Deputy Service Manager | The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	21 January 2026
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£55,690 - £62,682 Per annum, Pro rata
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	20 February 2026
Location:	Manchester, M20 4BX
Company:	The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7752071/413-102042-RI-DA

Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at The Christie in a key operational leadership role as Deputy Service Manager.

The CRF delivers early-phase and complex clinical trials across oncology including haematology, and is entering a period of significant planned growth and transformation. In 2026 we will undertake a major refurbishment of the unit, expand capacity, and transition towards a 24/7 operating model to support increasing trial complexity and activity. This role will be central to supporting the service through this change, ensuring strong operational delivery and excellent patient experience throughout.

The post holder will support the CRF Operational Lead and CRF Matron in providing high-quality, safe and efficient operational leadership across our three areas delivering day-case treatments, inpatient stays and outpatient clinics. They will manage a team of administrative and data management staff, work closely with multidisciplinary clinical teams, and deputise for the Operational Lead as required. The role will also contribute to NIHR Manchester CRF objectives and Trust-wide programmes, including work aligned with national research priorities and the UK Government’s response to the O’Shaughnessy Review to increase commercial trial access and participation.

The Deputy Service Manager will support the CRF Operational Lead and CRF Matron in delivering high-quality, safe and efficient operational management across our research portfolio.

You will play a key part in the CRF’s forthcoming transformation programme, including our planned refurbishment in 2026, expansion of research capacity and transition towards a 24/7 operating model. Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team, you will help implement new processes, support service redesign, and ensure the CRF is well-positioned to meet growing trial activity and national research ambitions.

Core responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day operations, managing the non-clinical staff, supporting delivery of NIHR and Trust objectives, analysing performance and activity data, managing budgets, and contributing to business cases and service development projects. The role also involves responding to operational challenges that affect trial delivery, coordinating improvement work, and representing the CRF at divisional and Trust meetings.

This is a key operational leadership role at the heart of the CRF as we undergo significant planned change. This is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and is committed to improving research delivery for patients.

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.

We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• To support the CRF Operational Lead and CRF Matron in the management and development of a wide service portfolio and to deputise for the Operational Lead where necessary
• To support the delivery of high quality, cost effective services to the Trust and NIHR
• Provide managerial support to clinical services across CRF and the wider division, ensuring that performance targets for these services are effectively monitored and achieved. This will include the identification of risks and actions required to mitigate such risks to ensure timely delivery of the objectives
• Interprets and analyses highly complex data in relation to performance management using Trust software to develop performance management reports
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require effective collaboration with others in department, division or Trust to enable a positive outcome
• Identify and undertake business development projects for specific services within the directorate, working across multidisciplinary teams to ensure service delivery and improved productivity is supported by robust business cases and options appraisals
• Provide teams with information about performance and ensure that such information is clearly understood to develop ownership and commitment to service delivery
• Maintain adequate controls on expenditure through the implementation of good budgetary practice for designated staff through effective monitoring
• Supports the clinical teams with day to day operational matters that have not been dealt with elsewhere, to ensure patient flow is maintained
• Investigate complaints and clinical incidents relating to services, ensuring that they are appropriately managed and necessary action taken, including changes in working practices implemented, where required
• Attend appropriate meetings ensuring the views of the CRF are conveyed and actions are implemented. Work closely with other managers to introduce new processes and improvements within the CRF, division and across the Trust
• Develops own work plan in line with directorate, divisional and Trust objectives
• Demonstrates the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour

Financial Management & Business Planning

• Responsible and accountable for, the management of designated budgets for services within CRF
• Be an authorised signatory for payments where appropriate
• Undertakes day to day budget management duties, including monitoring spend against designated budgets
• Assists leadership team in the negotiation of annual service level agreements/contracts as required, ensuring they meet the needs of the CRF
• Develops and monitors schemes and action plans to implement cash-releasing efficiency objectives.
• Develops and advises on business cases to enable services to remain financially stable and responsive to the demands placed upon them
• Contributes to budget setting for services within the directorate
• Ensures organisational procedures are deployed across CRF for control of activities against budget.
• Ensures that teams work to achieve organisational effectiveness and deliver services within available resources
• Uses and analyses financial information systems to ensure robust financial monitoring and budgetary performance, analyses complex financial queries or discrepancies in budget

