Head of Research and Development

Job overview

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to lead the Trust’s Research and Innovation Team in delivering the objectives of its Research and Innovation Strategy which aims to position GHC as a centre of research excellence.

Based at the Fritchie Research Centre in Cheltenham, the GHC research team delivers a variety of research and evaluation projects across many different clinical areas in both Mental and Physical health.

Working alongside our Clinical Directors for Research and the Regional Research Delivery Network the postholder will lead on developing the local research team, expanding the trust’s research capability across the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research portfolio, as well as supporting local teams and clinicians to develop their own research and evaluation projects.

They will work across a variety of clinical areas from Mental Health, Dementia, and Community-based services as well as primary care and general practice. The post will play a key role in creating and strengthening research partnerships with a range of local organisations such as the University of Gloucestershire, the COBALT imaging unit, local authorities, social care, as well as charity and voluntary organisations.

The Trust has a small, dedicated and ambitious research team who are focussed on putting GHC ‘on the map’ with support from a team leader with the same drive and ambition.

Main duties of the job

Provide highly skilled, professional leadership and operational delivery to implement national and local research strategies and plans to enable GHC to be recognised locally and nationally as a provider of the highest quality of care driven by evidence and a research culture.

Oversee the infrastructure and systems in place to ensure sound research development (portfolio, academic & commercial), governance and compliance across the Trust.

Ensure continued excellence with all research activity conducted within the Research Governance Framework, and other relevant UK and EU regulatory frameworks.

Manage staff and resources to enable a supportive and coherent mental health and community research unit across the Gloucestershire area served by GHC, to support effective study set-up and delivery.

Work with other research leaders across the Gloucestershire Health System (NHS, social care, education and voluntary sectors) to support system-wide approaches to research management and governance

Lead and develop a complex research culture that enables staff to develop research skills and / or use the results of research in practice for the benefit of patient care.

Provide expert, professional research advice to the delivery of the Trust’s Research activity.

Oversee expert research advice to the development of the Trust’s Research Centre.

Manage the Fritchie Centre environment resource once developed for Trust wide benefit.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for overseeing the set-up, maintenance, and close of studies adopted to the NIHR Portfolio, in accordance with local, national and international legislation.

The post holder will be operationally responsible for:

• Work with the Clinical Research Directors to design and develop long-term strategic plans, policies and initiatives to ensure the continuing advancement of research activities across the Trust
• Expert operational leadership of the Trust’s Research Strategy providing regular review and enabling positive development across the organisation and with research active practitioners from all disciplines.
• Developing, implementing and monitoring R&D policies to govern the conduct and management of both commercial and non-commercial research throughout the Trust in accordance with relevant regulations
• Engaging with research sponsors including commercial companies and academic departments.
• Act as a central focus for all matters pertaining to local research activities ensuring they are recognised as a vital component of the Trust’s core business.
• Promote partnership in R&D, facilitating researchers and other interested individuals, groups, communities to work effectively in partnership to advance quality R&D.
• Develop and promote appropriate NHS, Academic, voluntary and social care sector collaborative R&D through leadership of the service
• Act as an expert resource for the research team and Trust staff and undertake the management responsibilities for all Research Team staff.