Senior Research Operations Manager

About The Royal Marsden operates from two centres, in Chelsea and Sutton, and we also have a Medical Daycare Unit at Kingston Hospital. We are the founder and host of RM Partners, the Cancer Alliance for west London, which includes St Georges Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, and other trust and clinical commissioning group (CCG) partners across north west and south west London.

Key Details

• Location: Royal Marsden Hospital Chelsea, Town Chelsea, Postcode SW3 6JJ
• Contract type & working pattern: 12 months (Fixed term), Full time - 37.5 hours per week
• Salary: £70,387 - £80,465 per annum (NHS AfC: Band 8b)
• Specialty: Administrative

Job Overview

This is a senior role responsible for enabling and optimising the operational delivery of Gastro-intestinal & Lymphoma studies within the RM. The Senior Clinical Research Operations Manager will also be responsible for coordinating the research carried out across RM and ICR Oncology with key researchers and supporting the Research Lead. They will take the lead on overseeing the appropriate resourcing and management of the Gastro-intestinal & Lymphoma Oncology Research Unit including staff management, costing and income generation and performance management. As a key member of the Clinical Research Directorate the post holder will be responsible for conveying the requirements of the BRC and the Clinical R&D Department to clinical research staff within their allocated Clinical Unit and for supporting the Clinical Unit head in developing and maintaining the appropriate infrastructure for delivery of their trial portfolio in line with the RM/ICR research strategy. The post holder will also be expected to provide significant input in the compilation of the annual written and financial reports to NIHR and the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and to identify the programme of patient and public engagement activities within the Clinical Units.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the finances and budget of the clinical research unit, ensuring a balanced portfolio which enables sufficient income generation for the sustainability and development of the team.
• Lead on business development in the research unit, to develop a sustainable portfolio of commercial and non-commercial research in addition RMH Sponsored trials.
• Provide a senior advisory role to the Clinical Research Directorate Senior Management Team.
• Take responsibility for ensuring all clinical trials within the clinical research unit are set-up, conducted and managed in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, all relevant Standard Operating Procedures, and relevant legislation / governance.
• Co-develop and be responsible for the operational delivery of the strategy of the clinical research unit, in conjunction with the consultants / researchers and Lead Research Nurse.

Detailed Responsibilities

• Provide expertise and guidance to those in the research unit in all areas of research and facilitate the delivery of the Gastrointestinal and Lymphoma research strategy alongside the consultants / researchers.
• Oversight of financial management including UK-wide validations as required of the research unit budget, effective management of individual clinical trial budgets, and financial reporting as required.
• Act as an authorising signatory for the research budget within limits agreed.
• Ensure RM sponsored research is appropriately costed through grants and kept to milestones, escalating issues to chief investigator and head of clinical trials as necessary.
• Ensure timely, efficient and effective response to monitoring and audit findings, including root cause analysis and CAPA implementation.
• Membership of SOP Working Group to shape ongoing development of the QMS.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital. At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That’s why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do. At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements. Our Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Flu Vaccination Expectations

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Life sciences (or equivalent) undergraduate degree or relevant experience
• Recent GCP training
• Postgraduate degree (e.g. MSc, PhD)
• Leadership qualification

Experience

• Acted as a senior trial coordinator or manager
• Working knowledge of research methodology
• Detailed knowledge of clinical trials, UK Clinical Trial Regulations, GCP and regulatory framework
• Experience of clinical trial and portfolio budget / finance management