PPI Manager (BTRU)

Job summary

This is a 0.4WTE post working 15 hours per week.UCLH is hosting a new PPI manager (Patient and Public Involement) post on behalf of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) for data driven transfusion practice. The BTRU has been awarded 5 years' funding to research how data can be better used in blood transfusion services.

Data-driven approaches have real potential to improve transfusion practices. Concerns about security and privacy when data is used in research have become topics of public debate, and the BTRU is keen to engage with patients, donors and the public to develop understanding of how data can be used and to ensure their input into design of research strategy and studies.

The BTRU is looking for a PPI manager to take this exciting work forward. We are looking for a person with a strong background in research PPIE who is bursting with ideas and keen to take a proactive role.

The successful applicant will work closely with senior BTRU leaders to devise and lead on a PPIE (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement) strategy. The postholder will ensure patients and the public are involved in the work of the BTRU from the very start,and have a real impact on outputs. They will be responsible for ensuring the BTRU works with people from diverse ethnic, socioeconomic and abilities backgrounds.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for:

• development and implementation of a BTRU strategy for patient and public involvement and engagement
• development and delivery of a programme of engagement with and active involvement of patients, donors and the public in the work of the BTRU
• supporting individual BTRU projects and researchers with PPIE
• monitoring and reporting on BTRU's PPIE activities, their inclusivity and impact, and expenditure

Key duties include:

• setting up and supporting a panel of public contributors
• facilitating and organising engagement events including coproduction of a 'blood' roadshow:
• engaging with and involving groups not normally involved in research, including minority ethnic groups, excluded socioeconomic groups and other underserved groups and to work with them to develop a strategy for equality diversity and inclusion for the BTRU
• delivering PPIE training and support for researchers.

The PPI manager will need to be skilled at working with a wide range of people, from public contributors, to researchers and managers.

You will need to have excellent communications and negotiation skills, be constantly diplomatic and good at working cooperatively with a range of partners.

Experience of running meetings and facilitating discussions is essential. Previous experience of conducting training sessions would be highly desirable.

About us

The BTRU is based out of the University of Oxford and under the hosting arrangement with UCLH, the postholder will be based in UCLH's central London offices and will be line managed within the UCLH's BRC PPI team. However, the postholder will work only on PPIE for the BTRU and will work with organisations across the country including Oxford, Leeds and London.

UCLH, together with leading university UCL, is a centre for world-class clinical research and has one of the largest portfolios of studies. UCLH is home to one of the country's most innovative biomedical research centres (BRCs), with a good reputation for actively involving and engaging patients and the public (PPIE) in research.

The NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) for data driven transfusion practice is a new unit based in Oxford with collaborators at UCLH, Queen Mary University of London, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Leeds, Barts Health NHS Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The director is Professor Simon Stanworth, a Consultant Haematologist for NHSBT at the John Radcliffe Hospital and honorary senior clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford.

The PPI manager post offers opportunities to work with a range of experts and institutions where public involvement is a priority.

Although the postholder may be required to conduct some PPIE work in person we are keen to support a diverse range of applicants and are happy to discuss hybrid working arrangements.