Deputy Director of Approvals in Manchester

Job overview

The Health Research Authority (HRA) is seeking an outstanding senior leader to join our Executive Committee as Deputy Director of Approvals.

Working closely with the Director of Approvals, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for key regulatory services, including Research Ethics Committees (REC) and the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG). You will lead work to coordinate and standardise regulatory practice across the UK, drive improvement and transformation, and contribute to strategic decision-making and organisational performance.

We are looking for an experienced leader with vision and a strong track record of delivery, able to lead complex services, influence across organisational boundaries and build effective partnerships. You will understand the research environment and its regulation and be committed to continuous improvement.

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You will:

• Provide executive leadership and shaping strategic direction and ensuring delivery of high-quality regulatory functions and associated services.
• Drive service improvement, innovation and transformation across the approvals landscape, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and user experience.
• Oversee operational performance, business planning, workforce planning, risk management and financial performance across a large and complex directorate.
• Act as deputy to the Director of Approvals, providing leadership and decision-making across the full scope of the directorate when required.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with government departments, regulators, NHS organisations, researchers, universities, industry and other partners across the research system.
• Lead major programmes and projects that support the HRA's strategic objectives and improve the research environment across the UK.
• Provide expert leadership on research regulation, research ethics and related policy development.
• Lead and inspire a large, diverse workforce and volunteer community, fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Working for our organisation

At the HRA, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment where we actively invest in the development and empowerment of our staff, enabling them to perform at their best. We strive to promote a healthy workplace culture where wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth are valued and encouraged.

Working at the HRA, we support flexible working, recognising that home based or hybrid arrangements provides us with the most productive environment to work well. Where possible, we’ll offer a working pattern that suits you.

The HRA offers home based contracts for all locations. Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham based staff can be office based and hybrid working arrangements are also possible. We encourage you to speak with us to explore how this could be accommodated.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents for full details about this role.

When completing your application, ensure you clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills align with the criteria outlined for this position.

We recognise that generative AI tools can be helpful in supporting applicants during the recruitment process, particularly for tasks such as proofreading, structuring, or refining written responses. However, we encourage candidates to use AI responsibly and sparingly. Applications should reflect your authentic voice, personal experiences, and genuine qualifications. Over reliance on AI-generated content can result in generic or inaccurate submissions that fail to meet the criteria or convey your individuality. Misrepresentation of skills, knowledge, or experience, including through AI-generated content, may lead to the rejection of your application, withdrawal of your offer, or your dismissal if you do start with us. If you choose to use AI, please ensure it enhances rather than
replaces your own input, and be transparent about its use where appropriate. False and insincere examples go against our values of integrity and transparency.

Important information
We are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement as we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Applications requiring sponsorship will not be considered.

Applications that do not clearly demonstrate how the essential criteria outlined in the person specification are met will not be shortlisted.

Only the information provided in the application form will be considered. CVs will not be reviewed. We do not accept applications via recruitment agencies or other third parties.

The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.

Our fixed term roles are also open to applicants who wish to apply on a secondment basis. Applicants who fit this category are advised to speak with their line manager before applying and visit their organisations Secondments Policy.

The HRA is currently undertaking a review of our Target Operating Model (TOM), which will define our approach to how we deliver our services for the future.

We want to ensure we have the right people doing their best work, enabled by clear leadership and effective supporting structures. Therefore, development of our TOM work may result in a change to some existing roles and responsibilities across the HRA.

Applicants should therefore be aware that the review may lead to future changes to the scope, responsibilities, reporting arrangements or organisational position of this role. No specific changes have been agreed at this stage, with proposals affecting any existing HRA role being subject to appropriate consultation and managed in accordance with the HRA’s organisational change policies and relevant national guidance

Organisational structure and directorate overview
The HRA is made up of five directorates: Approvals, Chief Executive, Digital, Policy and Partnerships and Resources.

This role is in the HRA Approvals Service directorate which consists of teams that work together, across the HRA and across the UK research landscape to provide the appropriate approvals for health and care research in England and, in some cases, across the UK, and to coordinate and standardise research regulation policy and practice across the UK.

This directorate issues HRA Approval, provides the research ethics service in England, supports the Confidentiality Advisory Group advising on the use of confidential patient information without consent; and coordinates technical assurances for pharmacy and radiation. We lead work to refine and maintain the systems and processes researchers need to follow to ensure a swift, robust and simple experience. We do this by working collaboratively with external partners and nearly 1000 committee volunteers to improve the research environment.