Job summary
This
fixed term contract role will be for a period of up to 12 months.
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.
Expected Shortlisting
Date
08/04/2026
Planned Interview
Date
20/04/2026
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.
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.
Person Specification
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
Skills & 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
- Willingness to travel in UK, including occasional overnight absence
Desirable
- Experience of drafting reports/papers
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience
Desirable
Person Specification
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
Skills & 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
- Willingness to travel in UK, including occasional overnight absence
Desirable
- Experience of drafting reports/papers
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience
Desirable
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.
