Lead Research Practitioner

Posting date:	21 May 2025
Salary:	£46,148 to £52,809 per year
Additional salary information:	£46148 - £52809 a year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	03 June 2025
Location:	Plymouth, PL4 7PY
Company:	NHS Jobs
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	B9832-2025-NM-9774

Summary

The post holder is responsible for and autonomously able; to plan, organise, co-ordinate, implement and manage the operational delivery and performance of a diverse portfolio of concurrent, complex NIHR-adopted research studies. The post holder is responsible for monitoring and controlling for all aspects of approvals processes, resources, budget and participants safety whilst ensuring studies are recruited to time and target. The post holder is responsible for contemporaneous reporting on the progress of individual studies and the overall research portfolio to study centres and the local RDN, ensuring all stakeholders are apprised of any issues impacting on performance. The post holder is responsible for ensuring the research activity reporting requirements to the local and regional RDN are met. The post holder is responsible for compiling regular, comprehensive reports on all research activity to feed into Livewell Southwest Annual Quality Account and support the research element of the CQC (Care Quality Commission) Inspection Framework. The role facilitates the application of research within Livewell Southwest through the dissemination of results and information into evidence-based practice which can lead to improved clinical outcomes. Responsibility for People Management The post holder will manage the Research Administrative Support providing supervision, mentoring and research-specific training, this may expand with service development and portfolio demands. The post holder supports and mentors local RDN (Research Delivery Network) and academic staff whilst working on LSW specific projects, addressing HR issues, providing organisation-specific training and acts as a liaison point for clinical teams. The post holder will work closely with all clinical teams, leads and heads of service when setting up studies and will set up, design and deliver training as and when required. The post holder is responsible for identifying, giving, organising and/or monitoring research and study-specific training for all staff involved in NIHR studies, in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health & Social Care Research, GCP (Good Clinical Practice) and individual study requirements. This may include, but is not limited to, volunteers or staff from outside agencies, such as universities. The post holder must also ensure all HR processes are in order for staff and non-LSW employees who participate in LSW NIHR portfolio studies. The post holder will provide educational/teaching sessions as appropriate to all levels of staff, patients and carers thereby developing research awareness, culture and knowledge base by disseminating information about current studies, subsequent results and learning. The post holder engages with and contributes to the RDN Workforce Development Group to ensure LSW community-based research staff are represented and kept informed. Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources Carry out feasibility of studies to establish all financial and resource implications for the research and clinical teams, investigating alternative solutions where costs would be prohibitive but research considered a priority. Liaise with LSW and/or RDN managers to balance overall portfolio and financial demands. The post holder will highlight potential commercial study opportunities which may generate income for the organisation and/or studies with other cost-benefit. Monitor and manage all spend and resources for individual and a full portfolio of research studies to ensure all are run within budget. Liaise with and report all research-associated monies to the LSW and RDN regional Finance Office. The post holder will escalate financial issues, if required, to the CCG. The post holder maintains overall responsibility for liaising with individual study centres and LSW Finance Office to request invoices to cover all research-related costs in requested timescales, ensuring LSW, staff and participants are paid in a timely manner. The post holder will authorise Purchase Orders within authorised limits. Authorise and monitor all payments to research participants (cash, vouchers). The post holder has overall responsible for organising, monitoring/testing and safety of research-specific equipment and supplies (eg blood kits, cameras, assessments), delegating tasks where staff available. Responsibility for administration The post holder will complete complex documentation, eg study set-up, preparation of research activity reports for RDN and LSW and plan meeting structure/agenda for LSW/RDN joint meetings. Oversee and direct the maintenance and final archiving of all paper and electronic research study site files, documentation and patient data, ensuring they conform to protocol and practice guidelines and are kept up-to-date. Oversee and direct the timely and accurate input of patient data on secure databases as per individual study requirements and for whole portfolio recruitment activity reporting to the RDN. The post holder is responsible for ensuring research procedures and records are in order (demonstrating accuracy, completeness, legibility and timeliness of data) to meet the inspection requirements of external monitors and auditors. The post holder takes the lead in the monitoring visits. The post holder will delegate the organisation of routine meetings and activities to the Administrative Assistant and guide where more complex, eg Site Initiation Visits involving external parties and multiple staff from the organisation. The post holder will delegate routine administrative tasks, eg organise courier collections, posting of bloods, minutes etc. Responsibility for people who use our services/Clinical Leadership When determining the feasibility of running individual research studies, the protocol must be thoroughly analysed and pragmatic consideration given to the complex requirements of the study and their potential impact on the patient, clinical services and research team. A range of options will need to be considered and negotiation with the study centre may be required to resolve any issues to offer the best experience for the participants and successful delivery of the study. Feasibility and selection of individual research studies must also be analysed in the complex context of a wide portfolio of diverse studies from many different clinical areas, to best meet the needs of the local population but not over-burden clinical teams and other resources. The post holder will work without supervision whilst supporting others to adhere to Clinical Governance initiatives, appropriate code of professional conduct and organisational policies. The post holder is responsible for ensuring all research within Livewell SW will be conducted in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health & Social Care Research, Good Clinical Practice guidelines and all applicable regulatory requirements to provide assurance that the rights, safety and well-being of study participants are protected. For further details of the Lead Research Practitioner post, please see attached job description and person specification.