Job summary
The
NIHR plays a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best
health and social care researchers.
We
are seeking a Senior Programme Manager with research management experience to
manage programmes of funding and support designed to build research capacity
in health and care research.
The
Senior Programme Manager will work as part of the Personal Awards Team and be
responsible for managing and delivering personal career development awards
and capacity strengthening activities.
The
NIHR Academy Executive (where these roles sit) have adopted a hybrid working
model whereby staff are able to split their working time between working in
the office (Queen Street, Leeds) and at home.
We
encourage individuals who are considering applying to contact the office and
have a conversation with the hiring manager.
Expected Shortlisting
Date
16/06/2025
Planned Interview
Date
19/06/2025
Main duties of the job
The
main duties of the roles may involve:
- Setting
up and managing funding competitions including review or development of
applicant guidance, managing committee reviews, managing Committee meetings,
and setting up of new award contracts
- Management
and monitoring of awards
- Recruitment
to and management of Selection Committees.
- Engaging
and consulting with key professional groups and communities in areas of
strategic need
- Working
constructively and inclusively to find solutions to challenges as they arise
- Working
with NIHR communications staff, promoting awards to key audiences including
running of events, workshops, webinars and networks
- Striving
to improve our processes and awards, including ongoing review and evaluation
of programmes
- Being
engaged in and aware of the wider work of NIHR
- Contributing
to cross team and cross NIHR initiatives
- Line
management
- Managing
a broad and varied portfolio of work
About us
The
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has a mission to
improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR plays
a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best researchers
and complements the additional NIHR investment in world-class research
facilities and a skilled research workforce.
This
role is hosted by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and delivers the
work of the NIHR, leading on policy, strategy and delivery in respect of
academic training in England and working closely with other NIHR centres and
the Science Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate at the Department of
Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk'
members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts
are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove
adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the
shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this
process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any
questions.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Programme
management
The post holder will be required to
manage change in response to external events and new policies; this may
require the reformulation and adjustment of plans and strategies to ensure
that the programmes in the post holders portfolio remain fit for purpose;
- Management of peer review panels
and advisory boards including: identifying prospective panel members,
invitations to join panels/boards, drafting panel/board terms of reference
and guidance, management and organisation of panel meetings;
- Provide secretariat for panels,
boards and implementation groups as required;
- As required for the schemes in the
post holders area of responsibility: attend interviews of applicants to
posts funded by the NIHR, visit awards holders and programme leads, hold
pre-contracting meetings with fellowship award holders, their supervisors and
finance office representatives and attend stakeholder meetings;
- Drafting and revision of
application forms and guidance for new and existing schemes;
- Provide written feedback to
applicants to programmes/scheme applicants in the post holders portfolio;
- Handle complex queries and
complaints about the application process and funding decisions by telephone,
email, and in person;
- Work with the Senior Management
Team to plan and implement the process for administering the schemes in the
post holders area of responsibility;
- Play a key role in planning the
annual cycle and timing of schemes in the post holders area of
responsibility;
- Working with the other Senior
Programme Managers and Business Manager to monitor workload and co-ordination
of administrative functions across the portfolio;
- Writing reports and working papers
as required; and
- Research and publicise out puts and
impacts of the programmes in the post holder's portfolio.
Awards
management
- Prepare and check announcement
letters, contracts, and payment schedules for new awards;
- Deal with and track requests for
changes, including variations to awards and contracts;
- Responsibility for ensuring
tracking and classification of applications;
- Responsibility for production of
updates, financial reports and papers about schemes/programmes in the post
holders portfolio;
- Maintain a clear and comprehensive
audit trail in compliance with Department of Health and Social Care
contracting policy;
- Negotiate mechanisms with other
funding bodies for transferring funds across organisations, and;
- Liaise with external stakeholders
to monitor progress of schemes, and work closely with the Information and
Evaluation Manager on monitoring and evaluation of schemes in the post
holders area of responsibility.
Communication
- Publicise the NIHR Academy
activities through attendance and presentations at external meetings,
seminars and conferences;
- Deal with a range of people
nationally at all levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR
Academy in line with DHSC policies;
- Organisation of workshops and
stakeholder meetings as required;
- Generate and maintain strong
nationally- based networks and positive working relationships within HEIs,
PCTs and other health-related organisations, particularly at the level of
senior research leaders/sponsors to benefit the NIHR Academy programmes.
- Contributing to briefings requested
from Ministers offices and other government departments.
- Liaise with members of the Senior
Management Team and Senior Programme Managers in order to meet
responsibilities and undertake duties effectively.
Staff
Management and Supervision
- The
Senior Programme Manager will receive administrative support. The post holder
will take responsibility for the supervision of staff as appropriate. This
will involve line management responsibilities such as objective setting,
appraisals and development of appropriate staff personal development plans.
