Job summary
We are seeking a Statistician to join the Proton Clinical Outcomes Unit (PCOU) at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary, data driven team, and be a part of the development of the NHS Proton Registry and Evaluative Commissioning in Protons programme.
We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate, who has the necessary qualifications and skills to be able to work on a range of projects to publishable level and support the provision of a comprehensive statistical service to the wider Proton Beam Therapy service. You will have the skills to effectively communicate with a broad range of colleagues, be capable of identifying and applying appropriate statistical techniques, and have statistical programming experience (e.g., in R or STATA).
This role provides the opportunity to be an integral part of the PCOU and NHS Proton Registry, aiding in crucial outcomes analysis to ensure the best treatments are delivered to patients and continuous developments are made to the service. Working under the guidance of our Senior Statistician, the post presents opportunities for professional development. The PCOU takes pride in facilitating practice changing studies and research, where benefits of joining our team include conference attendance and co-authorship of high-impact publications that can have a huge benefit for cancer care.
This is a permanent position, with the option to work a mixture of onsite at The Christie or from home.
Main duties of the job
Working as an integral member of the Proton Clinical Outcomes Unit (PCOU) and National Proton Registry team, the post holder will support the provision of a comprehensive statistical service.
The post holder will work under the guidance of the PCOU/Registry Senior Statistician on a range of projects, working to deadlines, to perform statistical analysis of clinical outcomes, audit, quality improvement and research data.
The standard of work for this role is expected to be at a publishable level, where report writing and support will be developed for different audiences, such as Senior Managers, Clinicians, Commissioners, journals, conferences, and the general public.
The post holder will develop close working relationships with all members of the PCOU and National Proton Registry team, alongside other digital service teams and the wider Proton Beam Therapy teams.
About us
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
The PCOU forms part of the Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) service, a specialised form of radiation therapy. The Christie PBT Centre is one of two high-energy proton centres that have been developed in the UK, and the developing NHS Proton Registry and Evaluative Commissioning in Protons programme provide a unique opportunity to be involved in novel NHS data and research strategies.
The PCOU is a motivated, multidisciplinary team which values all roles within the team, ensuring commitment to professional development, excellent work-life balance, and effective use of our staff's expertise to deliver a high-quality service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
General
- Inform, advise, and apply a range of medical statistical techniques, processes and considerations.
- Prioritise and plan work. Adjusting work schedules and plans to ensure urgent enquiries/work receive the appropriate prioritisation
- Advise, support and contribute to papers for publications in peer reviewed journals.
- Provide expert input into study design, the definition of primary outcome measures, the calculation of an appropriate sample size, and the specification of an Analysis Plan as appropriate
- To advise on and help develop data collection methods, e.g., eForms, to ensure that information required by stakeholders can be delivered.
- Deputising for the Proton Clinical Outcomes Unit (PCOU) & Registry Manager
Statistical, Knowledge, Training and Experience
- Perform complex statistical analysis of clinical outcomes, audit, and research data. Statistical techniques used will include survival analysis, tests for association between variables, e.g., t-tests, trend tests, correlation, as well as study design and sample size calculation.
- Generate summary statistics and data visualisations appropriate to the data and clinical aims.
- Use statistical software (e.g. R, STATA, SPSS, NHS specific software) and systems in order to perform daily and ad hoc tasks as required, learning, with minimal supervision, new skills as required.
- Adapt and design information systems, including statistical software scripts, to meet to needs of stakeholders.
- Interpret statistical results and explain them, verbally and in writing, so as to be understood by non-statisticians.
- Clean and manipulate data to make suitable for statistical analysis.
- Help the team statisticians and analysts adapt and devise new methods of analysing and visualising cancer data.
- Perform accuracy and quality checks of data and statistical analysis, ensuring only accurate information is delivered to the stakeholders.
- Support the activities of the team statisticians when required. Peer review colleagues work, escalating any issues as appropriate.
- Apply statistical and analytical knowledge to critically appraise and challenge the results of outputs, ensuring only meaningful information is delivered to the clinical stakeholder.
- Co-author publications and outputs of studies and research activities within the proton service
Communication and Relationships
- The post holder will have and continue to gain appreciation for the working environment of the clinical teams, ensuring that outputs meet the expectations of clinical stakeholders.
- Able to converse with senior clinicians using specialised clinical terminology, as required, to understand issues being raised.
- Ensure the provision of a first point of contact within the team for all queries, problems, requests and incidents ensuring they are logged and tracked.
- Represent the PCOU/Registry as appropriate in internal and external meetings, reporting back on progress, in order to facilitate the delivery of statistical requirements.
- Advise and support on reporting at appropriate directorate, divisional and Trust level meetings.
- Present information to large groups such as study management groups or professional interest groups, altering tone and content to meet the needs of the intended audience.
- Produce written material (such as internal reports and publications) including explanation of technical terms to ensure correct understanding.
- Provide regular performance reports on progress, status, and achievements for own area to be used by management and users/stakeholders
- Ensure project tasks, where required, are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales.
- Support provision of training for staff from own or other disciplines on own subject area, when required
Policy and Service
- Lead, manage and action the resolutions of assigned tasks in an efficient and professional manner. Post holder must conform to Trust and departmental procedures and working practices, seeking further advice and information when necessary.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of a culture of service provision and continuous improvement for own areas.
- Plan and organise workload, and manage own time efficiently, to deal with complex situations and ad hoc requests, ensuring service provision is maintained.
- Act as an ambassador for the PCOU/Registry service by developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with users across the organisation, delivering against local and national requirements.
- Ensure all documentation relating to own area of work is complete and fit for purpose.
- Act under own initiative and discretion to fulfil duties and tasks, ensuring standard operating procedures for own work area are adhered to.
- Contribute to implementing policies for own work area and assist in proposing changes to policies, in line with legislation, Trust and NHS policies and guidelines across the Trust, where appropriate.
- Proactively participate in ensuring that service within the Trust reflect best practice with respect to organisation, NHS and legislative requirements and guidelines including IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Data Protection Act (1998), Information Standards, Information Security and compliance with NHS Information Governance.
- On occasion the post holder may be required to work unsociable hours to support and/or enable the delivery of key programmes or projects
This job description is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and is not intended as an exhaustive list. The job may change over time to reflect the changing needs of the service, as well as personal development needs of the post holder
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
General
- Inform, advise, and apply a range of medical statistical techniques, processes and considerations.
- Prioritise and plan work. Adjusting work schedules and plans to ensure urgent enquiries/work receive the appropriate prioritisation
- Advise, support and contribute to papers for publications in peer reviewed journals.
- Provide expert input into study design, the definition of primary outcome measures, the calculation of an appropriate sample size, and the specification of an Analysis Plan as appropriate
- To advise on and help develop data collection methods, e.g., eForms, to ensure that information required by stakeholders can be delivered.
- Deputising for the Proton Clinical Outcomes Unit (PCOU) & Registry Manager
Statistical, Knowledge, Training and Experience
- Perform complex statistical analysis of clinical outcomes, audit, and research data. Statistical techniques used will include survival analysis, tests for association between variables, e.g., t-tests, trend tests, correlation, as well as study design and sample size calculation.
- Generate summary statistics and data visualisations appropriate to the data and clinical aims.
- Use statistical software (e.g. R, STATA, SPSS, NHS specific software) and systems in order to perform daily and ad hoc tasks as required, learning, with minimal supervision, new skills as required.
- Adapt and design information systems, including statistical software scripts, to meet to needs of stakeholders.
- Interpret statistical results and explain them, verbally and in writing, so as to be understood by non-statisticians.
- Clean and manipulate data to make suitable for statistical analysis.
- Help the team statisticians and analysts adapt and devise new methods of analysing and visualising cancer data.
- Perform accuracy and quality checks of data and statistical analysis, ensuring only accurate information is delivered to the stakeholders.
- Support the activities of the team statisticians when required. Peer review colleagues work, escalating any issues as appropriate.
- Apply statistical and analytical knowledge to critically appraise and challenge the results of outputs, ensuring only meaningful information is delivered to the clinical stakeholder.
- Co-author publications and outputs of studies and research activities within the proton service
Communication and Relationships
- The post holder will have and continue to gain appreciation for the working environment of the clinical teams, ensuring that outputs meet the expectations of clinical stakeholders.
- Able to converse with senior clinicians using specialised clinical terminology, as required, to understand issues being raised.
- Ensure the provision of a first point of contact within the team for all queries, problems, requests and incidents ensuring they are logged and tracked.
- Represent the PCOU/Registry as appropriate in internal and external meetings, reporting back on progress, in order to facilitate the delivery of statistical requirements.
- Advise and support on reporting at appropriate directorate, divisional and Trust level meetings.
- Present information to large groups such as study management groups or professional interest groups, altering tone and content to meet the needs of the intended audience.
- Produce written material (such as internal reports and publications) including explanation of technical terms to ensure correct understanding.
- Provide regular performance reports on progress, status, and achievements for own area to be used by management and users/stakeholders
- Ensure project tasks, where required, are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales.
- Support provision of training for staff from own or other disciplines on own subject area, when required
Policy and Service
- Lead, manage and action the resolutions of assigned tasks in an efficient and professional manner. Post holder must conform to Trust and departmental procedures and working practices, seeking further advice and information when necessary.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of a culture of service provision and continuous improvement for own areas.
- Plan and organise workload, and manage own time efficiently, to deal with complex situations and ad hoc requests, ensuring service provision is maintained.
- Act as an ambassador for the PCOU/Registry service by developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with users across the organisation, delivering against local and national requirements.
- Ensure all documentation relating to own area of work is complete and fit for purpose.
- Act under own initiative and discretion to fulfil duties and tasks, ensuring standard operating procedures for own work area are adhered to.
- Contribute to implementing policies for own work area and assist in proposing changes to policies, in line with legislation, Trust and NHS policies and guidelines across the Trust, where appropriate.
- Proactively participate in ensuring that service within the Trust reflect best practice with respect to organisation, NHS and legislative requirements and guidelines including IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Data Protection Act (1998), Information Standards, Information Security and compliance with NHS Information Governance.
