Member Management and Development Specialist in Bristol

We're seeking an enthusiastic and experienced volunteer manager to lead our Member Support Team in delivering a high-quality Research Ethics Committee (REC) and Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) service. The postholder will oversee the effective end-to-end management of the member lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, induction, development, retention, and performance management. The role requires the ability to effectively prioritise competing demands, identify and implement process improvements and support the team to manage a large and complex membership within a high-volume, fast response operational environment. There are approximately 1,000 members and the postholder will ensure that REC and CAG membership is appropriately constituted, sustainable, and aligned with relevant legislation, policy, and operational requirements. The postholder will be responsible for resolving complex and sensitive member matters in line with organisational policies. Alongside this they will lead on the development and improvement of member service standards and proactively identify and mitigate risks to service delivery. To carry out the role effectively, the postholder will need to work collaboratively with internal colleagues, other UK nations and external stakeholders. They will need strong influencing and persuasion skills, alongside the ability to communicate complex information clearly.

Main duties of the job

• Leading the Member Support Team to ensure delivery of a high-quality, Research Ethics Committee (REC) and Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) service, ensuring membership is appropriately constituted, sustainable and aligned with relevant legislation, policy and operational requirements.
• Ensuring delivery of effective end-to-end management of the member lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, induction, development, retention, and performance management of approximately 1,000 members.
• Leading the development and improvement of member service standards, ensuring that membership capacity, capability, and conduct enable the delivery of timely, robust and high-quality ethics review and confidentiality advice.
• Proactively identifying and mitigating risks to service delivery and taking appropriate action to maintain service performance.
• Resolving complex and sensitive member matters in line with organisational policies.
• Working collaboratively with operational teams and stakeholders across the UK to support the ongoing development and assurance of UK REC and CAG services.
• Communicating complex information clearly through high-quality presentations and reports.
• Prioritising competing demands, identifying and implementing process improvements that enhance efficiency and enable the team to manage a large and complex membership.

Person Specification

• Qualifications: Post graduate leadership qualification or equivalent experience.
• Other: Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience: Significant experience in team leadership and service delivery within a high-volume, complex environment. Proven experience in service improvement, change management, and (desirably) training design and delivery.
• Analytical and Judgemental Skills: Ability to analyse complex data and stakeholder feedback to inform decision-making, service improvements, and operational policy.
• Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage, support and manage a wide range of stakeholders.
• Other: Flexibility to travel across the UK, including occasional overnight stays.
• Knowledge, Skills and Expertise: Strong knowledge of research ethics frameworks including UK REC Policy Document and relevant UK legislation (e.g., Clinical Trials Regulations, GCP etc.) Advanced data analysis and reporting skills (including Excel), with excellent organisational, problem solving and prioritisation abilities.
• Analytical and Judgemental Skills: Ability to analyse information and make decisions managing sensitive member issues and balancing competing priorities.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong relationship-building and team leadership capability to deliver high-quality, collaborative outcomes.

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.