You will also be responsible for initial stages of any grievance / discipline
proceedings and would be expected to sit on an interview panel when
appointing to the Senior Programme Officer post.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Programme
management
The post holder will be required to
manage change in response to external events and new policies; this may
require the reformulation and adjustment of plans and strategies to ensure
that the programmes in the post holders portfolio remain fit for purpose;
- Management of peer review panels
and advisory boards including: identifying prospective panel members,
invitations to join panels/boards, drafting panel/board terms of reference
and guidance, management and organisation of panel meetings;
- Provide secretariat for panels,
boards and implementation groups as required;
- As required for the schemes in the
post holders area of responsibility: attend interviews of applicants to
posts funded by the NIHR, visit awards holders and programme leads, hold
pre-contracting meetings with fellowship award holders, their supervisors and
finance office representatives and attend stakeholder meetings;
- Drafting and revision of
application forms and guidance for new and existing schemes;
- Provide written feedback to
applicants to programmes/scheme applicants in the post holders portfolio;
- Handle complex queries and
complaints about the application process and funding decisions by telephone,
email, and in person;
- Work with the Senior Management
Team to plan and implement the process for administering the schemes in the
post holders area of responsibility;
- Play a key role in planning the
annual cycle and timing of schemes in the post holders area of
responsibility;
- Working with the other Senior
Programme Managers and Business Manager to monitor workload and co-ordination
of administrative functions across the portfolio;
- Writing reports and working papers
as required; and
- Research and publicise out puts and
impacts of the programmes in the post holder's portfolio.
Awards
management
- Prepare and check announcement
letters, contracts, and payment schedules for new awards;
- Deal with and track requests for
changes, including variations to awards and contracts;
- Responsibility for ensuring
tracking and classification of applications;
- Responsibility for production of
updates, financial reports and papers about schemes/programmes in the post
holders portfolio;
- Maintain a clear and comprehensive
audit trail in compliance with Department of Health and Social Care
contracting policy;
- Negotiate mechanisms with other
funding bodies for transferring funds across organisations, and;
- Liaise with external stakeholders
to monitor progress of schemes, and work closely with the Information and
Evaluation Manager on monitoring and evaluation of schemes in the post
holders area of responsibility.
Communication
- Publicise the NIHR Academy
activities through attendance and presentations at external meetings,
seminars and conferences;
- Deal with a range of people
nationally at all levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR
Academy in line with DHSC policies;
- Organisation of workshops and
stakeholder meetings as required;
- Generate and maintain strong
nationally- based networks and positive working relationships within HEIs,
PCTs and other health-related organisations, particularly at the level of
senior research leaders/sponsors to benefit the NIHR Academy programmes.
- Contributing to briefings requested
from Ministers offices and other government departments.
- Liaise with members of the Senior
Management Team and Senior Programme Managers in order to meet
responsibilities and undertake duties effectively.
Staff
Management and Supervision
- The
Senior Programme Manager will receive administrative support. The post holder
will take responsibility for the supervision of staff as appropriate. This
will involve line management responsibilities such as objective setting,
appraisals and development of appropriate staff personal development plans.
You will also be responsible for initial stages of any grievance / discipline
proceedings and would be expected to sit on an interview panel when
appointing to the Senior Programme Officer post.
Person Specification
Skills and Behaviours
Essential
- Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively as an advocate for health services research and development
- Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
- Ability to work as part of a team, build and maintain good working relationships
- Deliver work on time, to anticipate fresh demands, and to delegate effectively
- Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues, senior academics, NHS managers, members of the public and various stake holders
- Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results
- Ability to plan and organise a broad range of new and ongoing activities
- Advanced level oral and written communication skills
- Confident and comfortable talking and presenting to others
- Ability to analyse, interpret and present complex scientific and policy information
- Good working knowledge of word processing, databases, spreadsheets
- Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
- Experience of drafting reports/papers
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of research and /or research management
- An understanding of public sector health research and its management
- An interest in many areas of health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries
Desirable
- Postgraduate research and/or research management experience
- An understanding of health research capacity development
- Experience of drafting contracts
Person Specification
Skills and Behaviours
Essential
- Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively as an advocate for health services research and development
- Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
- Ability to work as part of a team, build and maintain good working relationships
- Deliver work on time, to anticipate fresh demands, and to delegate effectively
- Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues, senior academics, NHS managers, members of the public and various stake holders
- Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results
- Ability to plan and organise a broad range of new and ongoing activities
- Advanced level oral and written communication skills
- Confident and comfortable talking and presenting to others
- Ability to analyse, interpret and present complex scientific and policy information
- Good working knowledge of word processing, databases, spreadsheets
- Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
- Experience of drafting reports/papers
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of research and /or research management
- An understanding of public sector health research and its management
- An interest in many areas of health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries
Desirable
- Postgraduate research and/or research management experience
- An understanding of health research capacity development
- Experience of drafting contracts
Additional information
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).
