FIGHT FOR SIGHT
JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION – January 2018
Job title: Head of Research
Location:London, E1
Reporting to:Director of Research, Policy & Innovation
Direct line management:Research Manager and Strategic Programmes Manager
Contract type:Permanent, full time (35 hours per week)
Salary:circa £65,000
Pension: Non-contributory (currently 10%)
Holiday:25 days per annum plus Bank Holidays
Background
Fight for Sight is the UK’s leading eye research charity and is at the forefront of pioneering research to help address sight loss. The charity currently has a commitment to research of £8m at over 40 UK universities and hospitals. With significant developments in the areas of gene-therapy, stem cells, drug therapies and technology, the pace of change has never been so rapid. Fight for Sight is an ambitious charity that wants to capitalise on this progress by significantly raising its profile and income to ensure that we can stop sight loss sooner.
The charity has embarked on a new strategy that places solutions for those who are or may be affected by sight loss at the heart of its mission. Academic and clinical research that helps us understand the causes of different eye diseases and develop ways of prevention, diagnosis and new and better treatments will remain the core way of addressing the mission. But Fight for Sight also wants to go beyond such research to look for new and innovative solutions to address patient need. The charity also wishes to develop closer and deeper relationswith patient groups and engage further in policy and advocacy work to achieve maximum impact.
Purpose of the job
The Head of Research will be the authority for the charity on eye research. The postholderwill work closely with the Director of Research, Policy and Innovation to play a leading role in the development and delivery of Fight for Sight’s research strategy. The postholder will lead on ensuring the delivery of the charity’s grant funding programme, the assessment of impact and evaluation of funded research andthe charity’s engagement activities. The postholder will be required to communicate research to external and internal audiences and to work with other teams to ensure timely and accurate research communications.
Role and Responsibilities
Eye Research Authority and Communication
1To develop a detailed knowledge of eye diseases and conditions, the eye research landscape, developments and trends and eye research funding;
2 To lead external engagement and relationship building with researchers and academic institutions delivering pioneering eye research;
3 To work with the Communications Teamto develop and execute an integrated research communications plan that promotes research funding opportunities, the successes of funded research and comments on developments in eye research; and
4 To support the Fundraising team to identify and implement fundraising opportunities.
Research
1 To work with the Director of Research, Policy & Innovation to develop and implement the charity’s research strategy;
2To ensure the effective communication of the charity’s research strategy and funding programme to stakeholder groups including the research community in universities and hospitals;
3 To oversee the charity’s grant funding programme;
4 To assess the impact of and evaluate the charity’s funded research programme;
5 To work with researchers to pro-actively manage intellectual property rights and identify opportunities arising from research;and
6To help develop and support the charity’s strategic partnerships.
Engagement
1 To work with the Director of Research, Policy & Innovation to develop the charity’s strategic programmes;
2 To lead the strategic programmes including the engagement of patients, researchers and clinicians;
3 To develop a team of Strategic Programme Managers and Officers to deliver engagement programmes;
4To develop and oversee a framework to ensure that the views of patients are embedded in the development of the charity’s research and policy work;
5To work with Marketing & Fundraising to develop and oversee a framework to support patients who wish to have a voice in the media and to support the charity’s Speaker Network; and
6 To ensure that systems and processes are put in place to ensure that information is shared appropriately with the wider organisation.
Management and Governance
1To build and lead a team;
2To provide line management, support and supervision including performance management, annual appraisals and ensuring relevant training;
3 To develop team specific policies and procedures, as required;
4To provide support and guidance to the team and ensure all activities are co-ordinated;
5 To be responsible for the Charity’s relationship with its panel of scientific experts (the Grants Assessment Panel);
6 To develop appropriate mechanisms and resources to help staff increase their understanding of and engagement with the activities of the Research, Policy and Innovation team;
7 To manage budgets and develop operational plans and key performance indicators; and
8 To stand in for the Director of Research, Policy and Innovation when required.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Knowledge and Experience
- Educated to at least degree level
- Must hold a science PHD, MD or similar qualification or equivalent experience
- Substantial experience of developing and implementing a research strategy
- Experience of working with patients to shape research strategy
- Substantial experience in monitoring and evaluating the impact of research
- Extensive experience and knowledge of end-to-end grant making procedures and the link to organisational governance
- Extensive experience of building and maintaining external relationships with patients, funders and researchers
- Experience of external representation in different settings
- Experience of driving collaborative working providing a high level of technical support to colleagues across an organisation
- Excellent IT skills, including using a grants database, preferably CC Grants Tracker, and Researchfish
- Extensive experience of working with scientific assessment panels
- Experience of successful budget planning and financial decision making
- Experience of public speaking and acting as a media spokesperson
Skills and Abilities
- Effective in obtaining, analysing and reporting data and information to profile the impact of research funding
- Proven track record of establishing and cultivating strong internal and external networks
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the ability to communicate science to scientific and lay audiences
- Innovative, flexible and willing to embrace and drive change
- Excellent manager with the ability to build and develop a new team
- Ability to make an excellent first impression and inspire confidence at a senior level with academics and clinicians
- A team player with the ability to work with different functions
- Confident and able to challenge and be challenged
- An enthusiastic, adaptive and energetic approach
- Empathetic and a good listener
- Excellent project management skills.
Values and Behaviours
You will share Fight for Sight’s values and behaviours which are:
- Clear-sighted. Our objectives are clear. Our whole focus ison addressing sight loss and maximising our impact
- Pioneering. We strive to ensure that we are pioneering in all aspects of our work, not just the research that we fund. It means trying new things, assessing and taking risks and going the extra mile in pursuit of our mission
- Collaborative. We recognise that we cannot address sight loss by ourselves. We are committed to building relationships, working in partnership and giving a voice to everyone who wants to fight for sight
- Accessible. We aim to make all aspects of our work engaging, easy to understand and accessible to all.