UKCRF Network Industry Operations Manager

A new role has arisen to the become the UKCRF Network Industry Operations Manager (IOM) This exciting role to help influence the pathway of early phase commercial clinical trials in the UK and Ireland, will be based at the UKCRF Network's Host Headquarters at MFT. The successful candidate will become a member of the senior management team (SMT) and work closely with the senior leadership team (SLT) to establish and enable the implementation of the NIHR UKCRF Network Industry Strategy as part of the 2023-2029 UKCRF Network bid period. This role will be integral to achieving corporate and strategic objectives of the UKCRF Network and those of the NIHR.
With significant commercial research experience either in the NHS or industry/pharma, the post holder will lead a cross-cutting Industry function, including acting as a single point of contact service for Industry partners working within the UKCRF Network. They will be a key member of Work Package 2 (Strategic Leadership) who aim to build and maintain systems to promote and enhance collaborative working with industry and charity partners with dedicated senior clinical leadership to meet the needs of research funders and stakeholders (including ECMCs, BRCs and the AMRC and ABPI).
The post holder will be predominantly home-based but will be regularly required to work at the Grafton St base and potentially occasionally across sites of all organisations in the UKCRF Network., The Industry Operations Manager will work closely with key UKCRF Network, NIHR business development teams and commercially-focussed teams in the developed nations and Ireland, to ensure clear and visible Industry leadership. The key purposes of this will be to bring in new and strategically important work into while prioritising fast and consistent feasibility, quality standards, study set up, recruitment delivery and coordination within the UKCRF Network community. The postholder will also seek to locate and develop a community of Key Opinion Leaders in various experimental medicine (EM) fields to assist both NIHR and commercial partners.
They will become a key part of a business development infrastructure in NIHR seeking to expand the capacity for the delivery of commercial contract trials, and specifically in EM and early phase clinical research. This will rely on coordinating between NIHR, commercial partners and partner NHS organisations with CRFs. The appointee will therefore need to have the appropriate established senior level professional networks and personal credibility to influence colleagues across the broader internal and external health community and commercial organisations., The Industry Operations Manager will be responsible for the oversight and business development of the UKCRF Network Commercial strategy. The post holder will build and establish excellent working relationships with Life Sciences Industry partners, and also individual CRF Leaders, acting as a senior point of contact for new and existing business and helping to refine the capacity and capability database.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you'll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the 'Supporting Documents' heading. So that you're even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you'll need to take time to read the 'Candidate Essentials Guide' that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how 'we care for you as you care for others'. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you'll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [email protected].
We're looking forward to hearing from you!

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.
We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.