Research Facilitator

Our vision for Single Corporate Services  

Isle of Wight NHS Trust (IWT) and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) have a shared vision of a single corporate service across our two organisations, supported by a single set of identical systems and processes, under joint leadership, to drive significant efficiencies, improve employee experience, and return time to patient care. 

This vacancy is part of the Single Corporate Services Division.

Why are we changing the way we deliver Corporate Services? 

Working as a partnership, both IWT and PHU have a shared vision for excellence in care for our patients and communities; with a set of strategic aims underpinning how we will achieve this. The creation of a single corporate service is essential for us to support our clinical and operational services, and our wider transformation programme. 

The vision for our single corporate services is to:

• Be an employer of choice for corporate talent, attracting and retaining people who share our values for excellence in care and welcome the opportunity to benefit from the broad range of flexible career and development opportunities we can offer.   
• Improve efficiency through simplified and standardised policies, processes, and systems, drawing on the best from both Trusts.  
• Do things once and reduce any duplication on transactional tasks giving corporate staff the ability to focus on higher value and more diverse activities.  
• Co-invest in the latest digital solutions and standardise our approach, meaning we do things once for both organisations. 
• Improve learning and development opportunities and sharing best practice, upskilling both Trusts.  
• Co-locate teams in purpose-built facilities on the Island and in Portsmouth to enable closer working and sharing.  
• Build resilience for individuals and our teams. 

The single corporate service is delivered across both organisation.  You may be based at either IWT or PHU and individuals may be required to undertake business travel between sites. For leaders managing staff across multi-site locations, you will need to be visible and provide in person leadership. The arrangements and frequency will be agreed locally.

For further information please refer to Single Corporate service summary

Please note, this position has also been advertised on the Isle of Wight NHS Trusts jobs page. If you are interested in this position and wish to apply, there is no requirement for you to submit two separate applications.

This post is only open for applications for individuals employed within the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Care System

Organisations within scope are as follows:

• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
• Southern Health Foundation Trust
• Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
• University Hospital Southampton
• Solent NHS Trust
• South Central Ambulance Service
• Isle of Wight NHS Trust
• Hampshire Hospitals

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU), we have an exciting opportunity for a Research Facilitator to join our dynamic team.

The Research Facilitator role is essential to support the development of research at PHU as well as ensuring research studies are set up, delivered and managed compliantly and to quality standards.

Research allows us to offer new opportunities to our patients, and this position plays a pivotal role in this. The Research Facilitator will ensure the identification of a steady pipeline of research studies for their given specialities, confirming sustainability and growth of research in these areas. You will be vital in the set-up, and support the management and delivery of commercial studies which bring new treatment options to patients and increased income into the Trust. Equally, you will support the development and initiation of ‘home grown’ studies, working with researchers to answer questions that will make a tangible impact on our local population.

 In this role, you will work collaboratively with investigators, research delivery staff, support departments and over internal and external stakeholders to facilitate, project manage and performance manage studies holistically throughout their life course for the specialities assigned to you.

You will join a team of diverse individuals within the research office team and you will cover a number specialities in your role, but specifically this position has a focus on facilitating respiratory research.

Key Responsibilities

• To work with clinical researchers and Research Management staff to ensure effective, efficient and speedy set-up and on-going management of clinical research studies in PHU.
• To provide a specialist role, giving expert support to Chief and Principal Investigators and delivery staff in NIHR research studies.
• To assist in the facilitation the entire life cycle of NIHR portfolio research study undertaken within the Trust. This will include clinical researcher support, study co-ordination, data management and research portfolio database training.
• Act as a Project/Trial Manager for research studies within the Trust.
• To oversee the performance of portfolio research studies and work with NIHR regional/national colleagues regarding study set-up, initiation and delivery performance management.
• Ensure that research projects are approved and conducted in compliance with PHU policies for research governance, quality assurance and national regulatory requirements.
• To actively contribute to quality management of research studies e.g. monitoring, reviewing standard operating procedures and undertake continuous improvement projects.
• Oversee the entire portfolio for assigned research speciality including; performance, pipeline planning (including grant applications) and delivery as well as acting as an advocate for their specialities.
• To deputise for the Research Manager as required.

Please see the full job description for further information.

Essential

• Degree in health, clinical science discipline or equivalent experience

Experience

• Previous experience of using IRAS for R&D applications
• Experience of working in a research environment requiring critical appraisal of clinical research evidence

Desirable

• Evidence of significant NHS experience or research management experience within a health related organisation. 
• Recent Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in research training

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.