Location
Twickenham, London / Hybrid working model (minimum one day a week in office, four days a month, subject to team requirements)

Hours
Full Time - 7.5 hours per day

Salary
£40,300 per annum

About the Role
The Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), is seeking a Programme Manager to join the Research Programmes Directorate. NIHR partners with the NHS, universities, local government, research funders, patients, and the public to deliver world-leading health and social care research that improves health, wellbeing, and promotes economic growth. This role will support the strategic development and delivery of NIHR and non-NIHR research funding programmes, primarily within the NIHR Policy Research Programme, with potential deployment to other initiatives such as Climate Change, Work and Health, Long COVID, and Artificial Intelligence for Multiple Long-term Conditions (AIM).

The Programme Manager will manage the full research funding lifecycle, from designing schemes and launching calls for applications to monitoring funded projects. The role requires collaborative working across organisations and teams, with key stakeholders including communities, local authorities, industry, regulators, policy makers, academics, and clinicians. This position offers exciting external liaison opportunities with UK government, academia, industry, and the clinical community.

Key Accountabilities
- Support all aspects of research funding including identifying investment opportunities, advising applicants, reviewing applications, coordinating peer review, and overseeing funding committee meetings
- Provide feedback to applicants and conduct due diligence on healthcare-related proposals assessing scientific, technical, clinical rationale, value for money, IP/freedom to operate, and commercialisation strategies
- Negotiate funding agreements including milestones, deliverables, financial terms, and reporting requirements
- Manage a portfolio of funded projects monitoring scientific, clinical, and financial performance, reviewing IP and dissemination plans, and managing contractual changes
- Liaise with stakeholders by organising and leading meetings, representing the funder’s perspective, and promoting funding programmes externally
- Support strategic initiatives, draft SOPs, templates, and guidance documents, produce meeting minutes and reports, and respond to urgent Parliamentary Questions or Department of Health briefings
- Identify and implement process improvements and maintain strong professional relationships across teams, award holders, NIHR, and customer organisations, acting as a role model at all levels

Employee Benefits
Annual bonus (subject to company performance), Enhanced Contributory Pension Scheme, Life Insurance Cover, Benenden Healthcare Membership, Training and Development Opportunities, Season Ticket Loan

Experience
- Degree in biomedical, health, or social sciences
- Experience in research management, ideally within a healthcare setting
- Proven success in stakeholder management across multiple organisations
- Track record in managing projects and programmes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a solution-focused approach
- Highly developed communication skills including liaising with external stakeholders

About you
- Strategic thinker able to interpret complex information
- Collaborative and able to work across teams and organisations
- Proactive in identifying and implementing operational improvements
- Professional and confident in representing funder perspectives in meetings

Qualifications
- Essential: Degree in biomedical, health, or social sciences
- Desired: PhD in a medical, scientific, technical, or social discipline
- Understanding of the UK health and care research landscape is advantageous