Agile Research Delivery Team Research Facilitator

Job overview

The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care to support the country’s world-class research system to deliver high-quality research that enables the best care for our population.

Our vision is that the UK is a global leader in the delivery of high quality, commercial and non-commercial research that is inclusive, accessible, and improves health and care. Our mission is to enable the health and care system to attract, optimise and deliver research across England. We do this as part of the NIHRs overall mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop new skills and support our population to participate in research opportunities across community, residential, primary care, hospital and wider care settings?

We are seeking an enthusiastic and innovative individual to join our Agile Research Delivery Team as a Research Facilitator, to provide Research Support to Wider Care Settings. The primary purpose of this role is to engage with organisations in Wider Care Settings to promote research activity and to lead the setup of NIHR Portfolio studies across a variety of health and care settings. There is also scope for the post holder to learn the necessary skills and experience required to deliver NIHR Portfolio studies as a Clinical Research Practitioner.

Main duties of the job

Our Agile Research Delivery Team is a group of dedicated staff based in our Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) across England. They are skilled, multi-disciplinary staff who can work flexibly across a variety of different locations to support research setup and delivery in health and social care.

Our regional teams can support studies at various stages as needed. Examples include:

• Engagement of sites
• supporting the set-up of research
• helping with screening
• taking consent from participants
• recruitment to studies
• data management and follow-up

One of our key aims is to ensure that everyone across the country has the opportunity to take part in research that might be suitable for them. Delivering health and social care research in places where people already access a wide variety of services, helps us to do that.

Through our flexible and multi-disciplinary study support and Agile Research Delivery Team, we can help you deliver research in a wide range of settings. These include:

• GP surgeries
• hospices
• care homes
• sheltered accommodation
• schools
• community hubs
• places of worship
• prisons
• people’s homes

• Interview Date Wednesday 12 November 2025
• 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy.  Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The North East and North Cumbria Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) is hosted by The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

We welcome applications from people who have experience in the setup of health and social care research and/or working with organisations in Wider Care settings.

This role will require regular travel between premises across the geographical footprint of the North East and North Cumbria RRDN, however the post holder will be based at either Regent Point in Gosforth or James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

The focus for this role is to lead the delivery and/or set up of National Institute for Health and Care Research Research Delivery Network (NIHR RDN) Portfolio studies across varied health and care settings. This will require flexible autonomous working across disciplines and the Regional RDN (RRDN) region. This post has a dual function and the post holder will either lead on research delivery and/or research support for wider care settings dependent upon regional need. Research delivery will involve the correct identification, recruitment, delivery and follow up for research participants according to the appropriate research protocols. Research support will involve engaging with stakeholders to promote research activity, site identification, set up and associated governance.

The post holder will need interpersonal and leadership skills to facilitate collaborative working relationships across a breadth of stakeholders to maximise engagement opportunities.

This post may contribute to line management for and leadership of a team of research delivery staff working autonomously in a variety of specialties and settings.

The role will work alongside different professions from multiple organisations involved in health and care research and will be an integral part of the Agile Research Delivery Team which sits within the RRDN core team. The post holder will also work closely with the Study Support Service and the Stakeholder and Engagement team. The post holder will be accountable to the Agile Research Delivery Team Manager.