Human Resource Management

• Line management and support of staff within immediate areas of responsibility
• Responsible for the effective attendance, performance and appropriate conduct of staff in areas of responsibility. Takes action under Trust personnel policies (e.g. grievance, disciplinary, capability, attendance management) where necessary. Undertakes formal investigations and presents to panels
• To lead, supervise and manage staff to ensure that work is done effectively, efficiently and on time
• Provides appraisal/performance review for line managed staff resulting in clearly understood objectives and personal development plans that reflects both the needs of the Trust and the longer term goals of staff.
• Handle any concerns of supervised staff relating to both personal and departmental matters and aim to find solutions
• Ensures that grievances and whistle blowing are treated appropriately and within Trust policies
• Manage the administration processes for the recruitment and selection of staff (including setting up the interviews & completing the necessary paperwork for the eventual appointments) and induction process

• Identify staffing needs necessary to support new and increasing workload of the CRF
• Regularly assess existing posts within the CRF, make changes when necessary to assure levels of service and implement more efficient ways of working


Strategic planning, service development and improvement

• Supporting the Operations Lead to interpret, develop and implement broad policies, NIHR and NHS guidance at both CRF and divisional level, when required
• Ensures that developments and improvements are across entire patient pathway and are in line with CRF, divisional, Trust and NIHR objectives
• Manages improvement in patient and carer experience and the efficiency with which services operate by using service redesign techniques such as process mapping, demand and capacity analysis and statistics process control whilst simultaneously embedding the use of these tools within CRF
• Ensures patients and relatives have a central role in the development and monitoring of service development projects for which the post holder is responsible
• Uses and interprets research and audit findings to aid the development of new guidelines and protocols which support service improvements
• Ensures regular progress reports, data sources and project reports are produced and submitted to the Operations Lead and presented to project boards/NIHR where appropriate
• Plays a key role in service planning and development for the CRF business, administration, and performance

Information Management

• Assisting the CRF Operations Lead, CRF Matron and Divisional Management with information to support reporting requirements, such as cancer targets/ activity
• To support, where necessary, preparations for external reviews and quality assurance programmes
• Co-ordinating responses to consultation documents and special initiatives
• Liaise with the Information and Data Quality Team regarding patient waiting times and investigate and resolve any potential waiting time breaches.

Communication

• Maintains a range of highly developed effective communication and working relationships.
• Communicates at the highest level, with respect to highly sensitive and highly contentious information regarding service improvement and development
• Negotiates, influences, persuades and reconciles conflicting views in a challenging and sometimes hostile environment in a manner that ensures credibility and fosters effective and lasting relationships with colleagues, staff, users and other stakeholders.
• Presents information both formally and informally to, appropriate boards and committees, senior managers, staff groups and patients.
• Develops and implements processes that support good communications both within the Trust and division.
• Actively works with clinicians, managers and staff to develop an environment that promotes continuous service improvement.
• Employs motivational skills to encourage collaborative working to improve services and performance.

Equality and Diversity

• To recognise the importance of people’s rights and interpret them in a way that is consistent with Trust procedures, policies and legislation
• To challenge behaviour that infringes the rights of others
• To identify and take action where necessary to address discrimination and oppression

Health & Safety

• Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others in own work area
• Identify and assess potential risks in work activities and help others in how to manage these risks appropriately
• Act as a role model and work within legislation and Trust procedures on risk management
• Take immediate and appropriate action including supporting others to manage risks in relation to adverse incident reporting via hospital incident reporting system
• Identify training needs in health and safety whilst identifying appropriate resources

Additional Requirements


• In the absence of CRF Operations Lead, attend meetings, deputising as required, ensuring CRF views are conveyed on appropriate matters, such as clinical governance, risk management meetings and ensure issues are brought back to the CRF and division for further discussion.
• Follow risk management procedures at all times including the identification, assessment and management of risk within the division
• Inclusion on the trust Duty Manager Rota
• To abide by all Trust policies and procedures
• To be responsible for own professional /personal development.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive but reflects the main responsibilities of the post holder. Other duties may be required from time to time, which are commensurate with the grade of the post. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

We are looking for a highly motivated, forward-thinking individual with excellent operational knowledge. The successful candidate will bring strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the confidence to work collaboratively with colleagues at all levels and across professions.

This is a unique opportunity to join the CRF at a pivotal moment, helping to shape the future delivery of early-phase oncology research and ensuring our facility continues to provide outstanding care and an excellent trial experience for patients.


This advert closes on Wednesday 4 Feb 2026

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