R&D Governance Facilitator
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it.Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’.Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS.We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.
Job overview
The R&D department at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust are recruiting a Research Governance Facilitator.
This dynamic, lively and diverse department has the breadth of knowledge and skills to ensure that this high level of research activity and associated research processes are managed smoothly and efficiently.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will oversee specific clinical directorates’ or groups’ research portfolios, working closely with research matrons or managers to prioritise study or trial set-ups, and advise or act on wider study lifecycle requirements. The post-holder will be supported by a Research Governance Specialist.The post-holder will have the opportunity to line-manage a Band 5 research coordinator or a Band 4 R&D administrator. Alongside research approvals, the post-holder will need to keep up to date of research regulations, contribute to and develop SOPs and guidance documents and will on occasion be required to provide research governance training to R&D staff and research staff alike.
The successful candidate would have experience in clinical research setting.
Working for our organisation
The R&D Department at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) is one of the focal points for innovative research in London through its nationally recognised research portfolio and research infrastructure. The broad ranging research portfolio includes our academic partner King’s College London, numerous NIHR Programme and Project Grants, as well as a Research Scheme for academic consultants.In addition the Trust is a stakeholder in the accredited Academic Health Sciences Centre, King’s Health Partners, and also the Joint Clinical Trials Office. The R&D Department also supports the Phase 1 accredited Clinical Research Facilities.
As well as hosting the South London Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN), the Trust is a major player in the South London network both in relation to the national research study portfolio and accruals into studies.
Full-time R&D staff are required to work in the office three days a week . All R&D Governance staff are required to work some of the time in the office and be available to visit our three research hospitals to collaborate with colleagues and support our researchers and research delivery teams.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This post will be supporting the R&D manager and Governance Specialists in the approval of research projects (confirmation of capacity), reviewing GST sponsored and co-sponsored studies prior to HRA and regulatory submission, confirming capacity to support the study and reviewing study amendments.
The selected candidate must work well within a team, whilst being able to work autonomously and manage their time productively. It is necessary for the candidate to liaise with a variety of departments and work cross sites.
You will have great attention to detail, excellent communication skills and enjoy liaising with colleagues and staff at all levels. You will have an organised and methodical approach to your work with exceptional attention to detail.
Interested candidates should have an awareness of Health Research Authority, NIHR and MHRA’s role and an interest in clinical research. Motivated candidates who have worked in clinical trials management/research governance/study coordination who want to develop skills in sponsorship are encouraged to apply
Person specification
Education/Qualification
Essential criteria- Relevant degree or professional qualification
- Post graduate qualification
Previous experience
Essential criteria- Significant post qualification work experience in undertaking medical/clinical research governance
- Previous experience in, R&D management, change process delivery in either the NHS or an academic environment
- Proven experience of collaborating with other agencies
- Line management experience and proven ability to work well in a team.
- Knowledge of HR Issues relating to Research
- Experience of using the Edge database and/or strong database skills
- Experience of working with research governance policies and issues
- Specialist / in depth knowledge relating to NHS Ethics processes
Skills/Knowledge/Ability
Essential criteria- Ability to analyse and rationalise research information. Ability to make complex decisions
- Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
- Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
- Ability to carry out detailed work accurately
- Competent to develop guidelines
- Ability to use own initiative when working independently and also to be able to work effectively as a member of a team
- Training skills
- Knowledge of the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research and other regulatory issues relating to medical/clinical research
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.
Flexible working
We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service.We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process.
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