The Clinical Outcomes Unit at The Christie is being refreshed as part of the Trust's Future Christie Programme, guided by our Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Chief Clinical Data Officer (CCDO), and shaped by the new Single Data Platform Programme (JAC). The Head of Analytics plays a key role within the Unit's leadership team, working closely with our Data Engineering and Information Governance colleagues to provide analytical expertise that supports our clinical community. At its heart, this is about developing best in class cancer services and driving population health, using AI to turn data into insight that supports better clinical outcomes for our patients. The role will manage our Data Science, Analyst and Statistician functions, delivering our reporting commitments whilst pushing forward developments that use real-world data to inform decisions and support new studies. This is where information becomes knowledge, and a genuine opportunity to use data to drive the aims of our expert technical teams as we build a modern, cloud-based platform for the Trust. We're looking for a highly competent data expert, with experience across the complexities of enterprise clinical data, its governance and quality, able to shape assured, repeatable outputs across the whole team.
The Unit needs a leader who can coach and bring the best out of its excellent staff day to day, building a positive learning culture where people are proud of what they achieve.
Above all, this role is about developing an insight-led organisation, one that turns data into evidence our clinicians and teams can act on. The Head of Analytics will take a leading role in overseeing service development, with excellent knowledge of NHS reporting requirements and how these will evolve under the Single Data Platform Programme.
Supporting clinical trials and improving outcomes for the patients on them is part of the role. But it's about far more than that. It's about helping improve the organisation as a whole, supporting neighbourhood oncology and care closer to home, in line with the three shifts (hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention).
The post holder will oversee analysis and reporting to publication standard where needed, with day to day work involving close collaboration with lead clinicians, academic partners, the CDO and CCDO's wider teams, and clinical groups.
We're looking for someone who can deliver objectives to the highest standard, keep programmes of work closely managed, and communicate well enough to engage staff at all levels through a period of significant change.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
- Co-create with the Director of Outcomes and the Digital senior management team the Clinical Outcomes Strategy for the Trust, and deliver the objectives defined within it.
- Lead on the delivery of objectives defined in linked strategies, where agreed, that require COU input and processes, such as the R&I strategy, service strategies and the MCRC strategy.
- Lead, collaborate, support, report, review, advise and produce data outputs to help enable clinical leads to inform their outcomes and the effectiveness of patient treatment and care, in line with strategy and associated objectives.
- Manage and co-ordinate the staff, procedures and processes within the COU, ensuring staff are adequately trained to offer a high-quality, customer-focused service.
- Work closely with the data engineering and solutions team in defining data source reporting requirements, using specialist knowledge to help improve data quality within reporting outputs, the data warehouse and Trusted Research Environments.
- Work closely with Trust disease groups, divisions and Digital Services teams to ensure the impact of data quality is communicated, helping to resolve data quality issues at source of entry.
- Ensure that the systems used and developed by the COU are used effectively, efficiently and safely.
- Devise, consult on, collaborate on and deliver strategically important COU projects, new capital developments and collaborative projects.
- Work closely with the Programme Management Office during the implementation of new systems, modules or software versions. Prior to any implementation, and in line with Trust standards, identify training requirements and ensure courses are prepared and, where necessary, delivered.
- Lead, manage and action the resolution of incidents, problems and requests in own area efficiently and professionally, conforming to Trust and departmental standards, service agreements, policies, procedures and working practices, and seeking further advice within Informatics when necessary.
- Liaise closely with users to manage incidents, problems and service requests in own area to a satisfactory conclusion, providing full information and advice and investigating complaints in line with departmental policy.
- Ensure the provision of specialist training for staff from own or other disciplines on own subject area, when required.
- Ensure the appropriate level of cover is provided.
- Ensure the Digital Services intranet and knowledge base documents are accurate and relevant for own area of responsibility.
- Review and update job descriptions and objectives annually, ensuring new requirements and technologies are accommodated.
Human Resources
- Line manage own team in line with appropriate policies, procedures, working practices and guidelines, ensuring resources are deployed to maximise efficient and effective delivery of support services to patients and users.
- Provide regular performance reports on progress, status and achievements for own area, for use by management and users.
- Undertake and support the development of staff in line with personal development reviews and other associated guidance.
- Provide training for staff from own or other disciplines on own subject area, when required.
- On occasion, work unsociable hours to support and enable the delivery of key programmes or projects.
Financial and Physical Resources
- Responsible for the Analytics exchequer budget as a budget holder, with controls, planning and budget setting for all pay and non-pay budget lines.
- Responsible for a research budget, and for maximising the income brought into that budget to progress strategic objectives for patient benefit.
- Ensure the robust management of financial resources allocated to own area, and make proposals to maximise those resources through budget setting, recharges, long-term financial planning and cost-saving opportunities.
- Responsible for the safe use of ICT hardware and software, including installation, repair and maintenance as appropriate.
- Responsible for the maintenance and support contracts allocated to own area, ensuring continuity of service and budget management. Liaise with third-party suppliers to identify and evaluate potential value-for-money contracts.
- Liaise with external agencies, suppliers and contractors, ensuring delivery of service is in line with agreed contracts.
- Lead business appraisals and business case production when required, in partnership with Trust stakeholders. Undertake solution searches and appraisals of supplier proposals.
- Ensure Trust procurement processes and procedures are followed in a timely and efficient manner, and participate in the procurement process where relevant, assisting with the development and assessment of procurement documentation as required.
- Ensure Trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and procurement guidelines are followed and adhered to.
Project Management
- Lead, advise on and participate in the development and implementation of projects, where required, ensuring the provision of integrated solutions and that user objectives are achieved.
- Ensure project tasks, where required, are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales and budgets.
- Support the activities of project boards and project teams, when required, including making presentations to all levels of staff where required.
- Where required, lead workstreams as part of PMO projects for system implementations.
- Ensure any project management documentation or reports are delivered in line with agreed standards and timescales.
Policy, Service Development and Governance
- Responsible for developing and/or implementing policies for own work area, and for proposing changes to policies in line with legislation and Trust and NHS policies and guidelines, with particular focus on the use and dissemination of real-world data and intelligence.
- Act as an ambassador for the Informatics service by developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with users across the organisation, to deliver a high-quality, standard digital culture that achieves local requirements and national targets.
- Lead the development and maintenance of a culture of service provision and continuous improvement for own area.
- Proactively ensure that digital services delivered within the Trust reflect best practice with respect to organisational, NHS and legislative requirements and guidelines, including ethics, the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the Data Protection Act 2018, Information Standards, information security and compliance with NHS Information Governance.
- Lead on Information Governance and security as required, and ensure appropriate governance, ethics and security in own area.
- Implement quality management and quality improvement systems and processes, and undertake audits designed to improve digital systems and services in areas of responsibility.
- Ensure change management is applied in own area and follows implemented policies and procedures.
- Ensure all documentation relating to own area is complete and fit for purpose, and that all releases relating to hardware, software and documentation are controlled.
- Ensure a proactive and comprehensive approach to risk management, and be responsible for service continuity in own area, participating in the Informatics service continuity planning.
- Provide Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for allocated incidents and problems, instigating emergency action when required and liaising with other Trust managers as appropriate.
Business Continuity Management
- Lead the development, testing, maintaining and reviewing of business continuity plans.
- Lead business impact analysis exercises, highlighting critical business processes within own area.
- Be familiar with the Trust Business Continuity Plan and personal responsibilities within it, where applicable.
