The Approvals Service Directorate comprises distinct teams involved in the operational delivery of HRA Approval, including the Research Ethics Service in England and the Confidentiality Advice Team. It also incorporates the Technical Assurances, Approvals Support & Improvement and Coordination and Standardisation Teams.
The Approvals Directorate teams work to deliver the UK-wide Research Ethics Service, aligned Four Nations operational policy and process and HRA involvement in government driven initiatives.
This post is critical in supporting the delivery of the HRA’s contribution to improvements and change in UK clinical research set-up and delivery. This supports the government’s pledge to cut the time it takes to get a clinical trial set up to 150 days or less. The aim is to help improve the set-up and delivery of clinical research and the experience of commercial sponsors and sites by reducing unnecessary duplication and facilitating increased consistency wherever possible.
The post holder will be working with the wider team to support the successful roll out, implementation and adoption of an enhanced Technical Assurances (TA) service. The post holder’s priority will be the administration of the process and engagement with the Technical Assurance reviewers to ensure a smooth and effective increase in registration of Technical Assurance reviewers whilst ensuring business continuity.
The Implementation Officer will:
- Work with the Service Improvement Manager and Leads to register Pharmacy and Radiation professionals as reviewers across relevant NHS/HSC organisations, in line with existing requirements.
- Manage the end-to-end registration of new reviewers, following the defined process and escalating risks and issues.
- Support service improvement and redesign across Technical Assurance, Improvement, Operations and Coordination and Standardisation, implementing protocols to improve TA reviewer recruitment.
- Work with the Service Improvement Manager and Professional Experts ensuring they are connected to relevant meetings and national groups where potential reviewers will be identified to sign up to the reviewer pool. Work with the Service Improvement Manager, experts and teams to support them in implementing solutions to any barriers encountered with the recruitment of reviewers.
- Log and respond to queries, liaising with relevant teams.
- Work with TA experts and approvals teams to resolve local recruitment issues. Support service improvement options appraisals by analysing complex data, comparing approaches, and outlining implications.
- Identify process risks and issues and report them to relevant leads to support improvement.
- Report rollout and progress against agreed deliverables to relevant managers.
- Provide verbal and written updates at HRA and UK-wide meetings, including guidance on registering as technical reviewers.
At the HRA, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment where we actively invest in the development and empowerment of our staff, enabling them to perform at their best. We strive to promote a healthy workplace culture where wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth are valued and encouraged.
Working at the HRA, we support flexible working, recognising that home based or hybrid arrangements provides us with the most productive environment to work well. Where possible, we’ll offer a working pattern that suits you.
The HRA offers home based contracts for all locations. Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham based staff can be office based and hybrid working arrangements are also possible. We encourage you to speak with us to explore how this could be accommodated.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents for full details about this role.
When completing your application, ensure you clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills align with the criteria outlined for this position.
We recognise that generative AI tools can be helpful in supporting applicants during the recruitment process, particularly for tasks such as proofreading, structuring, or refining written responses. However, we encourage candidates to use AI responsibly and sparingly. Applications should reflect your authentic voice, personal experiences, and genuine qualifications. Over reliance on AI generated content can result in generic or inaccurate submissions that fail to meet the criteria or convey your individuality. Misrepresentation of skills, knowledge, or experience, including through AI-generated content, may lead to the rejection of your application, withdrawal of your offer, or your dismissal if you do start with us. If you choose to use AI, please ensure it enhances rather than replaces your own input, and be transparent about its use where appropriate. False and insincere examples go against our values of integrity and transparency.
Important information
We are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement as we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Applications requiring sponsorship will not be considered.
Applications that do not clearly demonstrate how the essential criteria outlined in the person specification are met will not be shortlisted.
Only the information provided in the application form will be considered. CVs will not be reviewed.
We do not accept applications via recruitment agencies or other third parties.
The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.
Our fixed term roles are also open to applicants who wish to apply on a secondment basis.
Applicants who fit this category are advised to speak with their line manager before applying and visit their organisations Secondments Policy.
Organisational structure and directorate overview
The HRA is made up of five directorates: Approvals, Chief Executive, Digital, Policy and Partnerships and Resources.
This role is in the HRA Approvals Service directorate which consists of teams that work together, across the HRA and across the UK research landscape to provide the appropriate approvals for health and care research in England and, in some cases, across the UK, and to coordinate and standardise research regulation policy and practice across the UK.
This directorate issues HRA Approval, provides the research ethics service in England, supports the Confidentiality Advisory Group advising on the use of confidential patient information without consent; and coordinates technical assurances for pharmacy and radiation. We lead work to refine and maintain the systems and processes researchers need to follow to ensure a swift, robust and simple experience. We do this by working collaboratively with external partners and nearly 1000 committee volunteers to improve the research environment.
