Overview

Applications are invited for the post of Programme Manager to lead operational delivery of the EPICGB Programme – Early Phase Interventions Centre for Translation in Glioblastoma, a Yorkshire Cancer Research funded, multi-centre, adaptive clinical trial platform. The position is based within Sheffield’s Translational Neuro-Oncology Research Group (STraNO) in the School of Medicine and Population Health, but will involve deep working partnerships with the ICR Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR -CTSU, London), University of Glasgow, EPICGB recruiting centres, patient advocates, and industrial, charitable and academic collaborators from around the UK and internationally.

EPICGB is an ambitious, large-scale research programme designed to accelerate access to life-extending therapies for patients with glioblastoma by establishing an adaptive, multi-cohort clinical trial platform integrating pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and clinical outcome data to prioritise treatments with the greatest likelihood of benefit. The programme brings together a network of NHS and academic partners across Yorkshire and the UK to deliver innovative window-of-opportunity (WOO) studies and translational analyses.

The Programme Manager will provide senior operational leadership across the programme, coordinating work packages, partners, committees, regulatory processes, reporting and finances to ensure delivery of programme milestones on time and within budget.

The postholder will work closely with the Programme Leads, investigators, Clinical Trials Unit, NHS partners, industry collaborators and patient representatives to ensure effective implementation and governance of the EPICGB platform.

Main duties and responsibilities

Programme leadership and coordination

• Provide day-to-day operational management of the EPICGB programme across all work packages.
• Coordinate programme timelines, deliverables, reporting and risk management.
• Monitor progress against milestones and proactively identify solutions to delays or barriers.
• Ensure programme outputs are delivered on schedule and within budget. 
• Maintain programme documentation, records and governance structures.

Stakeholder and partnership management

• Work proactively in close partnership with ICR-CTSU to facilitate trial platform development and delivery.
• Coordinate activities across collaborating universities, NHS sites and industry partners.
• Act as key operational liaison between investigators, funders, partners and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective relationships across a distributed multi-institutional consortium.
• Support development of new partnerships, including commercial collaborators.

Clinical trial platform coordination

• Support delivery of EPICGB adaptive multi-cohort platform trial infrastructure.
• Coordinate trial-related activities across sites including recruitment, data flow and reporting.
• Work with ICR-CTSU to support trial design, monitoring and implementation. 
• Ensure alignment of programme activities with regulatory, ethics and governance requirements.
• Monitor and facilitate timely transfer of tissue between recruiting sites and external partner (for core PK/PD analyses) and University of Sheffield (future exploratory analyses).
• Co-ordinate effective management and storage of clinical samples, supporting the EPICGB laboratory technician.

Committees, meetings and reporting

• Organise and support Trial Management Groups, advisory boards, Agent Selection Committees and programme meetings.
• Support co-ordination of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities across the programme.
• Support co-ordination of training activities delivered by the EPICGB Academy.
• Prepare reports for funders, governance boards and programme leadership.
• Ensure timely submission of financial, scientific and operational reports.

Financial and operational management

• Monitor programme budgets, expenditure and forecasts.
• Produce financial summaries and management information for programme leadership.
• Work with institutional finance teams to ensure compliance with funder and university requirements.

Programme development and impact

• Support co-ordination between EPICGB and other clinical trial and preclinical research activities within STraNO and EPICGB Co-Leads groups.
• Contribute to strategic development and sustainability of the EPICGB platform.
• Support dissemination activities including presentations, reports and programme communications.
• Proactively horizon scan for new funding opportunities including research grants, industrial investment and philanthropy.
• Contribute to development of new funding opportunities and programme expansion initiatives.
• Engage constructively with UK brain tumour research initiatives and funders including the NIHR Brain Tumour Consortium, the UK3CR Brain Tumour Group, Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, The Brain Tumour Charity and Brain Tumour Research.

Other duties

• Undertake professional development and training where appropriate.
• Travel to partner sites, meetings and conferences as required.
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn’t match perfectly with this role’s criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Further Information

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place shortly after the job advert closing date (exact date to be confirmed). This will consist of a short presentation highlighting previous experience in line with the Person Specification followed by a panel interview with an opportunity to see our facilities, meet with other team members and ask questions. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week following the job advert closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact smph-west-staffing@sheffield.ac.uk.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

An enhanced check with barred lists DBS check will be needed for this role. More details on the checks can be found on the Government website: gov.uk/criminal-record-checks-apply-role (opens in a new window).

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).