- On occasion the post holder may be required to work unsociable hours to support and/or enable the delivery of key programmes or projects
This job description is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and is not intended as an exhaustive list. The job may change over time to reflect the changing needs of the service, as well as personal development needs of the post holder
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Statistics or relevant discipline with significant statistical content or equivalent experience / qualification
Desirable
- Post-graduate degree in Statistics or relevant discipline with significant statistical content
- Evidence of continued professional development
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience with a statistical program (e.g., R, STATA
- Experience choosing and using statistical techniques and data visualisations to answer specific questions. Experience could have been gained through education (e.g. degree) or work experience
- Experience writing up and reporting / presenting statistical results
- Experience with MS Office (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook)
- Experience of managing a number of equally important tasks successfully
- The ability to learn new software packages and systems
Desirable
- Experience of academic writing and documenting results for publication
- Experience as a professional statistician working in healthcare data
- Experience of clinical trials / studies
- Experience of the use and management of information within the NHS, academic or pharmaceutical community
- Experience involving close working relationships with clinicians and multidisciplinary environment
Skills
Essential
- Data analysis skills using statistical packages such as R / STATA
- Good understanding of statistical principles and methodology underlying statistical analysis
- Analytical skills in data extraction, manipulation and analysis, and report writing
- Excellent communication skills - verbal, written, and interpersonal
- Able to communicate statistical and technical issues to a variety of staff at different levels / disciplines within the organisation
- Good organisational skills including time management, record keeping and paying attention to detail
- Demonstrable evidence of use of own initiative
- Able to work to deadlines, prioritise and manage workload
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team
Desirable
- Tableau data manipulation skills
- Additional statistical software programmes / languages, e.g., SPSS, Python
- Application of essential skills within an NHS environment
- Ability to think creatively
- Ability to make sound observations and recommendations through formal reporting
- Able to interpret the working practices and suggest / manage the introductions of new ways of working to improve service delivery
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of a range statistical techniques, preferably those used in clinical studies (e.g. survival analysis, study design, sample size calculation)
- Understanding of data collection methods and data analysis
- Understanding of how statistical analysis can help improve clinical practice
Desirable
- Knowledge of hospital service and how services interlink
- Knowledge of data governance and how it impacts data collection, data analysis and reporting
- Knowledge of NHS data systems, processes and datasets
- Knowledge of health informatics and clinical terminology
- Knowledge of Cancer Services
- Knowledge of clinical audit
VALUES
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
OTHER
Essential
- Hybrid/Office based role with the need for travel to the Christie managed sites or partner sites as necessary
- Maintain confidentiality relating to patient data and sensitive information relating to the business of the Trust
- Ability to work flexibly to meet key deadline and core service coverage
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Statistics or relevant discipline with significant statistical content or equivalent experience / qualification
Desirable
- Post-graduate degree in Statistics or relevant discipline with significant statistical content
- Evidence of continued professional development
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience with a statistical program (e.g., R, STATA
- Experience choosing and using statistical techniques and data visualisations to answer specific questions. Experience could have been gained through education (e.g. degree) or work experience
- Experience writing up and reporting / presenting statistical results
- Experience with MS Office (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook)
- Experience of managing a number of equally important tasks successfully
- The ability to learn new software packages and systems
Desirable
- Experience of academic writing and documenting results for publication
- Experience as a professional statistician working in healthcare data
- Experience of clinical trials / studies
- Experience of the use and management of information within the NHS, academic or pharmaceutical community
- Experience involving close working relationships with clinicians and multidisciplinary environment
Skills
Essential
- Data analysis skills using statistical packages such as R / STATA
- Good understanding of statistical principles and methodology underlying statistical analysis
- Analytical skills in data extraction, manipulation and analysis, and report writing
- Excellent communication skills - verbal, written, and interpersonal
- Able to communicate statistical and technical issues to a variety of staff at different levels / disciplines within the organisation
- Good organisational skills including time management, record keeping and paying attention to detail
- Demonstrable evidence of use of own initiative
- Able to work to deadlines, prioritise and manage workload
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team
Desirable
- Tableau data manipulation skills
- Additional statistical software programmes / languages, e.g., SPSS, Python
- Application of essential skills within an NHS environment
- Ability to think creatively
- Ability to make sound observations and recommendations through formal reporting
- Able to interpret the working practices and suggest / manage the introductions of new ways of working to improve service delivery
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of a range statistical techniques, preferably those used in clinical studies (e.g. survival analysis, study design, sample size calculation)
- Understanding of data collection methods and data analysis
- Understanding of how statistical analysis can help improve clinical practice
Desirable
- Knowledge of hospital service and how services interlink
- Knowledge of data governance and how it impacts data collection, data analysis and reporting
- Knowledge of NHS data systems, processes and datasets
- Knowledge of health informatics and clinical terminology
- Knowledge of Cancer Services
- Knowledge of clinical audit
VALUES
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
OTHER
Essential
- Hybrid/Office based role with the need for travel to the Christie managed sites or partner sites as necessary
- Maintain confidentiality relating to patient data and sensitive information relating to the business of the Trust
- Ability to work flexibly to meet key deadline and core service coverage
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
