Research Inclusion Lead (Lifesciences & Clin Trials) (XN08) in Leeds

The Research Inclusion Lead will drive the strategy, design, delivery and monitoring of inclusive research and clinical trial participation across our research portfolio, in support of the UK's ambition to accelerate and scale world-class clinical trials and ensure equity of access, representation and benefit across diverse populations. This role will be critical in helping deliver the UK Life Sciences Sector Plans commitment to strengthening the UK's clinical trials ecosystem, reduce set-up times, and ensuring patients from all communities can access and benefit from innovation.

Experience working in the life sciences sector and/or clinical operations and drug development is a plus.

Main duties of the job:

• The postholder will work closely with the NIHR Director, the Assistant Director of Research Inclusion and the Lifesciences Industry Director to identify, champion, and implement national strategic developments that strengthen equity, diversity, and participation in life sciences and clinical research across the UK.
• Be responsible for ensuring that inclusion, diversity, and equity are systematically integrated into national feasibility reviews, site selection decisions, recruitment strategies, and performance monitoring across both commercial and academic portfolios.
• Play a key role in delivering the NIHR Life Sciences Industry Plan, embedding inclusive research throughout the new NIHR commercial and non-commercial trials pathway, and providing leadership, advice, and support across NIHR portfolios.
• Provide expert input across NIHR, working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (Science, Research and Evidence Directorate) and NIHR Coordinating Centres to ensure that health inequalities considerations underpin the delivery of all aspects of NIHR business.

Job responsibilities:

• Embed inclusion, diversity and equity into the design and delivery of clinical trials (commercial, academic, non-interventional).
• Lead delivery of the Commercial Research inclusion Workstream, ensuring alignment with the NIHR Research Inclusion Strategy and the Life Sciences Industry Plan.
• Ensure trial design, recruitment and retention plans target under-represented groups and align with populations served.
• Manage the delivery of a substantial portfolio, which will be monitored by a range of Key Performance Indicators and overseen by the NIHR's Research Inclusion Programme Board.
• As a member of the NIHR Research Inclusion Team, manage the process for identifying new resources for an ongoing programme.
• Deliver the RI strategy aligned with national ambitions (e.g. under the Life Sciences Sector Plan) and NIHR's strategy.
• Work across the organisation and with external stakeholders (NHS Trusts, regulators, funders, industry) to remove barriers to participation, deliver best practice in inclusive research and coordinate and ensure we have a fit for purpose approach to collecting and monitoring the diversity of research participants.
• Provide national leadership for the Commercial Research Inclusion Workstream, ensuring close alignment with feasibility standards, national templates, KAM engagement and CRDC performance frameworks.
• Line management and/or matrixed management of staff from time to time.

Monitoring, Data and Reporting:

• Lead the development of national data standards and reporting mechanisms to track participation, representation, attrition and equity of benefit.
• Ensure inclusion data is integrated into the Industry Hub dashboard and contributes to sponsor-facing transparency and accountability.
• Provide regular assurance to NIHR senior leadership, DHSC, and the Industry Hub governance structures on performance, risks and progress.

Communication and Engagement:

• Collaborate with the NIHR communications team to embed programmes of work into NIHR's culture and processes.
• Work with the NIHR Director of Inclusion (People and Research) and Assistant Director - Research Inclusion to ensure that the Life Sciences sector plan is clearly embedded within NIHR's Research Inclusion Strategy, action plan and programme governance.
• Articulate the national vision for Research Inclusion across the NIHR, NHS, industry sponsors and regulatory partners.
• Prepare reports and papers for strategic and policy meetings for publication.
• Liaise with other national programme teams, wider NIHR and Department of Health and Social Care staff, other key funders of health and social care research and the academic community as necessary.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, to monitor projects that align with NIHR's under-served programme activities.
• Deliver presentations to national stakeholder groups and relevant conferences.
• Act as a representative for NIHR Academy and NIHR more widely at national meetings, workshops, and conferences, often having to defend NIHR's position in a public setting.
• Develop briefings requested from Ministers' offices and other government departments; responses to Parliamentary Questions, and Select Committees.

Person Specification:

• Significant experience working within the UK clinical research ecosystem (NIHR, NHS research delivery, life sciences industry or regulatory bodies).
• Deep understanding of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in clinical trials, including inclusive design, recruitment, retention and patient-facing materials.
• Familiarity with inclusive trial design.
• An understanding of the Government's strategy for health and care research in England.
• A high-level understanding of the inequalities that exist and the barriers affecting under-represented groups in health and care research.
• Experience of working strategically across a range of priorities, connecting agendas, and influencing culture, system, and behaviour change.
• Knowledge, skills and/or experience of the health and care setting and workforce.
• Experience working in diversity & inclusion at a senior level in a complex work environment.
• Demonstrable experience of providing specialist advice, support, and guidance on a range of highly complex and sensitive issues, to key decision makers within the organisation preferably EDI focused.
• Experience of influencing others without direct authority, to achieve solutions.
• Line management experience, including objective setting; performance management and staff development.
• Experience working directly with the commercial life sciences sector, pharma, biotech, or CROs.
• Evidence of working to reduce inequalities in health and care research.
• Delivering EDI presentations to groups.
• Experience working with equality data inside or outside the NHS, e.g., WRES, WDES; Gender Pay Gap.
• Postgraduate research and/or research management experience post higher degree and at a senior level.
• Experience delivering cross-sector inclusion frameworks or system-level inclusion approaches.
• Experience and credibility as an inclusion practitioner.
• Experience representing organisations at national or strategic forums.

Qualifications:

• Degree level with either a masters degree or equivalent level experience.
• Evidence of significant CPD in Inclusion and or health inequalities.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development in leadership.
• PhD in a health or life-science discipline.
• CIPD qualified or equivalent experience.
• Project Management at Prince Foundation level or equivalent.
• Training in health inequalities, inclusion, community engagement or patient involvement.

Skills & Behaviours:

• Leading by example.
• Thinking strategically - demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion and reducing health inequalities.
• Giving purpose and direction which includes involving people in deciding what needs to be done.
• Proactive, innovative and improvement-focused.
• Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results.
• Ability to establish an effective network of relationships with people across the organisation and externally who have different roles and perspectives.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership and influence senior stakeholders across diverse organisations.
• Strong analytical skills, able to interpret demographic data, performance metrics and population-level inequalities.
• An ability to provide and receive highly complex information and communicate it in an easily accessible format to various stakeholders.
• Skilled in change management and building culture, capability and confidence across large organisations.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce committee reports as required.
• Resourceful programme manager, capable of quickly taking control.
• Familiarity with the Google platform.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office.
• There may be a requirement to work occasional evenings.
• Able to travel around the country.

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.