Job summary
The Study Support Service Senior Manager will have overall responsibility for leading the local operational aspects of the North West Regional RDN (RRDN) Study Support Service, which is seamlessly integrated within the collective national Study Support Service, which serves as the cornerstone of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN), facilitating the effective delivery of studies throughout the system while enhancing strategic capacity and capability.
This role will have overall responsibility for ensuring local services within the Study Support Service are delivered to a high quality and consistently in line with nationally defined standards and operating processes. These encompass pre-approval services such as Planning and Placement Service/national cost and attribution tools, as well as post-approval services including portfolio oversight and on-request services. The role will also serve as a primary escalation point to identify issues necessitating regional or national resolution and attention. The role will work in collaboration with Regional Specialty and Settings Leads, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment with broader strategic objectives.
The role will provide operational management of the Study Support Service, and line management of a team of Study Support Service Managers.
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
- Ensuring patients, carers and the public inform and influence the delivery of the RDN strategy
- Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Corporate Governance
About us
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe - what better place to shape and develop your leadership career. We deliver care to over 1 million patients & users each year through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. Our 30,000 plus strong workforce is central to our success and innovation.
You will play a pivotal part in supporting our operational excellence and strategic ambitions. You'll work collaboratively with clinical and non-clinical teams, driving improvements that enhance patient experience, staff wellbeing, and service efficiency across the Trust.
MFT offers a dynamic, inclusive environment where your leadership, ideas, and expertise are valued. You'll have access to professional development, digital tools and opportunities to contribute to transformational projects that shape the future of healthcare delivery.We are committed to supporting your growth and wellbeing, recognising the vital role you play in our organisation's success.
Join us and help shape the future of our Trust--make a real difference to our teams, our services, and our communities, and fundamentally, our patients.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guidethat sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guidethat sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, were proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOUfor our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your applicationespecially personal statements and responses to role-specific questionsis written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post.As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or equivalent experience
- Degree
- Evidence of continual professional development
Desirable
- Degree in health or science discipline
- Training in project management
- Management qualification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Comprehensive understanding of research, the NHS and the wider health and care system including associated responsibilities to the public and patients
- Highly developed understanding of life science industry's needs and requirements with regard to health and care research
- Highly developed understanding of governance and legislative framework for clinical research in the NHS
- Highly developed understanding of the UK research pathway and funding
- Specialist knowledge of RDN Portfolio eligibility (including terms and conditions) and of cost attribution (ACoRD, SoECATs, NCVR)
- Knowledge of utilising Business Intelligence solutions to work within a performance management framework, and good understanding of performance management techniques
- Knowledge of methods, tools and techniques for problem-solving and continuous improvement that are relevant to system-level health and care working
- Experience of delivering health and care research support services including the management of people and finances
- Experience of working collaboratively and in partnership with other organisations, with demonstrable experience of delivery across organisational boundaries
- Experience of developing and managing high quality customer centric services for commercial and non-commercial customers
- Professional operational research leadership at system level
- Experience of direct line management and managing teams to deliver clear objectives and performance targets, including through organisational change
- Experience of supporting business planning and operational implementation, preferably within an NHS organisation.
- Experience of leading continuous improvement projects
- Project management experience, delivering complex projects involving multiple agencies and individuals to tight deadlines
- Experience of chairing and facilitating meetings.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Highly developed leadership, strategic thinking and planning skills
- Proven interpersonal skills to work with clinical and management colleagues at all levels across a range of organisations and the ability to develop strong working relationships with external stakeholders
- Demonstrable ability to use autonomy to undertake actions as a result of own interpretation of policy and guidance, providing a source of expert advice to the organisation
- Strong problem-solving skills, including a proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential future issues
- Ability to communicate highly complex and difficult information both orally and in writing, both internally to colleagues and externally to a range of audiences
- Ability to analyse and interpret highly complex information and to make judgments regarding a range of highly complex management issues
- Ability to plan, manage, adjust and deliver complex projects, involving multiple agencies and individuals and a broad range of activities, to tight deadlines
- Excellent IT skills, particularly in the use of web applications, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office
- Empathetic approach to resolving conflict, with the ability to work with sensitivity and tact
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level qualification or equivalent experience
- Degree
- Evidence of continual professional development
Desirable
- Degree in health or science discipline
- Training in project management
- Management qualification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Comprehensive understanding of research, the NHS and the wider health and care system including associated responsibilities to the public and patients
- Highly developed understanding of life science industry's needs and requirements with regard to health and care research
- Highly developed understanding of governance and legislative framework for clinical research in the NHS
- Highly developed understanding of the UK research pathway and funding
- Specialist knowledge of RDN Portfolio eligibility (including terms and conditions) and of cost attribution (ACoRD, SoECATs, NCVR)
- Knowledge of utilising Business Intelligence solutions to work within a performance management framework, and good understanding of performance management techniques
- Knowledge of methods, tools and techniques for problem-solving and continuous improvement that are relevant to system-level health and care working
- Experience of delivering health and care research support services including the management of people and finances
- Experience of working collaboratively and in partnership with other organisations, with demonstrable experience of delivery across organisational boundaries
- Experience of developing and managing high quality customer centric services for commercial and non-commercial customers
- Professional operational research leadership at system level
- Experience of direct line management and managing teams to deliver clear objectives and performance targets, including through organisational change
- Experience of supporting business planning and operational implementation, preferably within an NHS organisation.
- Experience of leading continuous improvement projects
- Project management experience, delivering complex projects involving multiple agencies and individuals to tight deadlines
- Experience of chairing and facilitating meetings.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Highly developed leadership, strategic thinking and planning skills
- Proven interpersonal skills to work with clinical and management colleagues at all levels across a range of organisations and the ability to develop strong working relationships with external stakeholders
- Demonstrable ability to use autonomy to undertake actions as a result of own interpretation of policy and guidance, providing a source of expert advice to the organisation
- Strong problem-solving skills, including a proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential future issues
- Ability to communicate highly complex and difficult information both orally and in writing, both internally to colleagues and externally to a range of audiences
- Ability to analyse and interpret highly complex information and to make judgments regarding a range of highly complex management issues
- Ability to plan, manage, adjust and deliver complex projects, involving multiple agencies and individuals and a broad range of activities, to tight deadlines
- Excellent IT skills, particularly in the use of web applications, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office
- Empathetic approach to resolving conflict, with the ability to work with sensitivity and tact
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network
CityLabs, Nelson Street
Manchester
M13 9NQ
Employer's website
https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)
