Interventional Research Pathway Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main duties and responsibilities

Work collaboratively with clinicians, managers, and external partners to deliver transformative and cost-effective changes which are fit for purpose and affordable.

• Maintain a clear understanding of how the services that support research delivery operate and the challenges they face in approving requests to support research within the required timeframe.

• To work with service managers to define optimal study set up pathways and supporting processes that are deliverable, sustainable, and meet national research delivery metrics.

• Develop and implement policy and SOPs in relation to agreed research pathways, both across departments within UHSussex, and in other health and care organisations across Sussex (for example other Trusts, General Practice)

• Support research leads in setting standards and providing quality assurance of research support services across the system to reduce variation in set-up timelines and drive efficiency of clinical trial delivery.

• Drive, track, record, and share progress in delivering the NIHR commercial research delivery targets.

• Work with other key senior managers to monitor compliance to agreed pathways, investigate breaches, escalate as appropriate and make required adjustments.

• Support the implementation of integrated services and pathway specific access to rapid diagnostic services locally through collaborative work across the Surrey and Sussex system and promote a sense of collective responsibility across partners

• Maximise research training across the system, by directing the identification and mapping of research training needs across all Sussex health care organisations and departments, ensuring equitable access to high-quality development opportunities.

• Respond quickly and appropriately to concerns regarding barriers to meeting government research set up metrics escalated by colleagues within the scope of the role, with a proactive and problem-solving approach to resolution of issues.

• Create a detailed work plan for the creation of pathways to increase the speed of research set up, with clear objectives, defined outputs and supporting action logs and risk logs for CRDC Management team sign off.

• Lead on the implementation of lean methodology and standardisation.

Communication

• Agree mechanism and format for progress updates to CRDC Management team, CRDC Steering Group and research delivery service managers.

• Demonstrated ability to influence, persuade, and motivate internal and external staff to drive process innovation, service development, and collaborative working across the Trust and wider system partners.

• Ability to challenge approaches where they are sub optimal and adopt a motivational and persuasive communication style to ensure secure an improved approach is adopted.

• Demonstrated proficiency in converting complex metrics and protocol requirements into actionable operational plans, driving service efficiency and data-informed decision-making both within the Trust and across external partner organisations.

• Communicates effectively with regional and national NIHR infrastructure, including other Commercial Research Delivery Centres, the CRDC UK Network, and the South East Regional Research Delivery Network, to share learning, align processes, and support coordinated digital research deliver.

• Work closely with clinical and governance teams within UHSussex and research delivery teams to ensure processes are collaborative and all parties are informed.

• Contribute to formal reports as required by UHSussex Research and Innovation and CRDC Sussex utilising necessary software/ tools and working closely.

Service delivery and improvement

• Buildcollaborative relationships with senior stakeholders, including executive leaders and clinicians, to drive change.

People management and development

The post holder will have line management responsibilities as the CRDC team grows, and will work closely with the Deputy Head of Research(Governance & Performance Manager) and the CRDC Lead Nurse and Business Manager to support the training of Research Governance staff within various research delivery settings to study set up pathways.

• Act as a coach/mentor to support staff in improvement methodology and the implementation of change.

• Establish effective systems, processes, and ways of working for a new, cross organisational service, supporting staff to work flexibly and collaboratively across Sussex.

• Identify learning and development needs within the team and across partner organisations, coordinating access to appropriate training and resources.

• Ability to respond quickly and effectively to concerns escalated by colleagues within the scope of the role and adopts a problem-solving approach to tasks.

• Act as a role model by promoting a positive, inclusive, and supportive culture aligned with UHSussex values, encouraging continuous learning, innovation, and reflective practice.

• Support staff wellbeing and workload management, ensuring safe, sustainable working practices in a complex and evolving digital research environment.

Patient care delivery

• Ensure that all digital research processes uphold the highest standards of patient safety, confidentiality, and dignity, aligning with UHSussex values and the organisations commitment to putting patients first.

• Promote robust governance across all research data pathways, ensuring that patient information is handled lawfully, ethically, and transparently.

• Where possible enables research delivery for a study at multiple locations to reduce research participants requirements to travel.

Learning and development

• Attend mandatory training updates as required.

• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.

• Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.

• Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager.

