Please note that this post is offered as a 22.5 hour per week fixed term contract for 6 months.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Project Manager to join the Haematology Research Team on a short term basis to cover a period of leave. We are looking for an aspiring, self-motivated individual who can demonstrate scientific knowledge and the use of recognised project management principles and tools on a wide range of projects. The team is a group of staff from a number of disciplines and backgrounds who pride themselves on being compassionate, friendly, approachable, patient focussed and committed to research. The role will require working closely with the team to lead the delivery of several key projects within the research portfolio.
The successful candidate will have extensive experience and a track record of delivering change, demonstrate effective leadership and have excellent stakeholder management skills ideally within a health or academic setting.
The demands and scale of the projects you will work on will vary but we will look to you to utilise the following for continued development and implementation of our portfolio of projects: experience of delivering complex multi-disciplinary projects; experience of bid data projects; skills to manage competing demands; ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities; response to short deadlines; effective communication to all stakeholders, flexibility to take on all tasks within a project and your ability to quickly build strong working relationships.
You will work across health and academic settings working closely with Consultant Haematologists who are recognised nationally and internationally in their field. You will have responsibility for driving the portfolio of projects forward, ensuring delivery of programmes within agreed timescales and budgets and may be asked to advise, support and provide training to other members of the team and new research fellows or PhD students. Excellent communication, personal influence and client engagement skills are essential to this role whilst working with key internal and external partners.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Communication and document management
Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to fully deliver on expected research impacts (scientific, clinical and societal) and to contribute to the longevity of the research portfolio.
Serve as a main point of contact on assigned projects for research teams and study investigators, external funding bodies, pharmaceutical companies and national networks.
Advise key academic members of the group with regard to grant applications, protocol and patient information sheet development and the national and R&D governance associated with these.
Advise and negotiate on clinical trial agreements (including financial and Intellectual property arrangements), material transfer agreements and data sharing agreements as required.
Collate, analyse and interpret complex information for creation and presentation of project plans. Ongoing assessment and identification of issues to ensure that they are delivered to performance targets, including the preparation of activity and management reports.
Oversee production of abstracts and posters for local, national and international conferences. Coordinate the process from submission to publication including proof-reading and editing of manuscripts before submission.
Prepare and submit interim and annual reports for R&D, ethic committees, funding bodies, CSGs etc. as required.
Maintain strong relationships with colleagues in key partner organisations/ departments (the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, the Oglesby Cancer Research Building (OCRB), the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC), the University of Manchester (School of Medical Sciences),
Present complex research information to project teams, the Haematology research team and wider collaborators
Assist clinical colleagues in supporting medical students and haematology trainees in research related projects.
Knowledge, training and experience
Be able to demonstrate an in depth experience and knowledge of Haematology, translational research and precision medicine. Hold a significant position within research, preferably within a Higher Education/NHS research environment.
Demonstrable experience of scientific writing.
Understanding of Information Governance in the NHS and University environments.
Significant and demonstrable experience in pre- and post-award research grant and contract management, with a superior understanding of research funding mechanisms including knowledge of Trust and University costing and finance systems including Full Economic Costing.
Experience of coordinating and submission of relevant grant funding applications, submission of regulatory, ethics and R&D applications for research projects and clinical trial management and reporting.
Demonstrable ability to analyse complex information from a wide variety of sources which may be conflicting
Planning and organisational skills
Responsible for ensuring that researchers have all the information that they need to develop their projects and that researchers have an understanding of the processes that need to be followed and the timelines involved.
The postholder will propose changes to policies within their work area and would be involved in the review and implementation.
Manage the delivery of key projects and associated work streams, monitoring key performance indicators and working autonomously to ensure delivery within agreed project deliverables.
Arrange and lead project meetings as appropriate. Preparing agendas, taking minutes and distributing, following up any action points.
There will be a need to be flexibility around researcher’s availability with the ability to adjust plans as required to ensure all targets are met.
The post holder is expected to use initiative and be able to work independently without close supervision. They are also expected to plan and organise their own time and workload activity with prioritisation, referring to senior managers as necessary.
Personal and people development
Maintain professional development whilst evaluating own specialist knowledge with assistance from the assigned line manager, to satisfy the NHS knowledge and skills framework.
Demonstrates the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour
Follow all relevant policies and procedures; in particular in relation to the Data Protection Act, and any regulatory practice.
Provide project line management as required in liaison with colleagues from The Christie. Ensure that the correct processes are in place for staff and system administrators to escalate issues which affect project delivery.
Provide training on research management and engagement to staff and stakeholders at all levels, including clinicians and management.
Support the project team to cover absence and allocation of workload in order to provide a consistently high level of service and keep to project deadlines.
Co-supervise PhD students by providing mentoring on fundamental research methods and to signpost to appropriate processes and personnel where necessary.
Link in with project management support networks such as Cancer Research Project Manager network or Research Project Manager Network.
Participate in Trust-wide/ University education programmes and study days, regional and national meetings and research seminars as appropriate.
Physical, mental and emotional effort
Long periods of time spent using keyboard to input information and use of VDU for electronic communication.
Prolonged concentration maybe required (e.g. when proofreading or checking through trial documentation).
Occasional exposure to distressed circumstances as trial patients are commonly suffering from terminal illnesses.
This advert closes on Friday 18 Apr 2025
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