Support Assistant - Divisional Research Delivery
The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre is a hosted organisation provided through a partnership of:
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Imperial College London
• King’s College London
• Newcastle University
• PA Consulting Group
• University of Leeds
• University of Liverpool
ADVERT
Support Assistant – Divisional Research Delivery 2.0 FTE
These posts are available fixed term until 31 March 2020
You will play a vital and active role in the efficient delivery of the core business of the Divisional Research Delivery function. Working closely with the Divisional Portfolio Research Officers you will provide flexibility for administration across the function. This may include data input and database management, drafting correspondence, diary management and coordination and preparation of reports, maintenance and development of office systems, minuting and servicing meetings, knowledge management, travel arrangements and the organisation of key meetings.
You will report to a Portfolio Research Officer, providing administrative support for business processes within the wider Divisional Research Delivery team, working on a day to day basis within the generic support function who support national study management administration. The post may involve some travel to meetings within the UK, particularly to London to service and minute meetings.
The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offers a range of family friendly policies (http://hr.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/4/policies) The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. The School of Medicine gained the Bronze award in 2013. We are committed to being an inclusive medical school that values all staff, and we are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees.
University Grade 4 (£18,031 - £20,781 p.a) depending upon qualifications and experience
Informal enquiries should be directed to: Sabah Attar, Head of Divisional Portfolio Operations, Email: or Tel: 0151 282 4718
General enquiries regarding your online application should be directed to:
Claire Porteus, HR Assistant, Email: or
Tel: 0113 343 0438
Job Ref: MHNCC1014 Closing Date: 4 November 2015
BACKGROUND
The NIHR CRN is fully committed to establishing a vibrant and dynamic research landscape. This requires strong and well developed engagement with its key stakeholders. These stakeholders, who include patients and the public, the NHS, NHS England, the medical Charities and the Academic Health Science Networks, play a vital role in the delivery of the organizational objectives of the NIHR CRN. The NIHR CRN has an international reputation for openness and transparency, and high quality relationships which are about trust, commitment, satisfaction and mutual control. These relationships will be supported by timely information sharing, realistic planning, and clear well-targeted communications, respecting existing stakeholder relationships with our network. To maximise its role as the research arm of the NHS, the NIHR CRN must be recognised as embedded within the NHS working effectively with its leaders and partners within the Health and Social Care System.
The NIHR CRN is a managed network; leading a managed network requires credible leaders who understand and can deliver across traditional organizational boundaries and frequently outside of classical hierarchal authority, leaders with presence who inspire and influence.
JOB DESCRIPTION
· Providing high quality support to the Divisional Research Delivery function, enabling the team to effectively deliver its strategic objectives, priorities and deliver business processes. Duties include:
o Drafting correspondence, reports and other documents using the Microsoft Office suite (MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
o Data input and database management
o Arranging and procuring travel and accommodation for senior team members as required including the co-ordination of multiple journeys and destinations to specific timetables
o Receiving and dealing promptly with incoming telephone calls, assisting with the queries where possible, redirecting or taking messages as appropriate in a polite, professional manner
o Checking and processing team travel and senior managers expenses claims.
o Working with team members to prepare all necessary papers and documents in a timely fashion
o Regular diary management using Microsoft Outlook including the organisation of complex meetings across the organisation
o Proofreading, editing and input into the development of high quality external and internal reports and presentations
o Ensuring administrative support is effective both to internal and remote working managers, adapting service as required to meet these needs
· Work with all members of the Research Delivery Directorate and specifically the CRN Study Support Helpdesk to ensure queries (external or internal) related to the CRN Study Support Service and associated Information Systems are redirected appropriately in a timely manner.
· Providing high level administrative support for complex meetings as required, including arranging suitable dates, venues and refreshments, taking appropriate notes or minutes, drafting agendas and preparing papers and ensuring resulting actions are followed up in a timely fashion.
· Working with team members to produce reports which support the Divisional Research Delivery team as required, for example:
o Collating information from databases, ODP, consultation exercises, questionnaires and surveys
· Contributing to the development of good office systems appropriate to your work area, making recommendations for improvement and implementing agreed changes including:
o Developing and maintaining appropriate filing systems – both electronic and manual - to support the collection, collation, storage and retrieval of information, ensuring documents are readily available to the team.
o Responsible for overseeing the management of electronic data systems and the quality of data held
o Maintaining content on the intranet Portal sites or Google sites as required. Content and Microsoft SharePoint training will be provided.
o Support the Divisional Research Delivery team for all purchasing requirements / queries and work with the NIHR CRN CC Purchasing team to ensure compliance.
o Receive and deal with incoming telephone calls and emails in a polite, confident and professional manner, re-directing or taking messages, using initiative to deal with queries where appropriate and responding to enquiries or requests for information.
o maintaining distribution lists to ensure that the information held is up to date and correct
o Manage email boxes and calendars on a day to day basis using Microsoft Outlook, ensuring that emails are sent to the appropriate team member for actioning and diary commitments are scheduled.
· Contributing to Divisional Research Delivery team meetings, including:
o Sharing information related to your own specific work areas with other departments in the NIHR CRN Coordinating Centre, e.g. Finance; Workforce Development; Communications; Industry & Public and Patient Involvement.
o Ensuring that you are informed of the works being carried out by other departments in the NIHR CRN Coordinating Centre.
