R & D Contracts Manager: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

R&D Contracts Manager

NHS AfC: Band 7

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Research and Development Department are recruiting for a R&D Contracts Manager to join the non-commercial contracts team.  As part of the world class research facilities in the heart of London, working with our co-sponsor King’s College London, this is a role that requires someone with exceptional efficiency who relishes working in a fast-paced demanding environment. 

The R&D Department  is one of the focal points for innovative research in London through its nationally recognised research portfolio and research infrastructure.

The broad ranging portfolio includes one of only five National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centres in partnership with our academic partner King’s College London, numerous NIHR Programme and Project Grants, as well as a research scheme for NHS consultants. In addition the Trust is a stakeholder in the newly accredited Academic Health Sciences Centre, King’s Health Partners as well as the Joint Clinical Trials Office. These joint working arrangements allow for the production of joint agreements between KHP partners speeding the time taken to gain governance approval.

The R&D Department also supports the recently established 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.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be responsible for non-commercial research-related contracts for specific directorates within the trust, working in a team of R&D contract staff.   In particular, they will be responsible for the negotiation, management, and execution of agreements that are sponsored and hosted by our trust, including our sponsored drug trials, device studies, and interventional/observational studies.

You will have experience of working in contracts, preferably with NHS or university sector experience, ideally within clinical / medical research setting and knowledge of the NHS research process.  Candidates should have an awareness of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and an interest in clinical research.

Agreements will include funding agreements, service level agreements, collaborative, data sharing agreements, and consortium agreements for both national and international studies, material transfer agreements and other associated technical agreements. As a senior member of the team the R&D contract managers review bespoke (non-template) agreements involving national and international parties including industry and non-commercial organisations. Working with our other R&D contract manager the post-holder will train and manage the more junior members of the R&D contracts team (band 4-band 6) and so you will have significant amount of research contracting  knowledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be an experienced manager with excellent communication skills who is able to negotiate, collaborate and influence others including those you line-manage.  You will have proof-reading experience, great attention to detail and excellent document control, using advanced Microsoft Word to produced professional legally-binding documents. You will be highly organised and methodical approach to your work and be able to support and develop junior members of the team. You will have pragmatic and solution-focused approach to contract negotiations to ensure a timely set-up of the research at our trust. 

Person specification – Essential Criteria

• Relevant degree or professional qualification or equivalent experience
• Significant postgraduate training in research or biomedical science (Diploma) or equivalent experience
• Empathy with NHS values and with experience of working in healthcare and preferably some exposure to the NHS
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate effectively with researchers, consultants and staff from different disciplines and administrators at all levels
• Work closely with clinical, academic and other staff at all levels and across the partner organisations to develop effective working relationships
• Ability to analyse and interpret research project information and ability to make judgements regarding a range of highly complex research management issues 
• Excellent analytical approach to problem solving
• Highly enthusiastic, professional and accountable

Please refer to the job description and person specification for more information on the role and its requirements.

Additional Information

The R&D non-commercial team are currently mostly working from home due to the pandemic. However, from the first March 2022 all R&D staff will spend some time working with the R&D team in the Biomedical Research Centre on the 16th floor at Guy's Hospital, initially 1-day a week.