Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU), we have an exciting opportunity for a Research Facilitator to join our dynamic team.

The Research Facilitator role is essential to support the development of research at PHU as well as ensuring research studies are set up, delivered and managed compliantly and to quality standards.

Research allows us to offer new opportunities to our patients, and this role plays a pivotal role in this. The Research Facilitator will ensure the identification of a steady pipeline of research studies for their given speciality, confirming sustainability and growth of research in these areas. You will be pivotal in the set-up, and support the management and delivery of commercial studies which bring new treatment options to patients and increased income into the Trust. Equally, you will support the development and initiation of ‘home grown’ studies, working with researchers to answer questions that will make a tangible impact on our local population.

 In this role, you will work collaboratively with investigators, research delivery staff, support departments and over internal and external stakeholders to facilitate, project manage and performance manage studies holistically throughout their life course for the specialities assigned to you.

You will join a team of diverse individuals within the research office team and you will cover a number specialities in your role, but specifically this position has a focus on facilitating respiratory research.

Key Responsibilities

• To work with clinical researchers and Research Management staff to ensure effective, efficient and speedy set-up and on-going management of clinical research studies in PHU.
• To provide a specialist role, giving expert support to Chief and Principal Investigators and delivery staff in NIHR research studies.
• To assist in the facilitation the entire life cycle of NIHR portfolio research study undertaken within the Trust. This will include clinical researcher support, study co-ordination, data management and research portfolio database training.
• Act as a Project/Trial Manager for research studies within the Trust.
• To oversee the performance of portfolio research studies and work with NIHR regional/national colleagues regarding study set-up, initiation and delivery performance management.
• Ensure that research projects are approved and conducted in compliance with PHU policies for research governance, quality assurance and national regulatory requirements.
• To actively contribute to quality management of research studies e.g. monitoring, reviewing standard operating procedures and undertake continuous improvement projects.
• Oversee the entire portfolio for assigned research speciality including; performance, pipeline planning (including grant applications) and delivery as well as acting as an advocate for their specialities.
• To deputise for the Research Manager as required.

Please see the Job Description for further information.

Essential

• Degree in health, clinical science discipline or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Evidence of significant NHS experience or research management experience within a health related organisation. 
• Recent Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in research training

Experience

Essential 

• Previous experience of using IRAS for R&D applications
• Experience of working in a research environment requiring critical appraisal of clinical research evidence

Desirable

• Experience of working within NHS R&D Management
• Experience of supporting a grant application to a national body 
• Experience of working on research prioritisation with a variety of stakeholders 
• Experience of supporting/facilitating research in a clinical setting

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Strong Interpersonal skills 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentation and report writing skills 
• Ability to work to deadlines and manage a diverse workload with cross functional teams  Excellent project management skills
• Ability to deliver feedback in a positive, constructive manner, skills in motivating
• Well-developed influencing skills across hierarchies and disciplines 
• Confidence in making decisions when dealing with competing priorities
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Responsive and flexible attitude and approach
• Excellent working knowledge of using Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel & Powerpoint) comparable computer packages
• Excellent working knowledge of using the internet
• Demonstrates leadership qualities

Desirable

• Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice Guidelines and current Trials’ Regulations (EU Directive Clinical Trials)
• Knowledge of EDGE (Local Performance Management System)
• Critical appraisal and analytical skills for interpreting qualitative and quantitative information
• A high level of numeracy with the ability to interpret statistical and epidemiological data  Formal project management qualification

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.