Job Description

Senior Project Manager

Job Purpose

The postholder will be responsible for managing the delivery of research in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU) and will contribute to research governance, project risk management and data sharing. Key areas of responsibility will be to oversee systems and processes; to manage staff; to ensure that processes, staff, and projects are compliant with relevant research governance and University regulations. A key challenge will be to maintain the excellence and efficiency of systems and processes while working with project leads in a way that is flexible to the diversity and complexity of community-based research and the needs of each individual project. The post holder will also contribute to key management groups in the Unit. The role requires extensive skills and experience in research governance and project management as well as management of staff.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To lead on developing, monitoring and maintaining standardised systems and processes in SPHSU that are consistent with University-wide and Unit-specific policies and systems.

2. To take a leading role in overseeing research governance in the Unit and promote a culture of research integrity, to ensure the Unit meets all of its research governance obligations and all associated assurance / audit requirements in relation to these areas.

3. To lead Unit-wide governance groups to set up, monitor and optimise research project processes and their implementation.

4. Represent research delivery and support functions on key decision-making groups in the Unit as well as external groups including the Glasgow Clinical Trials Unit.

5. Provide day to day management of research delivery and support staff ensuring that all appropriate tracking and filing systems are kept up to date.

6. Manage budgets in tandem with the Unit\'s academic lead for research delivery and support.

7. Take a leading role in liaising with principal investigators, researchers, trial managers and supervise project managers to plan and run all stages of projects efficiently and effectively. This includes providing senior project management support to complex studies taking responsibility for communicating best project management practice and ensuring effective communication between project teams and research delivery and support staff.

8. Maintain awareness and provide research governance expertise to staff on issues including data protection, ethics as well as health and safety relating to fieldwork and data collection in the community.

9. Monitor projects and inform the Unit\'s academic lead for research delivery and support of any serious breaches of study protocol or reputational risk to the Unit and University.

10. Liaise with study teams and work in alignment with the College\'s Research Management Team and project leads to ensure that costings, project management and data collection sections of research funding applications are accurate and compliant with University and Unit policy and processes.

11. Deployment of a robust and responsive risk management approach to identify, assess, monitor and actively manage risks.

12. Engage in reasonable professional development activities as appropriate.

13. Duties of the post outlined are not exhaustive, and the post holder will be expected to undertake other duties as may be reasonably expected by the Director of SPHSU. The duties of the post will be subject to review in line with changing requirements, both internal and external.

Qualifications

Essential:

A1. Relevant Degree/postgraduate qualification, or equivalent in relevant discipline, with a broad range of professional experience within a management role.

Or: Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or number of different specialist roles.

Desirable:

B1 Project Management qualification and thorough understanding of project management methodologies.

Knowledge

Essential:

C1. Expert knowledge in the area of project/trials management with a successful track record of delivery.

C2. Comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory framework which governs research.

C3. Knowledge of social, public health or medical research.

C4. Knowledge and understanding of data integrity and its importance.

C5. Knowledge of budgetary systems, managing budgets and analysing financial data.

C6. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

C7. Excellent interpersonal, negotiating, leadership and communication skills (both orally and in writing).

C8. Excellent organisational skills and co-ordinating skills, including ability to cope under pressure while maintaining a high level of accuracy and level headedness.

C9. Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a team with staff at all levels, assessing priorities and managing own and other workloads effectively.

C10. Flexible, committed, reliable and enthusiastic approach to work.

C11. Excellent team building, interpersonal, negotiating skills (ability to develop networks of useful contacts within and beyond the Unit).

C12. Ability to challenge the status quo effectively and develop innovative approaches.

C13. Proven ability to liaise and cooperate with people across organisational boundaries.

Desirable:

D1. Specialist knowledge in project management related to academic health research.

D2. Good IT background, with knowledge of data management requirements.

D3. An understanding of funding application processes.

D4. Knowledge of the scientific principles of randomised controlled trials

Experience

Essential:

E1. Substantial project management experience (at least 5 years) within a research or similar environment, including experience in project progress reporting, staff and client liaison, leadership and training.

E2. Experience in the development of key research related materials such as protocols, manuals of operations, standard operating procedures, and guidance documents, or with demonstrated evidence of similar experience within relevant area.

E3. Experience of managing budgets.

E4. Experience of managing staff.

Desirable:

F1. Strong IT skills in the area of project/ trials management (e.g, database, spreadsheet, word processing, layout and presentation) with ability to develop skills in response to technological change.

F2. Extensive experience of working within a regulated scientific/technical/medical research environment either in clinical trials, epidemiological studies or social surveys.

F3. Experience of delivering high quality training.

F4. Experience of supporting applications for research funding including estimating costs.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 8, \xc2\xa348,350 - \xc2\xa356,021 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours per week), and has funding until 31 March 2025.

Please note, previous applicants need not apply.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

The post for which you are applying is considered \xe2\x80\x9cregistered work\xe2\x80\x9d in terms of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act. It requires the successful applicant to become a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme member prior to appointment. This check is necessary to ensure that the University of Glasgow fulfils its legal duties under the Act.
If you are successful in your application, the offer of employment will be subject to PVG Scheme membership. Further information is available at: https://www.mygov.scot/pvg-scheme/

Please note that under Section 34(1) of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 it is a criminal offence to apply to carry out or to carry out regulated work from which that individual is barred.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

Vacancy Ref : 118928 Close Date : 05-Sep-2023 23:45

University of Glasgow