Study Support Service Manager

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIE STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Act as a liaison between various stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration, communication and alignment of objectives Work as part of a community of specialty and settings leaders across the national network, promoting the consistency of experience across a nationally-harmonised Study Support Service Collaborate with designated Local Specialty and Settings Leadership to align operational activities with strategic objectives Provide strategic support to designated research delivery sites, drawing on and contributing to national network intelligence Support the implementation and cascade of national strategic direction within the region and the local RRDN BUSINESS PLANNING Develop and undertake activities which contribute to the annual business planning cycle Support with reviewing, evaluating and approving research site delivery plans, and have delegated responsibility for periodically performance monitoring against those plans to ensure that RDN funding is being used appropriately and effectively within specific specialties and settings INFORMATION & ADMINISTRATION Understand and interpret highly complex information, data and situations to inform plans and make decisions within designated specialities and settings. This may include communicating and presenting to a variety of audiences and the facilitation of collaborative discussions Facilitate the implementation of Information Governance best practice within the Study Support Service Support the implementation and management of the Study Support Service processes that ensure data integrity within relevant RDN systems, enabling the identification of potential concerns and patterns and supporting RDN customers and partners in resolving issues Promote the use of digital innovations including data visualisation tools/dashboards to inform study and process decision making Manage the activities that support study sponsors, funders and investigators to access data to enable them to effectively manage the delivery of their studies (and enable them to request support from the RDN as required) Maintain and support general understanding of costing and attribution tools, process and policy that ensure studies in the region meet national requirements Implement compliance with the DHSC RDN Portfolio Policy to ensure that the process, procedure and monitoring of studies enables sponsors / delegates, research delivery sites and funders to understand and adhere to their roles and responsibilities. For example, this may include satisfying the Eligibility Criteria for NIHR support before they are included on the portfolio and subsequently adhering to the expected actions and requirements set out in the NIHR RDN Portfolio Terms and Conditions Maintain oversight of the RDN portfolio within designated specialties and settings to proactively identify potential issues and opportunities, working as an active partner to resolve and action follow-up activity Lead the coordination of the National Specialty and Setting Groups (e.g. organise national meetings and support the general activities of the National Specialty and Setting Leads) OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT Deliver the Study Support Services across designated specialties and settings, in accordance with nationally defined standards and processes. This will include pre-approval services (planning and placement; national cost attribution services) and post-approval services (portfolio oversight; on-request services) Act as regional champions and specialists as required, such as for AcoRD, Digital Recruitment, Be Part of Research, Join Dementia and for NHS and Primary Care based National Contract Value Review Supervise the alignment and coordination of the NS&SL support for funders and sponsors in study design, deliverability and participant access to bring compatibility with the advice and guidance provided by the Study Support Service to further ensure optimal planning, placement and 'on request' performance monitoring of studies Project manage specialty and setting initiatives at regional, and occasionally national, levels Facilitate communities of practice and events, encouraging system-level collaboration and learning to solve operational challenges and pursue opportunities for strategic development Workload allocation and supervision (with Potential for line management) of B6 Study Support Service Facilitators SERVICE IMPROVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT Ensure a customer-centric approach to service delivery, ensuring that the needs and expectations of stakeholders are met or exceeded Collaborate closely with Specialty and Setting leadership to contribute to regional and national improvement projects Cultivate a robust knowledge base within the assigned portfolio by establishing communities of practice with relevant study and site delivery teams, and by making effective use of data Actively seek and share feedback from customers and partners, so as to provide a responsive service and identify opportunities for improvement Identify and implement strategies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Study Support Service operations regionally and nationally, including piloting and evaluating ideas as part of national working Problem-solving, on request, to support RDN customers with identified challenges in study delivery PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Monitor and evaluate performance metrics relating to portfolio to identify areas for improvement Facilitate the exchange of best practices among stakeholders to optimise study performance and outcomes Ensure seamless coordination with other services and functions within the RRDN and across the national network, working with other teams to provide a consistent experience and work as one organisation LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY Champion the RDNs capacity and capability to support Life Sciences Industry research and the contribution of the Life Sciences Industry to the NHS Ensure that RRDN Study Support Services provided to the Life Sciences Industry, within designated specialities and settings, are provided consistently, within the required timeframes and to a high quality standard and in line with identified national RDN requirements Engage in, and support, business development activities, including: Providing clinical research expertise and knowledge to support optimal research delivery in discussions with commercial organisations; and attending meetings and presenting at events, webinars etc FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES Provide comments to inform decisions of funding allocations, including strategic development funding relevant to designated specialities and settings Have an overview of the resource allocated to their areas of work, and proactively support the management of this allocation and report on its use as required CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging team members to seek out opportunities for innovation Jointly consider new improvements for national adoption, escalating local challenges and sharing all innovations Implement cross-specialty, cross-setting and Study Support Service collaborative innovations for improved research delivery COMMUNICATION & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT (NHS AND NON-NHS) Maintain effective communication and coordination with stakeholders across the Research Delivery Network Communication of complex and difficult information both orally and in writing, both internally to colleagues and externally to a range of audiences. This may include delivering presentations and writing reports, and can involve communication where there may be barriers to acceptance Act as a main point of contact for sponsors and research delivery sites, providing a consistent and coordinated experience, and proactively supporting in identifying opportunities for capacity and capability development Work within designated health and care specialties and settings to identify and develop further opportunities to embed research into the NHS, non-NHS and wider health and care environment CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Support the management of compliance with RRDN contractual requirements (e.g. the Performance and Operating Framework) and with Host-related policies and procedures Maintain working knowledge of, and act in accordance with current legislation, including Good Clinical Practice, research governance legislation, and the Data Protection Act Escalate risks that may need to be considered for the corporate risk register Implement and make suggestions to Standard Operating Procedures, ensuring national consistency