Senior Research Practitioner

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The specific responsibilities will depend on the requirements of each team, but may include:

Clinical Research Delivery & Co-ordination
• To act as a primary contact point for the clinical trial patients for defined clinical trials and act as adviser to other health care professionals.
• Interview, recruit, take informed consent and support patients and carers in clinical trials/studies. This involves educating patients on the trials involved, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of taking part in trials, whilst always remaining unbiased.
• Ensure the provision of optimal patient care by alerting appropriate clinical colleagues when referral to other members of the MDT may be required.
• Be responsible for the safe and accurate collection of research samples and data, through clinical procedures such as venepuncture, and history taking, standard observations and other assessments including questionnaires, rated scales, qualitative interviewing as required by the protocol.
• Centrifuge, process, track and ship samples in line with protocol requirements
• Work with the clinical trials team and investigators to develop strategies to overcome barriers to recruitment and to solve other problems relating to specific studies
• Work with other departments within the Trust to ensure that trial specific investigations and procedures are undertaken as required by the trial protocol, to establish eligibility and safety of patients within clinical trials.
• Act as a key point of contact with the R&D core team, study sponsors, clinical research organisations and specific research teams.
• Manage the set up and initiation of allocated clinical trials within assigned Clinical Research Teams.
• Where delegated to do so, set up and maintain study site files in accordance with GCP and Trust SOPs.
• Understand and deliver protocols in accordance with regulatory requirements
• Ensure all clinical trial activities are recorded in appropriate systems in a timely manner.
• Maintain adequate patient records and ensure all relevant information is documented in the patient's notes.
• Oversee and complete case report forms and participate in monitoring visits as per sponsor requirements.
• Ensure that all documents are archived in the appropriate way by following the Trust's archiving guidelines.
• Undertake general administrative tasks as delegated by managerial representatives from the R&D division to contribute to the smooth running of the patient recruitment teams.
• Attend research team meetings to maintain an overview of team activity.
• Awareness of trial specific, regional and national targets. Identify and implement strategies for recruiting patients to clinical trials ensuring that targets for patient recruitment are delivered.

Clinical Service Responsibilities
• Demonstrate awareness of divisional and trust strategic objectives including performance indicators and metrics.
• Escalation of governance issues impacting on delivery of job purpose.
• Participate in monitoring and audit activities within research team

Management
• Provide induction support and training to new and existing clinical trials staff, including development of training sessions and guidance documents.
• Encourage the sharing of best practice and dissemination of information through regular structured meetings with all trials administration staff.
• Assist with metric tracking for performance indicators including mandatory training requirements, divisional key performance indicators (i.e. time to recruiting first patient from NHS permission, patient recruitment to time and target), amendment timelines and divisional absences.

PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
• Maintain professional development whilst evaluating own specialist knowledge with assistance from their assigned line manager to satisfy the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.
• Participate in and deliver Trust-wide education programmes and study days, regional and national meetings and research seminars as appropriate.

PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFORT
• Long periods of time spent using keyboard to input information and use of VDU for electronic communication.
• Prolonged concentration is regularly required (e.g. when checking through trial documentation and entering data into spreadsheets).
• Occasional exposure to distressed circumstances as trial patients are commonly suffering from terminal illnesses.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Scientific Degree or relevant experience in scientific and medical research

Desirable criteria

• Post Graduate certificate in Clinical Research or other relevant post graduate qualification/experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in clinical trials administration, data management involving clinical trials or project coordination or Experience of working within a health care system and within a multidisciplinary clinical team
• NHS experience

Desirable criteria

• Collection and processing of bloods
• Experience working in oncology
• Experience dealing with queries from patients and their families regarding sensitive issues

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good oral and written communication skills
• IT literate
• Attention to detail

Desirable criteria

• Advanced use of spreadsheets
• Ability to create PowerPoint presentations and other Microsoft office applications
• Ability and willingness to train in clinical skills

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of clinical research
• GCP guidelines/EU directives
• Knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of patient information systems

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Knowledge of oncology

Other

Essential criteria

• Tactful and diplomatic
• Flexible
• Conscientious and hardworking
• Ability to work unsupervised or as part of a team
• Ability to work to tight and/or unexpected deadlines

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of CPD
• Evidence of achievement under pressure

Values

Essential criteria

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• JD & PS (PDF, 221.0KB)
• The Christie Values and Behaviours (PDF, 919.5KB)
• Strategy Brochure (PDF, 1.0MB)
• Trust Membership - Christie Talent (PDF, 23.0KB)
• Travel to The Christie (PDF, 3.8MB)