Senior Contracts Associate

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King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.7 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

Job overview

This is a post working across King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KCH). The post holder will support the R&D Contracts Managers on the provision of non-commercial research contracts for the Trusts. This includes working on, and eventually leading on, a variety of agreement types including: financial, drug, device and service supply agreements. This role will work alongside and complement the non-commercial KHP R&D Contract Manager activities and is seen very much as a training role for an aspiring contracts manager.

The post holder will be required to manage and provide guidance and support to KCH investigators through the due diligence processes associated with submitting grant applications to external funding bodies.

The post holder will be required to develop a good understanding of the clinical research funding environment including cost attribution.

The post holder will be responsible for preparing the costing proformas for all non-commercial Grant applications as well as costings where KCH are participating as a site in a study.

Main duties of the job

• To negotiate on behalf of the Trusts the best possible legal and financial contractual terms for non-commercial research studies where the Trust is acting as a lead Sponsor or Co-Sponsor with King's College London
• To be responsible for drafting, reviewing and amending agreements connected to research undertaken in the Trust
• Support the R&D Contracts Manager on the development of bespoke agreements for a range of contract types including clinical trial agreements, site agreements, confidentiality agreements, collaborative and consortium agreements, service level agreements, expressions of interest and other arrangements for both national and international studies
• In conjunction with the R&D Contracts Manager, be responsible for deciding upon the suitability of proposed contractual terms of agreements and for negotiating these terms, in accordance with Trust requirements
• Cost proposals for new studies, agree prices and cost with funders and investigators
• Line management of the band 5 Costings and Contracts Officer
• Joint responsibility for efficient management of the costings and the contracts inbox, trackers and dashboards - ensuring information is updated in real time

Working for our organisation

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Policy and Service
• To contribute to the review and development of existing information management systems and contribute to the development of an integrated approach to contract management within the R&D department
• To contribute to the development of policies and procedures related to contract analysis, monitoring and performance
• To have a knowledge of national policies as they apply to acute and all other services e.g. Payment by Results and advise accordingly on the impact and local implementation of these policies.

Finance
• To facilitate the implementation of contracts ensuring value for money and services.
• Comply with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.
• To support negotiation of complex, wide reaching contracts and contract amendments.

Information
• To maintain robust information recording and reporting systems on a service basis to deliver activity and finance information against contracts.
• To analyse and interpret highly complex activity/finance reports from various sources and make recommendations on corrective actions or opportunities as appropriate.
• To be responsible for taking formal minutes as required.

Communication
• To build and maintain good working relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders on all matters to do with the contracting of pathology services.
• To use a wide range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate highly complex information to staff, services and the senior managers.
• To prepare and present complex contractual and financial information to a wide range of audiences.
• To be able to negotiate, persuade and motivate service providers, staff and others in circumstances where there may be significant barrier to acceptance.

General
• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To live and role model the King's Values of:
- Understanding you
- Inspiring confidence in our care
- Working together
- Always aiming higher
- Making a difference in our community
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.

Safe Guarding

The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;
• attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
• familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns
• reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.

These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.

Person specification

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of research contracts in particular, the review, drafting and amendment of such contracts
• Experience of contracting in a health care sector an academic or corporate / commercial environment
• Health care and/or academic research governance and / or Health Research Authority ethics experience
• Knowledge and understanding of non-commercial research deliverables in the NHS
• Experience of costing research projects and grant applications

Desirable criteria

• Project management experience
• Knowledge and understanding of Intellectual Property Rights
• Line management experience

Communication and Networking

Essential criteria

• Work closely with clinical, academic and other staff at all levels and across the partner organisations and to develop effective working relationships
• Support effective team working and work flexibly to support the non-commercial workload
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate effectively with researchers, consultants and staff from different disciplines and administrators at all levels Ability to communicate legal and other technical information in an easily understood manner

Decision Making, Planning and Problem Solving

Essential criteria

• Giving appropriate advice regarding the contractual and financial terms of contracts to stakeholders
• Ability to analyse and interpret research project information and ability to make judgements regarding a range of highly complex research management issues
• Excellent analytical approach to problem solving and careful attention to detail

Personal Characteristics / Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• Highly enthusiastic, professional and accountable
• Autonomous, highly motivated with the ability to work unsupervised and as part of a diverse team
• Able to persuade people to their point of view without causing resentment or damaging working relationships
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Calm and approachable demeanor with a flexible approach to working and a commitment to quality culture
• Have an interest in research in the NHS

Education / Qualification and Training

Essential criteria

• Degree in relevant field of study
• Training in research or biomedical science (Diploma) or equivalent experience in research

Desirable criteria

• Contract Qualification

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Click here to see the range of benefits we offer
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust's criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Due to a high volume of applications, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. It is therefore recommended that you apply promptly

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications

King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website

King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 264.4KB)
• Denmark Hill Site Map (PDF, 1.2MB)
• Princess Royal (PRUH) Site map (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Visa and Sponsorship Information (PDF, 352.6KB)