• Participate in the Trusts appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.

• Promote a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice within the Commercial Research Delivery Centre, encouraging innovation, curiosity, and shared problem solving

Key working relationships

Internal:

• Research Senior Management Team

• CRDC Sussex Management Group

• Divisional Clinical Management Teams

• Chief & Principal Investigators

• Research Delivery Staff

• UHSussexResearch Governance Department

• Pathology Services

• Imaging Services

• Finance and Procurement Services

External:

• NHS Trusts across Sussex

• Primary Care Research Federations

• Private Diagnostic Service Providers

• SussexCommunity Diagnostic Centres (CDCs)

• South East Regional Research Delivery Network (SE RRDN)

• Commercial trial sponsors and Contract Research Organisations

• National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR)

• CRDC UK Network
• other CRDCs and CRDCs in Primary Care

Person Specification

Experience & Qualifications

• Detailed knowledge and awareness of business management to Masters level or via extensive and equivalent experience with expert knowledge. Experience of managing change Knowledge and understanding of NHS structure and organisation Experience of working with multi-disciplinary personnel within the NHS. Post-graduate experience in managing change across multiple disciplines at NHS management level. Ability to develop a range of plans for performance & service improvement. Understanding of commercial clinical AF/I AF/I AF/I AF/I AF/I AF/I Post-graduate experience in managing change across multiple disciplines at NHS management level. Understanding of commercial clinical research processes, feasibility, and study set-up requirements. Project management qualification i.e PRINCE 2 Service improvement experience Experience of policy development Leadership qualification AF AF/I AF AF/I AF/I AF research processes, feasibility, and study set up requirements. Understanding of research governance. Leadership experience

Skills

• Highly effective communicator able to adapt style for senior leaders, clinicians, sponsors, and the public. Skilled in influencing and negotiating with stakeholders across multiple organisations. Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage busy operational teams and secure buy-in. Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve technical, operational, and governance issues. Experience of working pro-actively and cooperatively with all staff, including at times of high levels of pressure. Manage a complex workload with conflicting priorities and statutory deadlines. Ability to present complex information clearly in written, verbal, and digital formats. AF/I AF/I AF/I I Experience of working pro actively and cooperatively with all staff, including at times of high levels of pressure. Manage a complex workload, conflicting priorities and statutory deadlines. AF/I Skilled in leading change and embedding new digital processes across diverse care settings. Excellent IT skills

People Management and Development

• Proven line management skills. Evidence of teambuilding capability, ability to operate confidently across multiple organisations. Establishes effective systems, processes, and ways of working for a new, cross organisational service. Promotes a culture of continuous learning, reflective practice, and high-quality research delivery. Provides coaching and guidance to staff and partners on research pathways and efficient study set up. Supports agile and flexible working across diverse health and care settings, ensuring staff are equipped to work effectively beyond the Trust. Ensures team wellbeing, workload balance, and adherence to UHSussex values in all aspects of practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles. Experience gathering and acting on patient, public, and provider feedback to improve services. Expertise in stakeholder engagement.

Specific Requirements

• Ability to redesign research processes and implement system wide changes (trial setup optimisation). Sound judgement in balancing research needs with operational constraints. Ability to assess feasibility risks and propose evidence-based solutions. Skilled in identifying opportunities for improvement and standardisation. Own transport and current driving licence

Freedom to Act

• Works autonomously within broad professional and organisational policies, using expert judgement to make decisions on complex digital research processes and participant-identification pathways. Leads the development and implementation of new digital approaches across multiple organisations, determining priorities and actions without direct supervision. Acts as the specialist for study set up within the Commercial Research Delivery Centre, providing authoritative advice to colleagues, partners, and senior leaders. Identifies risks, issues, and opportunities proactively, taking independent action to resolve problems and escalate only when necessary. Represents the CRDC and UHSussex in regional and national forums, making decisions that influence research delivery beyond the Trust. Operates with a high degree of independence when engaging internal and external stakeholders. Able to interpret national and local guidance autonomously to develop local policies to reflect standards. Works autonomously within broad professional and organisational policies, using expert judgement to make decisions on complex research processes.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address

Royal Sussex County Hospital

Sussex House, Abbey Road

Brighton

BN2 5BE

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/