skills / knowledge / abilities
Essential
- High-level organisational approach to manage relationships, resource allocation and risks.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to effectively network and build relationships with people from a diverse range of experience, seniority. With an ability to work beyond organisational boundaries.
- Ability to communicate with confidence and diplomacy to influence through credible debate and proven ability to manage by leadership and negotiation.
- Proactive problem-solving skills, with an ability to autonomously and/or collaboratively drive mitigation/resolution.
- Excellent presentation/report writing skills, with a keen understanding of how to meet the needs/expectations of audiences.
- An understanding of research funder missions, remits and schemes, UK health and clinical research infrastructure and how they add value through research.
- An ability to rapidly gain an understanding of a new work area/topic, autonomously driving own learning/information gathering.
- A high level of 'digital competency', including an ability to use standard resources such as Microsoft 365 and acquire new digital skills as required.
- An appreciation of the importance of demonstrating impact, knowledge mobilisation and the diversity of methods to disseminate research work, and the protection and commercialisation of intellectual property.
Desirable
- An understanding and value of the UK standards for patient and public involvement in health research.
- An understanding of the importance of identifying and mitigating health inequalities through research design.
- An understanding of the academic career pathway.
Other requirements
Essential
- Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role.
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.