· Communicating verbally and in writing with staff and stakeholders at all levels in a confident and professional manner (including Directors (Senior Clinicians), Assistant Directors, Managers and Administrative staff), to undertake activities such as:
o Arranging events and meetings (some of which may be complex), predominantly 'off-site' requiring forward planning
o Taking initiative to resolve any problems that may arise, and referring as appropriate.
o Following up meeting actions
o Following up actions from specific projects and work streams
o Making use of established information management and distribution processes appropriately (including; the information management system, weekly bulletins, portal, website, etc)
· Supporting other teams within the Divisional Research Delivery Directorate as required. This may include:
o A key part of this role will be to provide support to other teams within the directorate. This may include but is not limited to the following tasks, training would be provided by the relevant directorate to ensure you were fully aware of their requirements;
o Monitoring shared mailboxes and forwarding emails as appropriate ;
o Inputting data into online databases or other relevant computer records systems
o Providing administration support to the arrangement of annual events such as Network Away Days, Staff Development Days and CRN CC conferences.
The job description provides a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list of duties and responsibilities, which will develop and change over time through natural progression.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential
· Educated to GCSE level with English Language Grade C or above or equivalent qualification
· Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including both written and verbal
· Evidence of an ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with all levels of staff
· Evidence of an ability to recognise and adapt to different ways of working and show flexibility in your approach to your work
· Evidence of being highly organised with an ability to prioritise your own workload and deal with new tasks at short notice
· Evidence of an ability to cope with demanding situations and work efficiently and effectively under pressure
· Experience of producing accurate minutes and following up action points
· Evidence of an ability to show initiative and solve problems
· Evidence of high level of accuracy and attention to detail
· Evidence of dealing effectively with enquiries by telephone and email
· Computer literate with experience in the use of the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel, the internet and an ability to learn to use bespoke electronic systems
· Evidence of an ability and willingness to work individually and as part of a team
· Proven ability to maintain confidentiality
· A willingness to learn new skills as required
Desirable
· Previous experience writing reports
· Previous purchasing/procurement experience
· Experience of University and/or NHS administrative and financial procedures
· Experience of introducing new and effective office systems
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
NIHR CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) makes it possible for all patients and health professionals across England to participate in relevant clinical trials. We provide the infrastructure that allows high-quality clinical research to take place in the NHS, so that patients can benefit from new and better treatments. We also help researchers to set up clinical studies quickly and effectively, we support the life-sciences industry to deliver their research programmes, we provide health professionals with research training and we work with patients to ensure their needs are at the very centre of all research activity. With annual funding of £300m and a portfolio of some 6000 clinical studies, we provide a workforce of several thousand embedded NHS staff, supported by streamlined, effective and efficient operational systems, to support the delivery of research in all clinical specialties in all NHS sectors. The NIHR CRN is formed of 15 Local Clinical Research Networks (LCRNs) that provide coverage of the whole of England, and our portfolio of studies is organised in 30 clinical research Specialties.
The NIHR CRN Coordinating Centre (CRNCC) provides national coordination and oversight of the CRN, which includes development and implementation of national CRN strategies, policies, systems, processes, frameworks and standards, and support and performance management for the LCRNs and CRN Specialties.
The Coordinating Centre is a hosted organisation jointly managed by the University of Leeds and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (“the CRNCC Consortium”). Some specific activities are provided by a broader Alliance of partners that includes Newcastle University, the University of Liverpool, Kings College London, Imperial College London, and PA Consulting Group.
For further information about the NIHR Clinical Research Network, please visit our website: http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH
The NIHR Clinical Research Network is a key element of the National Institute for Health Research, which is funded through the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is a large, multi-faceted and nationally distributed organisation. Together, NIHR people, facilities and systems represent the most integrated clinical research system in the world, driving research from bench to bedside for the benefit of patients and the economy.
Since its establishment, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research.
Further information on the National Institute for Health Research can be found at: www.nihr.ac.uk
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
The University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest, most prestigious and diverse research-intensive universities. Ranked amongst the world’s top 100 universities in the QS World rankings, and a member of the Russell Group of leading research universities, the University has an annual turnover of £587 million, over 31000 students and 7500 staff. It is now embarking on an exciting and critical period in its development, making significant investments in its infrastructure and research capability as part of a new strategic plan.
The CRN CC is hosted within the Faculty of Medicine and Health. The Faculty is at the forefront of cutting edge discovery science and translational clinical research and has a broad portfolio of programmes of study, training tomorrow’s healthcare and medical professionals. With around 1600 staff and more than 6500 students it is the largest faculty in the University of Leeds, and is one of the largest medical faculties in Europe.
GUY’S & ST THOMAS’ NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
With an annual turnover of £1.2 billion, GSTFT has a national and international reputation for managing and delivering a vast range of clinical research at scale, as well as for the corporate integration of research as a core business activity incorporating hosting functions and strong collaborative partnering to create a hub of research management expertise.
The Trust recognises the importance that commercial acumen and discipline brings to the long term sustainability of the organisation, especially in respect of working with complex and varied providers and identifying new revenue streams. GSTFT is a UK leader in strategic and joint ventures in healthcare delivery and as a result, the Trust now has the largest commercial directorate of any Trust within UK. The Trust’s Commercial Directorate, as the commercial arm of the organisation, works closely in support of Trust services to develop and deliver external contract income. This income generation is achieved by using the reputation, skills, capacity and location of the Trust and its staff. The Commercial Directorate builds on over 20 years' experience of delivering health services to external organisations both nationally and internationally.