Project Officer - Cancer Research (UK) Clinical Trials Unit - 57354 - Grade 6

Position Details

This vacancy is open to internal candidates only.

Cancer Research (UK) Clinical Trials Unit, College of Medical and Dental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,511 to £30,046 with potential progression once in post to £33,797 a year.

Grade 6

Full Time / Fixed Term Contract to 28 February 2022

Closing date 10 May 2021

Background

The Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) is one of the largest UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) registered clinical trials units in the country and specialises in running cancer clinical trials. The Unit has an extensive portfolio of phase I, II and III clinical trials in adults and children covering a wide range of disease sites. The CRCTU employs a multidisciplinary team of over 150 staff including statisticians, systematic reviewers, trial management staff, research nurses, monitors, programmers, administrators and IT staff.

The Children's Cancer Clinical Trial Team (CCTT) has been awarded a Horizon 2020 European Union (EU)-funded project called ChiLTERN, working with 20 European partners. The ChiLTERN project is based within the CRCTU.

Summary of Role

The Project Officer will provide administrative and project management support to the senior staff responsible for the delivery of ChiLTERN, which includes the ChiLTERN Project Manager and the CCTT Trial Management Team Leader. The Project Officer will assist with report preparation, administrative support for grant applications and publications, publicity, financial management and general administrative & project support duties.

The post requires a proactive approach, needing a sound understanding and appreciation of clinical trials and detailed experience of operational administration. The post carries significant responsibility and requires detailed interaction with clinicians, trial management staff and funding bodies; effective communication, analytical, presentation and inter-personal skills are therefore vital.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

• Work with the Project Manager and CCTT Trial Management Team Leader to develop and implement administrative systems and processes to ensure the efficient and smooth management of the ChiLTERN project, making recommendations for improvement, and being responsible for initiating changes.
• Monitor and provide regular reports to the Project Manager regarding budgets and expenditure relating to ChiLTERN activity, including monitoring of expenditure and regular invoicing/tracking of payments to optimally use monies.
• Work with Project Manager to maintain staff resource plans.
• Provide professional administrative support including drafting reports and business cases, and collating information.
• Contribute to funding applications. Working with industry and other funders to generate income; to proactively target business development opportunities and identify and support applications to specific funding sources to support industry/academia partnerships.
• Coordinate the preparation and submission of publications relating to clinical trials and associated translational projects.
• Develop, promote and organise publicity and research events, including study days and educational seminars.
• To organise and manage meetings as required with internal and external organisations.
• Design, manage and maintain project specific web pages within the CRCTU website.
• To initiate, design and develop periodic newsletters for distribution to key stakeholders.
• Other duties appropriate to the grade may be assigned to the post.
• Support the delivery of clinical research in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), the Declaration of Helsinki, applicable legislation (including, but not limited to, the Medicines for Human Use Clinical Trials Regulations, Data Protection Act 1998, Human Tissue Act), the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care, Caldicott principals, and applicable NHS Trust and University policies and procedures, (including, but not limited to the University's Data Protection Policy, Information Security Policy and Code of Practice for Research) in order to protect the research subject and the quality of each study.
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

• Person Specification
• A graduate with experience in health care and/or the education sector or other directly relevant experience.
• Ability to empathise with the academic aims and objectives of the CRCTU, through a background in a relevant or related area of science, and commitment to the aims and objectives of the CRCTU.
• Experience of successful external funding proposal development and detailed awareness of the funding environment for research.
• Proven project management skills.
• Experience of costing budgets and developing systems to plan and control expenditure.
• Excellent IT skills, particularly in spreadsheets and database management, and the ability to develop and implement output and outcome monitoring and reporting systems.
• An ability to manage own workload autonomously and also to be able to work in a team environment with colleagues from different professional backgrounds. Can take own decisions to organise the work of a professional team under management guidance.
• Ability to prioritise and to schedule workloads in the face of conflicting demands, maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
• Clear and articulate written and verbal communication and high level interpersonal skills are an essential part of the role in order to establish the necessary key relationships both internally and externally to the CRCTU.
• Ability to negotiate with confidence, tact and diplomacy across a diverse range of organisations and cultures; and is comfortable negotiating with all levels of staff internally and externally.
• Ability to meet the travel needs of the post which includes travel in the Birmingham area and further afield on occasion.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Further particulars can be found here: http://www.download.bham.ac.uk/vacancies/jd/MDSFPs.pdf

Informal enquiries can be made to Nicola Fenwick, N.Fenwick@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.