NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network North London Network Director - Band 9

We are seeking an experienced leader for the post of Regional Research Delivery Network Director for the North London Region.

The North London RRDN Director is the senior officer responsible for the overall leadership, delivery and management of the RRDN. They will oversee and drive the work of the RRDN Strategic Development, Operations and Health & Care Research Directors.

The purpose of the RDN is to support the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health and care system in England for the benefit of patients, the health and care system and the economy. The RRDN Director will be accountable for enabling this regionally in North London by providing efficient, effective and nationally consistent supporting services and activities in line with the requirements of the RRDN Host Organisation Contract with the Department of Health and Social Care, with particular emphasis on addressing the needs of the life sciences industry (across both commercial contract and commercial collaborative research).

Main duties of the job

Supported by the RRDN senior team, the RRDN Director will be accountable for devising and delivering a 3-year RRDN Strategic Implementation Plan in line with the RDN national strategic aims. The RRDN Strategic Implementation Plan will be developed in conjunction with regional partners, including NHSE regional offices, ICSs, AHSNs, patients and the public, and should

• include measures to tackle health inequalities, and
• deliver the objectives of the NIHR Best Research for Best Health and Saving and Improving Lives: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery March 2021, Lord O'Shaughnessy's review and any subsequent national reviews and policy directives

The RRDN Director will be a member of the RDN Board which also includes representatives from the RDN Coordinating Centre and Department of Health and Social Care. As a RDN Board member the RRDN Director will be a senior leader and ambassador for RDN, contributing to the ongoing development of the vision, direction and strategic aims for the RDN at national level and translating this into deliverable priorities regionally. Alongside their regional responsibilities the RRDN Director will co-develop and lead national programmes of work on behalf of the RDN Board.

The RRDN Director will be accountable for the financial management of the allocated RRDN funding (�35 million per annum, per RRDN region on average), ensuring that the funding is used appropriately and effectively.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within Barts Health at this band.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact:

Rupert Pearse, Director of Clinical Research:rupert.pearse@nhs.net

Alistair Chesser, Group Chief Medical Officer via Sharon Piller-Argent, Business Manager:sharon.piller-argent1@nhs.net

****As part of the interviews, there will be a stakeholder session on the 17th October 2023 and interviews on the 27th October 2023****

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachments.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Masters level qualification or equivalent
• Executive level management qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Comprehensive understanding of research, the NHS and the wider health and care system including associated responsibilities to the public and patients
• Experience of working in the health and care research sector, the health and social care service sector or academic environment at a senior level
• Professional research leadership, both strategic and operational at a senior level
• Experience of working across complex organisational structures and effective matrix management
• Proven senior level experience of leading and delivering complex change and strategy development programmes in a politically sensitive and complex environment
• Significant experience of managing a large budget with solid knowledge of financial process requirements
• Experience of leading business planning cycles from concept to delivery
• Direct experience of business planning and robust financial management at appropriate scale
• Knowledge of national systems, structures and processes for supporting clinical research in NHS and non-NHS settings
• Experience of working collaboratively and in partnership with other organisations, with demonstrable experience of delivery across organisational boundaries
• Evidence of managing effective collaborations and partnerships
• Good understanding of performance management techniques
• Knowledge of utilising Business Intelligence solutions to work within a performance management framework
• Political astuteness and understanding of the health & social care context
• Comprehensive knowledge of programme sponsorship and management
• Experience of leading continuous improvement

Desirable

• Understanding of governance and legislative framework for clinical research in the NHS
• Executive level experience

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Highly developed leadership, strategic thinking and planning skills with ability to demonstrate these in highly political environments
• Proven leadership skills in the management of change
• Demonstrable ability to use autonomy to undertake actions as a result of own interpretation of policy and guidance, providing a source of expert advice to the organisation
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues
• Proven interpersonal skills to work with clinical and management colleagues at all levels across a range of organisations and the ability to develop strong working relationships with senior stakeholders
• Ability to deal with challenging situations in a formal setting
• Strong external communications skills in a politically sensitive environment with knowledge of and experience in handling media relations
• Advanced negotiation skills to reconcile stakeholder organisation expectations of financial allocations and within challenging fiscal environments
• Ability to communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information orally and in writing, both internally and externally, to a range of audiences
• Extensive experience of delivering presentations to large groups of stakeholders in often pressured and politically sensitive environments to a high standard (Board level quality)
• Ability to analyse and interpret highly complex information to make judgements regarding a range of highly complex management issues
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to grasp critical issues and distil them into clear arguments/cases and be able to articulate these verbally or in written form
• Ability to plan, manage, adjust and deliver complex projects involving multiple agencies and individuals and a broad range of activities to tight deadlines
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to understand the long term or widespread implications of decisions
• Willingness to challenge existing practice
• Good IT skills, particularly in use of Web applications and MS Office applications
• Ability to travel to different locations across the region and nationally to attend meetings and conferences, representing the RDN
• Ability to use Google Suite products

Value and Personal Qualities

Essential

• Highly motivated with the ability to lead and inspire others
• Appreciation of the impact of organisational culture on service delivery
• Lives by values which include openness, collaboration, responsiveness, inclusion, personal integrity and creating positive cultures where these values thrive
• Commitment to supporting the development of staff and understanding of workforce planning
• Flexible approach to working
• Attention to detail
• Outcomes focussed
• Acts as a champion for patients and their interests, ensuring the patients' voice has an impact on RDN activities
• Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do
• Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
• Consistently looks to improve what they do and seeks out innovation
• Self-awareness with regard to emotional intelligence, biases and sensitivities
• Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values

Employer details

Employer name

Barts Health NHS Trust

Address

Central London, TBC

London

E14 5HJ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

259-5648719GSS