Job Description

Company Description
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR funds, enables, and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. We are also a major funder of applied health research in low- and middle-income countries.

We are now looking for a Programme Manager to join our Research Programmes Directorate to help drive the strategic development and the delivery of both NIHR and non-NIHR research funding programmes. The successful candidates will play a key role within the NIHR Policy Research Programme, but the appointed person may be deployed to support other Programmes and initiatives, such as Climate Change, Work and Health, Long COVID, Artificial Intelligence for Multiple Long-term Conditions (AIM) etc.
At the heart of these investments is a commitment to reducing health inequalities, reconfiguring the health, social care and public health systems in areas and for populations living with the greatest burden. In order to genuinely deliver on the research investments made by GMG customers, meaningful and sustainable engagement at multiple levels is required. Key stakeholders will include communities, local authorities, industry, regulators, policy makers, academics and clinicians.
The roles will cover the full end-to-end process of research management, from designing new schemes to launching new calls for applications through to the active monitoring of funded projects and will require an ability to work collaboratively with other team members and across organisations. The posts provide the opportunity for exciting external liaison, with interfaces to UK government, academia, industry and the clinical community.
Key Accountabilities:
Project management

• Supporting all aspects of research funding, including researching and articulating potential research investment opportunities, advising potential applicants, revising application forms and guidance documents, reviewing applications for funding, coordinating and managing the peer review process, overseeing the funding committees, coordinating and attending funding committee meetings, providing feedback to successful and unsuccessful applicants
• Undertaking due diligence of proposals based on critical assessment of healthcare-related projects, including:

• reviewing the scientific, technical and clinical rationale
• analysis of value for money
• evaluation of proposed IP protection and freedom to operate positions and assessment of the proposed dissemination, adoption and/or commercialisation strategy
• Negotiating funding agreements for projects recommended for funding, including the negotiation of milestones and deliverables, financial arrangements and reporting requirements to enable successful project progression
• Managing a portfolio of funded projects, including monitoring of scientific, clinical and financial performance, reviewing IP and dissemination plans and managing contractual changes to ensure appropriate strategies are in place leading to patient benefit and/or commercial realisation
• Liaising regularly with internal and external stakeholders, including attending, organising and leading meetings, representing the funder's perspective at project meetings to facilitate successful project development, and promoting and representing funding programmes at external meetings

Wider activities

• Supporting Senior Research Programme Managers with strategic development initiatives, for example those to enable broad data access to successful applicants, programme evaluation etc.
• Drafting SOPs, work instructions and template documents and issuing guidelines

• Producing high quality meetings' minutes, outcome letters and other external documentation
• Assisting in the preparation of regular and ad hoc programme reports, papers etc.
• Ad hoc "special project" work
• Identifying enhancements to working practices and defining, implementing and supporting the processes to deliver operational excellence
• Organising, attending and chairing internal and external meetings, such as advisory panel meetings, kick-off meetings etc.
• Responding to Parliamentary Questions or briefing requests from DH, often at very short notice
• Developing and maintaining excellent professional relationships with other GMG teams, applicants and award holders and with colleagues within NIHR and across customer organisations, and acting as a role model to colleagues at all levels

Qualifications
Required Criteria

• A degree in biomedical, health or social sciences
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrable success in stakeholder management within and across multiple organisations
• A track record in successful management of projects and programmes
• Able to think strategically, interpreting complex information, putting information in context and having a clear view of the "big picture"
• Excellent writing skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, able to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, working to challenging targets and deadlines
• Excellent analytical and complex problem solving skills, with a solution based approach
• Highly developed communication skills and customer focus, including experience of external liaison
• Committed team player with an ability to build effective working relationships
• Experience of working in a research management environment, preferably within a healthcare setting

Desired Criteria

• A PhD in a medical, scientific, technical or social discipline
• Knowledge of the UK's health and care research landscape

Additional Information
Compensation, Benefits & Working Arrangements:

• Salary: 40,300
• Location: Twickenham, London / Hybrid working model
• Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent
• Working Hours: 7.5 hours per day
• Annual Leave: 25 days, plus UK public holidays

Employee Benefits Include:

• Annual bonus, subject to company performance
• Enhanced Contributory Pension Scheme
• Life Insurance Cover
• Benenden Healthcare Membership
• Training and Development Opportunities
• Season Ticket Loan

This is a Twickenham, office based, hybrid role, with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices a minimum of one day a week, four days a month, and may increase, subject to team requirements.
Application
If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background, we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a 'Statement of Suitability' that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the 'Essential Criteria' outlined in the job description. Additionally, share your enthusiasm for working with NIHR.
NB: Closing date for applications is 5pm on the 29th August, interviews to be held remotely from 8th September.
Our Commitment to Equality and Diversity
LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.