Research Sponsorship Facilitator(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Automotive Jobs
Uk
January 1, 2026
Full Time Permanent
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Job Description

Role Overview

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a driven and detail-focused Research Sponsorship Facilitator to join its Research & Development team. This role sits at the heart of the Trust’s sponsor responsibilities, supporting the design, approval, oversight, and successful delivery of Trust-sponsored (“home-grown”) research studies.

You will play a pivotal role in guiding researchers through the NHS research pathway, ensuring studies are compliant with national legislation, ethical standards, and Good Clinical Practice. By enabling high-quality research, this post directly contributes to improving patient care and strengthening the Trust’s research profile.

Key Purpose of the Role

  • Act as a central point of expertise for research sponsorship within RCHT
  • Support clinicians and researchers to translate ideas into compliant, deliverable research studies
  • Maintain oversight of sponsored research from concept through to close-out
  • Ensure sponsor duties are met in line with UK research governance frameworks

Key Responsibilities

Research Sponsorship & Governance

  • Maintain a comprehensive portfolio database of all RCHT-sponsored research
  • Provide sponsor representation at internal and external meetings with partner organisations and host sites
  • Support the Research Governance Manager in coordinating the Sponsor Oversight Committee (SOC), including reporting study progress and pipeline activity
  • Ensure Trial Master Files (TMFs) are complete, accurate, and version-controlled in line with regulatory expectations

Researcher Support & Study Development

  • Guide researchers through the full sponsorship process, from early concept to study delivery

Provide expert advice on required approvals and documentation, including:

  • IRAS applications
  • Research registration databases
  • Annual and end-of-study reports
  • Prepare or complete sponsor documentation such as the Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SoECAT)

Amendments, Reporting & Oversight

  • Advise on study amendments, supporting classification, documentation, and liaison with relevant teams
  • Maintain regular contact with study teams to monitor progress, milestones, and compliance
  • Manage the sponsor inbox, triaging enquiries, coordinating safety alerts, and escalating risks appropriately

Patient & Public Involvement (PPI)

  • Work with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) groups to ensure community voices are embedded in sponsored research
  • Support surveys and feedback initiatives related to public involvement in research
  • Training, Systems & Continuous Improvement
  • Develop and maintain sponsor process documentation and work instructions
  • Deliver training sessions on research sponsorship and governance processes
  • Update and manage research databases and spreadsheets in line with national reporting requirements

About the Trust

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute and specialist services to approximately 500,000 residents across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with numbers rising significantly during peak visitor seasons. The Trust employs around 6,700 staff and manages an annual budget of approximately £580 million.

As a teaching hospital partnered with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth, and Peninsula Dental School, RCHT has a growing national reputation for research, innovation, and clinical academic development.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience
  • ICH-GCP certification (or willingness to undertake training)
  • ECDL or equivalent IT qualification

Experience

  • Proven experience working in clinical research
  • Strong understanding of NHS research pathways and sponsorship processes
  • Experience reviewing research protocols and governance documentation
  • Knowledge of legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements in health research
  • Ability to analyse complex data and produce clear reports

Skills & Competencies

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • High attention to detail and accuracy
  • Strong organisational and project management skills
  • Ability to work independently while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams

Desirable Criteria

  • Experience using research databases (e.g. EDGE)
  • Grant writing experience
  • Previous NHS employment
  • Experience chairing meetings or delivering training
  • Familiarity with NHS clinical systems (e.g. PAS)
  • Experience disseminating research findings in healthcare journals

Safeguarding & Pre-Employment Checks

This role is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Applicants requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship must also comply with UKVI overseas criminal record certification requirements.

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