• Job Description

  Req#: C9298-MDI-182?language=en&page=1150&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  1 x fixed term contract role with an end date of 31 March 2027

  1 x fixed term contract role for a period of up to 12 months

  The NIHR plays a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best health and social care researchers.

  We are seeking two Senior Programme Manager with research management experience to manage programmes of funding and support designed to build research capacity in health and care research.

  One of the Senior Programme Manager positions will work as part of the Global Health Team and be responsible for managing and delivering research schemes and capacity strengthening activities funded by the UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

  The second Senior Programme Manager position will work as part of the Personal Awards Team and be responsible for managing and delivering personal career development awards and capacity strengthening activities.

  The NIHR Academy Executive (where these roles sit) have adopted a hybrid working model whereby staff are able to split their working time between working in the office (Queen Street, Leeds) and at home.

  Expected Shortlisting Date

  08/04/2026

  Planned Interview Date

  20/04/2026

  Main duties of the job

  • Setting up and managing funding competitions including review or development of applicant guidance, managing committee reviews, managing Committee meetings, and setting up of new award contracts
  • Management and monitoring of awards.
  • Recruitment to and management of Selection Committees.
  • Engaging and consulting with key professional groups and communities in areas of strategic need.
  • Working constructively and inclusively to find solutions to challenges as they arise.
  • Working with NIHR communications staff, promoting awards to key audiences including running of events, workshops, webinars and networks.
  • Striving to improve our processes and awards, including ongoing review and evaluation of programmes.
  • Being engaged in and aware of the wider work of NIHR
  • Contributing to cross team and cross NIHR initiatives.
  • Line management
  • Managing a broad and varied portfolio of work

  About us

  The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has a mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR plays a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best researchers and complements the additional NIHR investment in world-class research facilities and a skilled research workforce.

  This role is hosted by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and delivers the work of the NIHR, leading on policy, strategy and delivery in respect of academic training in England and working closely with other NIHR centres and the Science Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

  Details

  Date posted

  05 March 2026

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 7

  Salary

  £49,387 to £56,515 a year

  Contract

  Fixed term

  Duration

  12 months

  Working pattern

  Full-time, Flexible working

  Reference number

  C9298-MDI-182

  Job locations

  St. James's University Hospital

  NIHR Academy

  21 Queen Street

  Leeds

  LS1 2TW

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Programme management

  • The post holder will be required to manage change in response to external events and new policies; this may require the reformulation and adjustment of plans and strategies to ensure that the programmes in the post holders portfolio remain fit for purpose;
  • Management of peer review panels and advisory boards including: identifying prospective panel members, invitations to join panels/boards, drafting panel/board terms of reference and guidance, management and organisation of panel meetings;
  • Provide secretariat for panels, boards and implementation groups as required;
  • As required for the schemes in the post holders area of responsibility: attend interviews of applicants to posts funded by the NIHR, visit awards holders and programme leads, hold pre-contracting meetings with fellowship award holders, their supervisors and finance office representatives and attend stakeholder meetings;
  • Drafting and revision of application forms and guidance for new and existing schemes;
  • Provide written feedback to applicants to programmes/scheme applicants in the post holders portfolio;
  • Handle complex queries and complaints about the application process and funding decisions by telephone, email, and in person;
  • Work with the Senior Management Team to plan and implement the process for administering the schemes in the post holders area of responsibility;
  • Play a key role in planning the annual cycle and timing of schemes in the post holders area of responsibility;
  • Working with the other Senior Programme Managers and Business Manager to monitor workload and co-ordination of administrative functions across the portfolio;
  • Writing reports and working papers as required; and
  • Research and publicise out puts and impacts of the programmes in the post holder's portfolio.

  Awards management

  • Prepare and check announcement letters, contracts, and payment schedules for new awards;
  • Deal with and track requests for changes, including variations to awards and contracts;
  • Responsibility for ensuring tracking and classification of applications;
  • Responsibility for production of updates, financial reports and papers about schemes/programmes in the post holders portfolio;
  • Maintain a clear and comprehensive audit trail in compliance with Department of Health and Social Care contracting policy;
  • Negotiate mechanisms with other funding bodies for transferring funds across organisations, and;
  • Liaise with external stakeholders to monitor progress of schemes, and work closely with the Information and Evaluation Manager on monitoring and evaluation of schemes in the post holders area of responsibility.

  Communication

  • Publicise the NIHR Academy activities through attendance and presentations at external meetings, seminars and conferences;
  • Deal with a range of people nationally at all levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR Academy in line with DHSC policies;
  • Organisation of workshops and stakeholder meetings as required;
  • Generate and maintain strong nationally- based networks and positive working relationships within HEIs, PCTs and other health-related organisations, particularly at the level of senior research leaders/sponsors to benefit the NIHR Academy programmes.
  • Contributing to briefings requested from Ministers offices and other government departments.
  • Liaise with members of the Senior Management Team and Senior Programme Managers in order to meet responsibilities and undertake duties effectively.

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Programme management

  • The post holder will be required to manage change in response to external events and new policies; this may require the reformulation and adjustment of plans and strategies to ensure that the programmes in the post holders portfolio remain fit for purpose;
  • Management of peer review panels and advisory boards including: identifying prospective panel members, invitations to join panels/boards, drafting panel/board terms of reference and guidance, management and organisation of panel meetings;
  • Provide secretariat for panels, boards and implementation groups as required;
  • As required for the schemes in the post holders area of responsibility: attend interviews of applicants to posts funded by the NIHR, visit awards holders and programme leads, hold pre-contracting meetings with fellowship award holders, their supervisors and finance office representatives and attend stakeholder meetings;
  • Drafting and revision of application forms and guidance for new and existing schemes;
  • Provide written feedback to applicants to programmes/scheme applicants in the post holders portfolio;
  • Handle complex queries and complaints about the application process and funding decisions by telephone, email, and in person;
  • Work with the Senior Management Team to plan and implement the process for administering the schemes in the post holders area of responsibility;
  • Play a key role in planning the annual cycle and timing of schemes in the post holders area of responsibility;
  • Working with the other Senior Programme Managers and Business Manager to monitor workload and co-ordination of administrative functions across the portfolio;
  • Writing reports and working papers as required; and
  • Research and publicise out puts and impacts of the programmes in the post holder's portfolio.

  Awards management

  • Prepare and check announcement letters, contracts, and payment schedules for new awards;
  • Deal with and track requests for changes, including variations to awards and contracts;
  • Responsibility for ensuring tracking and classification of applications;
  • Responsibility for production of updates, financial reports and papers about schemes/programmes in the post holders portfolio;
  • Maintain a clear and comprehensive audit trail in compliance with Department of Health and Social Care contracting policy;
  • Negotiate mechanisms with other funding bodies for transferring funds across organisations, and;
  • Liaise with external stakeholders to monitor progress of schemes, and work closely with the Information and Evaluation Manager on monitoring and evaluation of schemes in the post holders area of responsibility.

  Communication

  • Publicise the NIHR Academy activities through attendance and presentations at external meetings, seminars and conferences;
  • Deal with a range of people nationally at all levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR Academy in line with DHSC policies;
  • Organisation of workshops and stakeholder meetings as required;
  • Generate and maintain strong nationally- based networks and positive working relationships within HEIs, PCTs and other health-related organisations, particularly at the level of senior research leaders/sponsors to benefit the NIHR Academy programmes.
  • Contributing to briefings requested from Ministers offices and other government departments.
  • Liaise with members of the Senior Management Team and Senior Programme Managers in order to meet responsibilities and undertake duties effectively.

  Person Specification

  Experience

  Essential

  • Significant experience of research and /or research management
  • An understanding of public sector health research and its management
  • An interest in many areas of health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries

  Desirable

  • Postgraduate research and/or research management experience
  • An understanding of health research capacity development
  • Experience of drafting contracts

  Skills & behaviours

  Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively as an advocate for health services research and development
  • Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
  • Ability to work as part of a team, build and maintain good working relationships
  • Deliver work on time, to anticipate fresh demands, and to delegate effectively
  • Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues, senior academics, NHS managers, members of the public and various stake holders
  • Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results
  • Ability to plan and organise a broad range of new and ongoing activities
  • Advanced level oral and written communication skills
  • Confident and comfortable talking and presenting to others
  • Ability to analyse, interpret and present complex scientific and policy information
  • Good working knowledge of word processing, databases, spreadsheets
  • Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Willingness to travel in UK, including occasional overnight absence

  Desirable

  • Experience of drafting reports/papers
  • Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience

  Desirable

  • PhD

  Person Specification

  Experience

  Essential

  • Significant experience of research and /or research management
  • An understanding of public sector health research and its management
  • An interest in many areas of health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries

  Desirable

  • Postgraduate research and/or research management experience
  • An understanding of health research capacity development
  • Experience of drafting contracts

  Skills & behaviours

  Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively as an advocate for health services research and development
  • Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
  • Ability to work as part of a team, build and maintain good working relationships
  • Deliver work on time, to anticipate fresh demands, and to delegate effectively
  • Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues, senior academics, NHS managers, members of the public and various stake holders
  • Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results
  • Ability to plan and organise a broad range of new and ongoing activities
  • Advanced level oral and written communication skills
  • Confident and comfortable talking and presenting to others
  • Ability to analyse, interpret and present complex scientific and policy information
  • Good working knowledge of word processing, databases, spreadsheets
  • Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Willingness to travel in UK, including occasional overnight absence

  Desirable

  • Experience of drafting reports/papers
  • Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Masters Degree in a health or life-science discipline or equivalent experience

  Desirable

  • PhD

  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

  St. James's University Hospital

  NIHR Academy

  21 Queen Street

  Leeds

  LS1 2TW

  
  

  Employer's website

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

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals

  Address

  St. James's University Hospital

  NIHR Academy

  21 Queen Street

  Leeds

  LS1 2TW

  
  

  Employer's website

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

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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