Guidance and Advice Service Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

A core function of the HRA is the provision of guidance and advice for the research community. The post-holder, working with other members of the guidance and advice team, HRA colleagues and stakeholders, is expected to make a substantive contribution to this core function.

The key responsibilities of this role are to:

ensure that the HRA guidance and advice function is delivered to agreed standards.

oversee and co-ordinate work delivered through this function and the team.

identify opportunities for improvements and implement them.

implement new systems that will support the work of the team and contribute to improving performance of the function; this may include introducing use of dedicated customer relationship management systems and new technology platforms for guidance and will require working with relevant HRA colleagues from across the organisation.

fulfil the leadership role for the team and represent the guidance and advice function at governance meetings and in programmes/projects.

The post-holder will be expected to:

oversee the ongoing review, revision, and continual improvement of existing guidance, this will include activity identified within team, requested by colleagues internal and external to the HRA and/or identified through user feedback.

oversee the development and implementation of new guidance, ensuring involvement of relevant colleagues, external partners, and stakeholders. This includes preparation of high quality, user-friendly and accurate guidance in a range of formats, covering a variety of topics and remits.

manage the team, prioritising / re-prioritising work as required, ensuring that this small team works as effectively and efficiently as possible.

ensure that the relevant policies and procedures are followed, identifying any issues and implementing corrective actions as necessary.

take responsibility for ensuring that the activities of the team are co-ordinated with the work of others, both internal and external to HRA, where appropriate. For example, this may include publication of guidance to co-ordinate with launch of a new approval process, system change, regulatory or policy change and any associated transition plan activity.

ensure that guidance and advice needs of stakeholder groups are understood and met. The post-holder will be expected to use feedback from the research community, experience gained through a variety of channels and through liaison with colleagues to identify these requirements.

bring together complex information from a range of sources and work in collaboration with colleagues across the relevant HRA Directorates as well as colleagues external to the HRA.

work flexibly and have the ability to act as lead, project manager or be a key contributor or facilitator, depending on the activity.

act as an expert advisor to the HRAs queries services and, where required, in response to other ad hoc queries received through other channels. This will include providing bespoke, accurate and clear advice that is appropriate to the target audience, for example in response to complex and/or novel queries. Production of such advice may require working with multiple experts to reach agreement on an appropriate response.

The role demands attention to detail, commitment to excellent customer service and a detailed knowledge of the regulatory and governance requirements for health and social care research, and the lifecycle of health research, in the UK.

Person Specification

Assessed

Essential

• Degree qualification or extensive portfolio of evidence or equivalent level of experience or achievement.
• Evidence of commitment to ongoing professional and personal development.
• Proven interest and experience in health and social care research in the UK. Experience of working within the public sector, NHS, higher education, and/or clinical research.
• Expert understanding and knowledge of relevant legislation and policy that applies to health research in the UK, such as the Human Tissue Act, Mental Capacity Act, Data Protection Act, Clinical Trials legislation.
• Expert understanding of the research approval, NHS governance and ethical review processes for UK health research. Expert understanding of research methodologies and appropriate legislative and governance arrangements for different research types.
• Flexible working approach, with proactive approach to change.
• Line management / team management experience or equivalent competence.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to understand and interpret complex information and make relevant to a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise against a background of change and challenging deadlines, reprioritising own and others' work as needed.
• Excellent analytical and judgmental skills to analyse a range of complex facts within research applications, interpreting them and drawing conclusions to determine appropriate course of action.

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification, preferably in scientific discipline, law/ethics or management.
• Project management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Awareness of NIHR clinical research network structures in England and/ or equivalent arrangements in devolved administrations.
• Customer service / change management/ service improvement experience.
• Experience in creating and editing website content.
• Experience of developing guidance, standard operating procedures or policy for health research.

Employer details

Employer name

Health Research Authority

Address

3rd Floor Barlow House

4 Minshull Street

Manchester

M1 3DZ

Employer's website

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)