Senior Study Support Service Manager

Job responsibilities

For questions about this job, contact:

Srdjan Ljubojevic Head of Partner Liaison and Planning Email: [email protected] Shortlisting Date: 7 July 2026 Interview Date: 16 July 2026

The Study Support Service Senior Manager will have overall responsibility for leading the local operational aspects of the Regional RDN (RRDN) Study Support Service, which will be seamlessly integrated within the collective national Study Support Service, which serves as the cornerstone of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN), facilitating the effective delivery of studies throughout the system while enhancing strategic capacity and capability.

This role will have overall responsibility for ensuring local services within the Study Support Service are delivered to a high quality and consistently in line with nationally defined standards and operating processes. These encompass pre-approval services such as Planning and Placement Service/national cost and attribution tools, as well as post-approval services including portfolio oversight and on-request services. The role will also serve as a primary escalation point to identify issues necessitating regional or national resolution and attention. The role will work in collaboration with Regional Specialty and Settings Leads, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment with broader strategic objectives.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks across the U.K. These work with the national Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and the Department of Health and Social Care to provide a joint RDN leadership function via the RDN Board, so that the NIHR RDN operates as a single, transparent organisation with a shared vision and purpose. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is Host Organisation for the Yorkshire RRDN region.

The RDN supports the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health and care system in England for the benefit of patients, the health and care system and the economy.

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

• Act as a senior leader within the RDN, providing strategic direction and guidance
• Work as part of a community of senior leaders across the national network, exercising shared leadership and promoting the consistency of experience across a nationally-harmonised Study Support Service
• Collaborate with Local Specialty and Settings Leadership to align operational activities with strategic objectives
• Provide strategic support to research delivery sites, drawing on and contributing to national network intelligence
• Manage the Implementation and cascade of national strategic Study Support direction within the region and the local RRDN

BUSINESS PLANNING

• Support the contribution to collective national business planning for the Study Support and Partner Liaison services
• Contribute to reviewing, evaluating and approving research site delivery plans, and have delegated responsibility for periodically performance monitoring against those plans to ensure that RDN funding is being used appropriately and effectively
• Contribute to business planning for the Study Support Service and Partner Liaison functions, ensuring effective implementation and reporting

Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred Collaborative Fair Accountable Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values

We're committed to recruiting exceptional people to deliver outstanding services across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and helping every colleague reach their full potential. We're looking for a compassionate, inclusive, and collaborative leader who shares our values and can build strong partnerships. We warmly invite applications from people from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, and are especially keen to hear from individuals from a minority ethnic background. We're dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and has a true sense of belonging, as we work together to deliver the best in healthcare to the people of Leeds and beyond.

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

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Desirable

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Experience

Essential

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Desirable

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Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

Leeds General Infirmary

Leeds

West Yorkshire

LS1 3EX

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)