Job requirements
Essential
24 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Skills
Highly developed strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Skills
Ability to influence, negotiate, and lead with autonomy.
- Skills
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to brief senior leaders and external stakeholders where there may be hostile or sometimes emotive atmosphere.
- Skills
Ability to manage complex, competing priorities in a high-pressure environment.
- Skills
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret performance data and identify emerging risks.
- Skills
Ability to work autonomously and make sound judgements in ambiguous situations.
- Knowledge
In-depth understanding of Clinical research delivery pathways.
- Knowledge
Understanding of system-level barriers to recruitment, feasibility, and study set-up.
- Knowledge
Demonstrable understanding of the commercial drivers, financial risks and reputational considerations associated with commercial clinical research delivery
- Knowledge
Understanding of commercial clinical trial delivery models.
- Knowledge
Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality
- Experience
Significant experience working at a senior strategic level within the NHS, research delivery, R&D, or a complex healthcare system.
- Experience
Proven track record of leading and delivering large-scale change across organisational or system boundaries.
- Experience
Experience of improving performance against challenging delivery targets.
- Experience
Experience of working with multiple stakeholders, including senior clinicians, managers, and external partners.
- Experience
Experience of analysing complex information and translating it into actionable strategy.
- Experience
Experience of working across multiple Trusts, ICSs, or regional systems.
- Experience
Experience of engagement with commercial sponsors and/or life sciences partners.
- Experience
Experience of holding accountability for highly complex programmes with material impact on organisational performance, income, reputation or external assurance
- Experience
Experience of contributing to regional or national working groups, programmes, or policy development.
- Experience
Evidence of operating successfully at senior strategic level with accountability for organisation-wide or system-wide performance
- Qualifications
Postgraduate degree qualification or equivalent professional qualification, or equivalent level of experience at a senior level in healthcare management, research, public health or a related field
- Qualifications
Evidence of ongoing professional development.
- Qualifications
Knowledge of NHS research governance, NIHR infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks (e.g. GCP, UK Policy Framework).
Desirable
4 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Skills
Experience of designing or implementing innovative recruitment or research delivery models.
- Skills
Ability to represent an organisation credibly at regional or national level.
- Knowledge
Knowledge of data-driven performance management and improvement methodologies.
- Qualifications
Formal leadership or management training.
Job overview
Closing Date: 29.10.26
Shortlisting to take place w/c:commencing 30.10.26
Interview expected to take place w/c:commencing 09.11.26
We are seeking an experienced & influential Strategic Delivery Manager to provide senior strategic leadership across the NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre: Bradford & West Yorkshire. This is a key system leadership role, responsible for developing & delivering long-term programmes that strengthen commercial clinical research performance, capacity & sustainable growth across partner organisations.
Working across organisational boundaries & with a high degree of autonomy, you will lead strategies to improve feasibility, study set-up & participant recruitment, strengthen sponsor relationships, maximise commercial research income and support achievement of national performance expectations, including the 150-day First Participant Recruited target.
You will work with senior clinical and operational leaders, commercial sponsors, NIHR infrastructure, primary care, system partners and national stakeholders to remove barriers to research delivery and resolve complex issues. You will also help shape future delivery models, workforce and infrastructure plans, investment priorities and innovative approaches that expand access to commercial research across Bradford and West Yorkshire.
Main duties of the job
Applicants must have significant experience operating at a senior strategic level within the NHS, research delivery, R&D or a similarly complex healthcare system, together with a proven track record of leading large-scale change across organisational or system boundaries. You will need experience of improving performance against challenging delivery targets and of working successfully with senior clinicians, managers, external partners and commercial or life sciences sponsors.
You will be a highly developed strategic thinker and problem solver, able to analyse complex information, identify emerging risks and translate evidence into clear strategy and action. Exceptional communication, influencing and negotiation skills are essential, alongside the confidence to lead autonomously, manage competing priorities and represent the CRDC credibly in complex and sensitive discussions.
Applicants should have a postgraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification, or equivalent senior-level experience in healthcare management, research, public health or a related field, with evidence of ongoing professional development. An in-depth understanding of clinical research delivery pathways, NIHR structures and performance metrics, research governance and regulatory requirements, and commercial clinical trial delivery models is essential.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information before applying for this role.
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.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Strategic Delivery Manager (NIHR CRDC:Bradford & West Yorkshire) with Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bradford, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Manager role. The advertised salary is £66,582 - £77,368 per annum. The contract type is 36 months (Fixed Term for 3 years). The application deadline is 29 Oct 2026.
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