Pennine Care NHS FT

Research and Innovation Operational Manager

The closing date is 06 October 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our vibrant and expanding Research and Innovation Team at Pennine Care. The R&I function at the trust is forward thinking and developing the capacity and capability of the trust to undertake high quality research in partnership with Industry, Higher Education and others to ensure we are able to offer maximum research opportunities to our service users, their carers and the wider community. This role will help operationalise the trust research strategy while ensuring that the day to day running of the department is managed effectively. Working closely with the Head of R&I, the postholder will help ensure this dynamic and ambitious department is working to its maximum potential

Main duties of the job

The Research Operations Manager is responsible for managing and developing an effective research and innovation department, to facilitate, strengthen and optimise the delivery of high-quality clinical research within the trust in line with the Trust strategy. The postholder will work with others to lead on increasing the Trust's research profile, volume, and performance. The post-holder will work with individual clinicians and groups across the Trust to identify and promote research opportunities and to aid the delivery of clinical research. The post-holder will be responsible for a team within the R&I department and work closely with research units in the trust to optimise the performance (including generating and analysing metrics) of the research infrastructure and support services.The postholder will work with clinical divisional managers to develop and implement research delivery strategies to meet the overarching Trust strategy. The post-holder will also be the operational link with North West RDN, with some budgetary responsibility.The post holder will have responsibility and oversight of both University and NHS employed staff ensuring a seamless service to researchers and stakeholders at Pennine Care.

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

  • Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
  • Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
  • Access to Continued Professional Development
  • Involvement in improvement and research activities
  • Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
  • Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Details

Date posted

22 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-M208-25-A

Job locations

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

225 Old Street,

Ashton Under Lyne

OL6 7SR


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the job description and person specification for detail on on the responsibilities of this post

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the job description and person specification for detail on on the responsibilities of this post

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A relevant degree or equivalent qualification plus further short courses and experience to Master's level

Desirable

  • Project Management qualification
  • Postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification or relevant experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of developing and implementing new practices and policies within a complex organisation
  • Experience of performance management across a large field or a large organisation
  • Experience of strategic service development
  • Previous experience of supporting research in the NHS
  • Experience of managing stakeholder groups
  • Previous experience of research systems including (but not limited to) IRAS, EDGE etc.
  • Experience of NHS R&D finance tools (iCT, SoECAT etc)
  • Experience of managing budgets

Desirable

  • Experience of running training sessions for staff, including developing training materials and delivering presentations
  • Experiencing of managing/ supporting clinical trials
  • Experience of working with national/regional organisations

Knowledge

Essential

  • Good knowledge of current NHS/NIHR research priorities and structures
  • Knowledge of change management principles and an understanding of how people go through a change and the change process
  • Experience of management in a clinical research environment (NHS , HEI or Industry)
  • Understanding of current NHS R&D practices and processes
  • Knowledge of clinical research set up and delivery guidelines and legislation

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication and presentational skills, both written and oral, and experience of communicating complex issues to a variety of audiences, and the ability to liaise effectively with senior colleagues both within and outside the organisation
  • The ability to read and analyse complex documents and extract salient information to give clear explanations and advice to colleagues at all levels of experience and seniority
  • Project management skills, experience of planning and managing projects, and the ability to plan, manage and deliver complex projects, involving multiple agencies and individuals and a range of tasks, to tight deadlines
  • Good practical IT skills (including Word, Excel and a good understanding of databases), and an understanding of the application of IT solutions to information management requirements
  • Negotiation skills and experience of negotiating with external bodies to achieve organisational objectives
  • Highly numerate, with strong analytical skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A relevant degree or equivalent qualification plus further short courses and experience to Master's level

Desirable

  • Project Management qualification
  • Postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification or relevant experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of developing and implementing new practices and policies within a complex organisation
  • Experience of performance management across a large field or a large organisation
  • Experience of strategic service development
  • Previous experience of supporting research in the NHS
  • Experience of managing stakeholder groups
  • Previous experience of research systems including (but not limited to) IRAS, EDGE etc.
  • Experience of NHS R&D finance tools (iCT, SoECAT etc)
  • Experience of managing budgets

Desirable

  • Experience of running training sessions for staff, including developing training materials and delivering presentations
  • Experiencing of managing/ supporting clinical trials
  • Experience of working with national/regional organisations

Knowledge

Essential

  • Good knowledge of current NHS/NIHR research priorities and structures
  • Knowledge of change management principles and an understanding of how people go through a change and the change process
  • Experience of management in a clinical research environment (NHS , HEI or Industry)
  • Understanding of current NHS R&D practices and processes
  • Knowledge of clinical research set up and delivery guidelines and legislation

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communication and presentational skills, both written and oral, and experience of communicating complex issues to a variety of audiences, and the ability to liaise effectively with senior colleagues both within and outside the organisation
  • The ability to read and analyse complex documents and extract salient information to give clear explanations and advice to colleagues at all levels of experience and seniority
  • Project management skills, experience of planning and managing projects, and the ability to plan, manage and deliver complex projects, involving multiple agencies and individuals and a range of tasks, to tight deadlines
  • Good practical IT skills (including Word, Excel and a good understanding of databases), and an understanding of the application of IT solutions to information management requirements
  • Negotiation skills and experience of negotiating with external bodies to achieve organisational objectives
  • Highly numerate, with strong analytical skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

225 Old Street,

Ashton Under Lyne

OL6 7SR


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

225 Old Street,

Ashton Under Lyne

OL6 7SR


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Research and Innovation

Simon Kaye

simon.kaye2@nhs.net

07517577947

Details

Date posted

22 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-M208-25-A

Job locations

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

225 Old Street,

Ashton Under Lyne

OL6 7SR


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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