Research Contracts Manager

Job overview

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is an international leader in cancer research. We aim to be one of the world’s leading centres for research involving patients with cancer. We work to transform the detection of illness and clinical care of patients by undertaking innovative research to improve the outcomes of their care.

Research at The Christie is managed through robust governance measures. At the heart of these is the negotiation of contracts which protect the interests of patients and manage risk. The delivery of contracts in good time is essential for securing sustainable funding from commercial, charitable and public sources.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong contract negotiation and preparation skills who is enthusiastic about offering patients more opportunities to participate in clinical research.

Training will be provided, if required.

Flexible working arrangement requests will be considered, and we support requests for secondment from other roles in patient research in the NHS.

We welcome informal discussion about the role before applying.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will advise research colleagues on the contracting arrangements needed for clinical trials and other research projects, especially research sponsored by Christie. They will provide advice about where contracts are needed to cover the receipt and payment of funding, appropriate human tissue management, protection of personal data and the development and protection of intellectual property.

The role will provide dedicated contract negotiation requiring close liaison with charitable and commercial funding bodies, other NHS organisations, academic institutions and companies engaged in the development of pharmaceutical or other healthcare products. Advances in technology, especially AI, are moving at pace in cancer research and the contracts managers are expected to keep up to date with the opportunities and pitfalls which accompany such advances. Our contracts team is at the heart of research projects to share, exchange and combine personal data for increased patient benefit.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Clinical Trial and Other Research Contracts
• Review and negotiate all confidentiality agreements where third parties disclose information to the Trust which may lead to research activity.
• Review and negotiate contracts with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and other NHS organisations to ensure that the rights of patients and the Trust are protected throughout clinical trials. Clear and comprehensive clauses dealing with funding, data protection and confidentiality, liability and indemnity in particular are essential.
• Review and negotiate contracts with third parties to support the Trust in delivering clinical trials, for example, where certain services are required by the trial protocol but are not available at the Trust.
• Liaise with research investigators, service support departments and research delivery teams at the Trust to ensure contracting arrangements accurately reflect the rights and responsibilities of the Trust and the other party to the contract.
• Liaise with the Income and Costing Team so that the team can complete a comprehensive review of the financial requirements in clinical trial contracts and, in particular, support the team to implement national costing arrangements through contracts.
• Take responsibility for the correct use of the trial management system in place at the Trust to ensure effective review and monitoring of trial contracts from first sight through to contract execution.
• Liaise with external solicitors to obtain specialist advice on legal and regulatory issues affecting delivery of clinical trials at the Trust. Instruct external solicitors to draft or review contracts for technical matters where legal support is required.
• Identify and prepare, using a template wherever possible, the most appropriate contracting arrangements for research projects which sit outside the Trust’s clinical trial activity e.g. data sharing with other research organisations.
• Initiate and/or participate in structured risk assessments to identify, classify and minimise risk to the Trust arising under clinical trial and other research contracts.
• Ensure that investigators, service support departments and research delivery teams are aware of their responsibilities under clinical trial and other research contracts.
• Provide training on clinical trial contracts to the research delivery teams so that they understand key contractual characteristics.
• Contribute to the design and monitoring of meaningful performance measures to ensure confidence in the trial contract review process.
• Participate fully in the formulation and implementation of policies and procedures connected to contracting for research activity at the Trust
• Christie-Sponsored Trials

Support the Trust’s sponsor team and the R&D Solicitor Consultant by reviewing and negotiating the contracts required to deliver clinical trials and other research sponsored by the Trust. Contracts play an essential part in allowing the Trust to maintain oversight of sponsored activity and must cover audit and monitoring as well as clearly defining the obligations of the contracting parties.

• Communication and relationship skills

The post holder will be expected to:

• build good working relationships quickly with research delivery teams;
• possess the communication and interpersonal skills required to negotiate the terms of contracts with third parties; and
• positively communicate the Trust’s approach to research when dealing with commercial organisations, regulatory bodies, academic institutions and other NHS organisations.
• Knowledge, training and experience

The post holder will be required to:

• keep up to date with and apply changes to current practice;
• maintain knowledge of relevant guidance and good practice;
• attend training and workshops that are related to the role.
• Analytical skills

The post holder will be required to negotiate in the interests of the Trust based on their understanding and judgement of the necessity and relevance of clauses within contracts.

• Planning and organisational skills
• The post-holder will identify and plan a broad range of complex functions to improve delivery of the dedicated contracts service and/or the processes which the service supports. The post holder will work individually, and in collaboration with colleagues in the R&I Office and across research delivery and service departments as well as with external organisations whose contributions they have identified as being necessary to plan for change.
• The post holder will organise activities or programmes to deliver plans for improvement by arranging meetings, ensuring outcomes are followed up, notifying appropriate colleagues of any matters concerning finance, research governance, risk and quality and gaining senior management approval to plans where appropriate.
• The post holder will mostly work independently but will be expected to seek guidance from R&D Solicitor Consultant and, where appropriate, other colleagues on sensitive or difficult issues arising in relation to trial or other research contracts.
• The post holder will prioritise his or her own workload but will also work flexibly to meet deadlines as required.
• Demonstrates the agreed set of Trust values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.