Research Support Specialist
Research Services, Joint Research Office, Boundary Brook House, Churchill Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7GB
The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.
The Research Governance Ethics & Assurance (RGEA) team, in Research Services, provides advice, support and guidance to researchers, and has a role in ensuring that clinical research involving human participants conducted in the University is compliant with relevant governance and regulations.
This is an interesting and varied role, available for 12 months, initially, as cover for maternity leave. Part-time hours (80%) would also be considered. It involves reviewing applications and essential study documents for submission to NHS Research Ethics Committees and regulatory bodies such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as well as advising researchers, supporting clinical trial planning, and undertaking GCP monitoring.
What We Offer
As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:
• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
This role also offers the opportunity for hybrid working, with a current expectation of at least 50% on-site work.
About the Role
You will join a group within RGEA whose primary role is to review clinical study proposals and amendments, to ensure they align with current legislation, policies and guidelines. This will involve communication with the study team, often meeting in person, as well as working with colleagues across RGEA and Research Services more widely.
Our Research Support Specialists also undertake monitoring of some of our sponsored clinical trials, to ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP). This involves visiting trial sites to review clinical trial data, and liaising with the study team to reporting and advise on any findings.
You will provide advice to researchers, and may be involved in the development, provision and maintenance of systems and standard operating procedures to ensure the University's compliance with relevant regulations.
Internal and external training will be available, as required, to enable you to fulfil the role.
About You
You will have a University degree, or the equivalent relevant education and experience.
You will have worked in a clinical research environment, ideally in an academic setting, and contributed to protocol development. Knowledge of legislation, policies and guidelines relevant to clinical research conducted in the UK is required for this role, and experience of GCP monitoring or audit would also be beneficial.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills are needed to support productive interactions with study teams and colleagues. You will also need to be able to work both independently as well as part of a team, and successfully organise your time and workload in a setting where there may be tight deadlines and the need to frequently reassess priorities.
Application Process
You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.
Prospective applicants are welcome to contact Kate O'Neill ( [email protected]) or Kathryn Betts ( Kathryn.bett[email protected]) for an informal discussion about the position.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 1 December 2023.
Interviews will be held on 14 December 2023, and will be face to face.
Contact Person : Ffion Fry Vacancy ID : 169380 Contact Phone : Closing Date & Time : 01-Dec-2023 12:00 Pay Scale : STANDARD GRADE 7 Contact Email : [email protected] Salary (£) : 36024 - 44263 with a discretionary range up to 48350
Job details
Title
Research Support Specialist
Employer
University of Oxford
Location
United Kingdom
Published
November 18, 2023
Application deadline
December 01, 2023
Job type
Administration/Managerment,Research
Field
Biology,Medicine
About the employer
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and is actually so ancient that its founding date is unknown – though it is thought that teaching took place there as early as the 11th century. It’s located in and around the medieval city center of Oxford, dubbed “the dreaming city of spires” by the 19th century poet Matthew Arnold, and comprises 44 colleges and halls as well as the largest library system in the UK.
There are 22,000 students at Oxford in total, around half of whom are undergraduates, while 40 per cent are international students. A quarter of the city of Oxford’s residents are students, giving the city the youngest population in the UK.
The University of Oxford does not have a main campus, its buildings and facilities instead being scattered around the medieval city center. Its colleges each have a distinctive character and traditions often dating back centuries. Colleges are self-governing institutions to which students usually apply directly. There are four academic divisions within Oxford University: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences. The university’s particular strength is the sciences, and it is ranked number one in the world for medicine.
Oxford is a youthful and cosmopolitan city with plenty to see and do. There are dozens of historic and iconic buildings, including the Bodleian Libraries, Ashmolean Museum, Sheldonian Theatre, the cathedral, and the colleges themselves. Students can choose to spend their time studying or avail themselves of the many extracurricular activities available. There’s a strong musical life at Oxford, with clubs and societies spanning all genres, from jazz, through to classical and folk. Oxford is also ranked highly for sport, with its top rowers taking part every year in the world-famous boat race with the University of Cambridge on the River Thames. Drama lovers are also well catered for, with one of the largest and most vibrant university drama scenes in the country.
Oxford has an alumni network of over 250,000 individuals, including more than 120 Olympic medalists, 26 Nobel Prize winners, seven poets laureate, and over 30 modern world leaders (including Bill Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Indira Ghandi and 26 UK Prime Ministers).
It has a friendly rivalry with Cambridge for the title of best university in the UK and is regularly ranked as being one of the top three universities in the world. Notable Oxford thinkers and scientists include Tim Berners-Lee, Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins.