Research Nurse (CRDC Support) in Ely

Based: Mereside Medical Practices (mainly Staploe Medical Centre, and as needed at other practice locations)

Basis: Full-time, Part-time and Flexible

Salary: £30,000 - £40,000 per annum FTE pro rata for Part-time (Full-time = 37 hours per week)

Eligibility: You must be eligible to work in the UK

About Us

Mereside Medical is a flourishing group of three East Cambridgeshire practices in Ely, Haddenham and Soham, together serving c.45,000 patients. As a group, we’ve grown rapidly and now employ more than 170 people across the three practices. We are people-centred in our approach to work and believe that every contact that a patient has with our staff is as valuable as the next in the patient journey. We believe in clinical excellence, and that general practice is the cornerstone of well-being in our community. We are innovative and forward-looking, and we embrace technology to enable more effective, efficient, and connected ways of working to deliver ever better outcomes for our patients. Our goal is to deliver on the ambitions laid out in the NHS 10 year Health Plan for England in a way that is locally relevant, valued by patients, and satisfying for our staff. In addition to our core general practice work we run a large clinical research trials unit and we work closely with the ICB to develop innovative ways to improve local service provision. We are the lead practice for one of the two local PCNs and are represented in both. We are proud to be the host organisation for the NIHR Greater Cambridge & Suffolk Commercial Research Delivery Centre (Primary Care), one of only 14 in England. This prestigious designation recognises our commitment to accelerating commercial clinical research delivery for health and economic benefit across our region.

The Role

Reporting to the Senior Nurse Consultant, you will work as part of the clinical research team to support the delivery of clinical trial protocols within primary care and community settings. This role is suitable for a Research Nurse with 13 years of clinical research experience who is looking to develop their skills, particularly in Commercial research delivery. You will work under the guidance of senior members of the team, including the Nurse Consultant and Senior Research Nurse, gaining experience across a range of studies and therapeutic areas. You will independently manage participant visits for high-complexity trials requiring clinical assessment and may act as the primary point of contact for sponsors on allocated trials to ensure safe, high quality, and participant-focused research delivery. Your focus will be flexibly divided with approximately 50% of your time leading clinical aspects of the CRDC (PC) and approximately 50% working on the Mereside portfolio, though these allocations will adapt to organisational needs at the time. You will engage proactively with CRDC (PC) member sites across Greater Cambridge and Suffolk to develop their capacity and capability to deliver high-quality commercial research. This role offers excellent development opportunities, supporting progression within the clinical research nursing pathway.

Your Responsibilities

• Independently manage participant visits and assessments for high-complexity trials
• Facilitate efficient, safe and participant-focused clinical research across assigned studies
• Recruit eligible patients into clinical studies and facilitate informed consent where appropriate to trial complexity and personal competency
• Ensure clinical study protocols are adhered to, and participants receive care that meets or exceeds study requirements
• Conduct protocol-specific clinical assessments, including: vital signs, ECGs, specialised measurements, and other procedures as required
• Perform ambient and frozen blood sample collection, handling, processing, and storage in accordance with specific study requirements
• Ensure safe administration of treatments and investigational products within the context of clinical research studies
• Support the delivery of multiple studies, developing skills in prioritisation and organisation
• Liaise with sponsors and CROs on allocated trials, handling routine queries and providing study updates to the wider team as appropriate.

Problem Solving & Quality Management

• Escalate protocol or operational challenges to senior team members and contribute to implementing solutions
• Identify, document, and report adverse events promptly and accurately in accordance with study protocols and regulatory requirements
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous documentation in clinical records and case report forms
• Contribute to study set-up and feasibility activities where appropriate
• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and provide feedback to support continuous improvement
• Support monitoring visits, audits, and regulatory inspections.

CRDC Capacity Development (c. 50% of time, applied flexibility)

• Support CRDC member sites across Greater Cambridge & Suffolk to develop their research delivery capability
• Support other Spokes in the Greater Cambridge & Suffolk CRDC by signposting to NIHR resources and pharmaceutical sponsors where appropriate
• Assist CRDC member sites with trial implementation, helping them navigate contractual matters and compliance requirements
• Contribute to the CRDC helpdesk, troubleshooting issues and sharing practical expertise with developing sites
• Participate in CRDC training activities and knowledge exchange forums, sharing best practice across the network
• Be prepared to travel to spoke sites to support trial delivery with appropriate support.

Communication & Data Management

• Communicate effectively with patients and carers, ensuring understanding and informed participation
• Adapt communication style to meet individual needs, including cultural and communication differences
• Liaise with sponsors, CROs, and external stakeholders for routine matters, escalating where appropriate
• Use study-specific systems and electronic data capture platforms accurately
• Register and randomise patients according to protocol requirements following training
• Attend relevant meetings, including team meetings, sponsor meetings, and training sessions
• Act as a point of contact within the practice for research-related queries, with support from the Principal Investigator and the wider team
• Work with the wider multidisciplinary team at Mereside Medical to build awareness of research opportunities.

You should have or be:

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• 13 years of clinical research experience or relevant transferable clinical experience
• Working knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP R3) and research governance
• Developing ability to deliver clinical research studies with appropriate supervision
• Clinical skills appropriate to experience level, with willingness to develop further
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage workload effectively
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality data and documentation
• Good problem-solving skills, with awareness of when to elevate issues
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, able to build rapport with others
• Willingness to work across multiple sites as needed
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.

It would be an advantage if you also:

• Have experience working on multiple studies simultaneously
• Have exposure to working with sponsors or CROs
• Have experience in one or more therapeutic areas (e.g. cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory, vaccines)
• Have experience using electronic data capture systems
• Have worked in primary care or have an understanding of PCN structures.

Closing date: 25 August 2026. Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy early. If you have not received a response within 2 weeks of this closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion.