Senior Data Manager - COBALT Trial - Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit - 907061 - Grade 5 in London

Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,647 to £31,460, with potential progression once in post to £35,388

Grade: 5

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2029

Closing date: 11th February 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‐leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide‐range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state‐of‐the‐art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Role Summary

The Senior Data Manager is responsible for the administration and collection of clinical research data for one or more trial protocols. They provide secretariat services to multi‐disciplinary collaborative research group(s) engaged in clinical trials designed to improve the treatment and care of patients. Post holders work closely with the Trial Manager, ensuring the smooth process of trial administration, whilst providing support to colleagues, both inside and outside the unit, and give day to day operational guidance to Data Manager.

Main Duties

• Ensure smooth day‐to‐day running of the study/trial protocol and data collection.
• Responsible for ensuring that trial data set(s) are complete, accurate and up to date.
• Maintain research & administrative databases to produce clean data sets for statistical analysis.
• Record and code incoming forms etc., checking for inconsistencies, violations and unusual or adverse events.
• Offer initial guidance on interpretation and the development of new codes for non‐routine and ad hoc data.
• Test data entry, validation and report generation applications.
• Trial management includes general clerical duties by organising collaborative group meetings, handling petty cash, day to day distribution of trial materials, and drug supplies required by external centres.
• Preparation and distribution of study documentation and publicity material for the Trial Working Group.
• Conduct literature searches, using initiative to find missing or inaccurate references and to screen suitable papers.
• Develop and document the standard operating procedures applicable to the work of the post, under the guidance of the Trial Manager.
• Continue to develop and expand trial management skills and experience.
• Will cover for the trial manager/ project leader and help supervise junior team members.
• Assist in the formulation of necessary guidelines.
• Supports equality and values diversity.
• Support the delivery of clinical research in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), the Declaration of Helsinki, applicable legislation, and relevant policies and procedures.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• A degree (or equivalent) in a relevant biomedical or associated subject, and be able to demonstrate relevant work experience e.g. in clinical trial management or as a clinical research nurse is desirable but not essential.
• An aptitude for large and/or more complex relational databases e.g. MS Access or SQL Server.
• Experience of using statistics packages such as SPSS, Minitab, BMDP or SAS.
• Understanding of medical terminology and experience in interpreting and coding medical data.
• Excellent all-round office management and clerical skills must include computing and office automation skills.
• Must demonstrate a critical and intelligent attention to detail.
• High standards of accuracy and apply a sound knowledge of the research framework to the work.
• Aptitude for learning and applying new skills.
• Experience of conducting literature or internet searches.
• Ability to interact as a team member, as well as working independently.
• Good communication skills and an excellent telephone manner.
• Maintains regular contact with professional research staff and members of the collaborating group.
• Ability to identify potential problems.
• Work to develop and improve working practices under the Trial Manager's guidance.
• Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Further particulars can be found here.

Informal enquiries to William McKinnon, email: w.mckinnon@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here.

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life.

We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations.

We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.