R&I Deputy Director - DeliveryNHS

Job summary

The Research and Innovation (R&I) Deputy Director (Research Delivery) provides senior leadership and strategic oversight for the effective delivery of the Trust's research portfolio. The post holder is responsible for ensuring that research studies across all clinical divisions and specialties are delivered to the highest standards of quality, performance and regulatory compliance.

Working at Board and system level, the post holder ensures that the Trust meets national and local research performance targets, including National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) metrics, while optimising capacity and capability for research delivery and embedding research as a core element of patient care.

The role provides strategic leadership for the coordination of the research delivery workforce, infrastructure and partnerships, ensuring alignment with Trust strategy, ICS priorities and national NIHR objectives. This senior position is essential in delivering the Trust's R&I strategy and supporting UHL's ambition to remain one of the UK's leading research-active organisations. The portfolio overseen includes more than 600 studies, over 12,000 annual recruits and a turnover of approximately £56M, set within a dynamic, highly regulated and internationally competitive environment.

The post holder will promote and sustain a positive research culture, supporting research leaders, clinical teams and partners to develop high-quality research activity.

Main duties of the job

They will act as deputy to the R&I Director, exercising a high level of autonomy, and will work closely with the R&I Deputy Head of Nursing and R&I Deputy Director Research (Operations) Working with the R&I Deputy Director they will allocate budget of up to £55M per annum. The post holder will also deputise for the R&I Deputy Director as required. A defining priority for this post is delivery of the national commercial research activation standard: leading Trust-wide performance to 95% of commercial studies activated within 150 days, sustaining that performance, and preparing the organisation for the forthcoming 75-day standard. To achieve this, the post holder will develop and performance-manage service level agreements (SLAs) with corporate support services and lead the data and performance assurance infrastructure required to secure sustained improvement.

Job description

The post-holder will be responsible for the day to day people and operational management of the Trusts R&I functions and for providing line management support to a team of senior managers. Working closely with University of Leicester partners in the Leicester Joint Research Office and with other stakeholders in the region will provide high quality regulatory guidance and support to researchers.

Performance monitoring of R&I activity and overseeing metrics for national and local reporting will be at the heart of the role, ensuring that that the Trust continues to build capacity and capability developing its performance and continuing to maintain excellent track record within the relevant standards.

The post-holder will work independently and take appropriate action when circumstances warrant, deputising for the R&I Deputy Director when required.

The post holder will develop and deliver a strategic plan that embeds high quality research throughout the Trust. They will demonstrate a leadership style that promotes and encourages inclusion in the research agenda from across the whole organisation, while helping and supporting research leaders and their teams by actively encouraging, initiating and developing UHL programmes of research, building of collaborative relationships with other partners.

The post holder will also engage with the wider Trust to ensure that R&I requirements are taken into account in key decisions.

About us

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).

We have four primary goals:

• high-quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact, and
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk