Biomedical Research Officer Jobs in Central London, Greater London
£34,300 - £37,300 per annum
Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Hybrid working with regular travel to our London Bridge Office; occasional UK regional travel
What the job involves
Funding research that will improve the lives of men with, or at high risk of, prostate cancer is one of Prostate Cancer UK’s highest priorities. Prostate cancer is harming too many men, in exchange for too few cures, which is why we are motivated more than ever to deliver a future where lives are no longer harmed by prostate cancer. We invest in the most innovative ideas to accelerate our knowledge and understanding of prostate cancer, and to develop better treatments and more effective approaches to diagnose the disease, so that we can transform the lives of all men with, or at risk of, prostate cancer.
We’re looking to appoint an enthusiastic and proactive Senior Research Impact Officer to join our Research Directorate. You’ll join an existing Senior Research Impact Officer to support the Senior Research Impact and Intelligence Manager to find, communicate and accelerate the impact of Prostate Cancer UK’s funded research. Taking responsibility for 50% of our ‘completed and in follow-up’ portfolio of research grants, you’ll act as their primary contact, assessing the likelihood of, and proximity to, impact.
You’ll use your scientific knowledge to understand the science behind these projects and communication skills to build strong working relationships with the researchers. With your research experience you’ll develop a detailed understanding of the outputs, outcomes and impact arising from the research we funded and support our research community to accelerate their pathway to impact.
What we want from you
Your role is important to the charity, as supporting research that can ultimately deliver a tangible impact to men affected by prostate cancer is a significant focus in our charity strategy.
You’ll need to be passionate about research making an impact and hold a bio-medical science degree (or a degree in a related subject), with research experience. You can understand complex scientific information presented in reports, publications or presentations and explain these complex concepts in a simple and engaging way to a range of audiences including peers within the charity as well as men and their families affected by the disease. You’ll be motivated to consistently perform to the highest standards, with an eagerness to trial new ideas, identify new opportunities and solve problems.
In any one day you could be helping develop an impact case study for the website, interviewing researchers for project updates, supporting delivery of a research event, or using social media to disseminate the work of our funded researchers. Your primary focus will be on the impact of our funded research, but you’ll also work closely with our research funding team, as well as with other teams across the charity.
We encourage applications from candidates who may not completely fit the job description as we are fully committed to help staff develop and progress in their role.
Why work with us?
Every man needs to know about the most common cancer in men – prostate cancer. It’s a real and present danger that takes over 12,000 of our dads, grandads, brothers and friends each year.
Prostate Cancer UK is the largest men’s health charity in the UK. We have a simple ambition – to stop prostate cancer damaging lives. We invest millions in research to revolutionise testing, treatment and care. We’re blazing a trail to a screening programme that could save thousands of lives with regular, accurate tests for all men at risk. And we work tirelessly to spread the word about risk and offer specialist support to people living with the disease.
Work with us and you’ll see your efforts pay off as we give men and their families the power to navigate prostate cancer.
Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
At Prostate Cancer UK, we believe that equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to building a strong and innovative workplace that represents, and can advocate for, the communities we support.
It’s our ambition to become an anti-racist organisation, and our mission to advance racial equity in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
We’re continuously learning more about the needs of our colleagues, and have three amazing People Networks, sponsored by our Leadership team: Pride, Mind & Body and Multicultural.
Ways of working
Our hybrid working approach combines the best of flexible working – a positive work/life balance, inclusive and accessible platforms, and online information at our fingertips.
Next steps
More information on what we offer, as well as the role, can be found on our vacancies page. Please download our job profile document (job description) with our ‘How to apply’ section sharing the key points to refer to in your application and to apply, please visit the website via the apply button.
The closing date is Sunday 12th May 2024. Applications must be submitted by 23:45 UK time.
Interviews: By arrangement. Currently scheduled for the week of Monday 20th May 2024.
Prostate Cancer UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1005541) and in Scotland (SC039332). Registered company number 02653887.
Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight.
In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:
- Can this be stopped?
- How will I live my life?
At Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation, we pursue positive answers to both questions. We do this by funding the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight.
Our researchers are at the forefront of eye research, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will prevent and treat eye disease. The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people: from tackling loneliness to supporting people who have survived domestic abuse.
We have a clear ambition, led by our CEO, Keith Valentine, who has valuable lived experience of vision loss. We’ve secured well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors and patrons, from Sir John Major to Marsha De Cordova MP.
This is an exciting time to join us, as we activate our new brand and five-year strategy.
If you share our mission and have the skills, experience and drive to contribute to our dynamic team, we’d love to hear from you.
Role Description
The Head of Research and Programmes is a new role, leading and overseeing the delivery of our grant-making activity across eye research and social change: delivering first class grant programmes that respond to need as our organisation scales up. The role will lead on key strategic projects and relationships that will increase the Impact of our funding and the value we add to the sectors we work in. This role will also develop and own an appropriate impact framework to ensure we're able to amplify the work we fund and demonstrate the value of our approach to funders and supporters.
Responsible to
Director of Impact and External Affairs
Direct reports
Senior Programme Manager (Research): Programme Manager (Social Change): Impact and Evaluation Manager
Working hours and contract
This is a permanent full-time role, 35 hours a week.
Salary
Circa. £60k
Location
Aldgate E1 and hybrid working. Minimum two days in the office and external meetings and events as required.
Start date
As soon as possible
Role Responsibilities:
Overseeing our Grant Programmes
· Driving work in areas where our organisation can add value and meet need, including scoping new potential programmes and partnerships as well as ensuring our current programmes evolve
· Lead on delivering high quality funding programmes that meet regulatory (AMRC) requirements as appropriate and provide an excellent experience for applicants, both successful and unsuccessful
· Be responsible for the financial management of budget associated with our funding programmes, working closely with the Finance Team
· Lead and manage the programme teams to analyse the external environment, identify unmet need and how we can add greater value in the sectors we work in
· Proactively disseminate insights from our funded research and project partners, gather sector knowledge, e.g. through delivering presentations, networking and representing our organisation externally with other grant makers/philanthropic organisations and sector partners.
Impact, evaluation and learning
· Work with the Director of Impact and External Affairs to develop and deliver an appropriate impact framework for our organisation, ensuring that we’re able to amplify the work we fund and demonstrate value to our funders and supporters
· Work closely with the Head of Communications and External Affairs to ensure that the narrative around our impact is powerful and consistent
· Initiate and facilitate new partnership opportunities, e.g. for co-funding grants, or for co-creating innovative project ideas for consideration through our funding programmes.
Strategic projects and relationships:
· Act as the primary point of contact for scientific advisors and subject matter experts, supporting the programme managers by providing senior stakeholder and relationship management support, e.g. with funded researchers, institutions, sector partners and potential future partners
· Commission relevant evidence gathering, project or development work to support the evolution of our funding programmes, specifically our focus during 2024/25 on the North East of England .
· Work with fundraising colleagues to provide support and information to develop cases for support, including pitching alongside the fundraising team when required.
· Work closely with colleagues in communications to ensure that the scope and impact of our work is widely understood and communicated
· Lead on specific initiatives to support our research strategy and to enhance our social change funding programme, e.g. developing a network for early career researchers and involvement of experts by experience across our work.
Leadership and Management
· Lead the team to deliver high quality funding programmes, ensuring that impact is embedded and widely shared
· Provide leadership to the team to support Its ongoing and future development, including creating ways to build skills and expertise within the team
· Work alongside other senior managers in the organisation to provide leadership that ensures our organisation is able to make the most of opportunities, increase its profile and credibility.
· Deliver strong and effective grant-making through our decision-making and governance structures
· Deputise for the Director of Impact and External Affairs as appropriate.
Person specification:
Skills, knowledge & experience
Essential
· A postgraduate degree in a biomedical sciences, health or social sciences subject or equivalent work experience
· Experience of working in a funder organisation, ideally supporting research or social change programme delivery including patient and public involvement and/or other co-production methods.
· Enthusiastic about vision research with strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret, analyse and summarise evidence, including from technical scientific papers, for a variety of audiences.
· Experience of monitoring, evaluation and learning within a grant making environment, including facilitating opportunities for grantees to come together, either through structured development programmes or sharing best practice
· Proficient in the use of standard IT packages including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and ideally familiar with Grant Management Systems or able to learn how to use these quickly.
Desirable
· An advanced research degree (PhD) in biomedical sciences, health or social sciences subject or equivalent work experience
· Experience of working directly in or supporting vision and sight loss research or funding programmes.
· Understanding of the wider research and programme funding landscape and initiatives for responsible funding activities
Personal chararteristics and behaviours:
· A confident and clear communicator, both orally and in writing, with an ability to articulate our impact with internal and external stakeholders
· A collaborative approach, able to problem solve and work with colleagues to generate ideas or overcome barriers
· A focus on quality, attention to detail and accuracy in content and presentation
· A strong project manager with the ability to work independently and within a team to plan and prioritise activities across multiple projects.
· Commitment to the research that will prevent, treat and cure eye disease and the change that is needed to improve life for blind and vision impaired people.
· Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Flexibility
· The role description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and may be amended from time to time.
· The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.
Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements. If you are unfamiliar with MS Teams and would like to do a tech run-through before the interview, we can also coordinate that.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About us:
Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support including healthcare to children and adults with M.E.. We provide vital support services, campaign for change and invest in ground-breaking research to help put an end to the ignorance, injustice and neglect experienced by people with M.E.
Opportunity:
Having been paused to new referrals, Action for M.E.’s free, independent, Adults Advocacy service will soon be re-opening. It’s one of our range of free Support Services that work with adults, young people, and/or families living with M.E. We support colleagues across the team to take part in and share reflective practice, self-care, peer-support and training.
Our Adults Advocacy service offers non-statutory, single-issue, instructed advocacy for adults with a confirmed diagnosis of M.E. We encourage self-advocacy where possible, though many of our clients are too severely affected by M.E. to be able to take undertake this.
As an Adults Advocate, you will manage a caseload of clients, as well as inputting and contributing to the triage process along with your Advocacy colleagues. You will meet with clients by phone, email, Zoom and/or SMS; we can also facilitate communication by post if this is required. We are not able to offer home visits or face to face meetings.
What we can offer you:
We offer fully remote and flexible working with generous annual leave (30 days plus bank holidays, pro rata). The wellbeing of our staff is important to us, we offer a range of benefits to employees including (but not limited to) access to free counselling and voluntary wellbeing weekday sessions, examples of recent sessions include guided group meditations and a book club.
To view the full job description, download the job pack, and apply for this role, please visit our Recruitee site (please note that we only accept applications via Recruitee; any application sent directly to an Action for M.E. mailbox will not be considered).
Should you have any questions about the role, or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment team, details of how to do this are contained in the application pack, "how to apply" section.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.