About this role
Job summary
The Research & Development (R&D) Department at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) is committed to the responsible use of healthcare data to improve patient care and population health outcomes. The post holder will work within the Healthcare Data Research Team, supporting a portfolio of complex, data-enabled research and innovation programmes.
The post holder will play a pivotal role within the Research Data Governance Team, providing leadership in the development and maintenance of robust governance frameworks that promote compliance, accountability, and transparency across the healthcare data research portfolio. They will support the delivery of high-impact research by ensuring adherence to legal, regulatory, ethical, contractual, and funding requirements, while aligning governance processes with organisational objectives and the strategic priorities of the Healthcare Data Research Team.
Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, the post holder will help maximise the value of healthcare data assets by enabling their secure, ethical, and effective use for research. Through balancing innovation, regulatory compliance, and financial sustainability, they will contribute to the delivery of trusted, impactful research that benefits patients, the NHS, and wider society.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will lead research data governance across the healthcare data research portfolio, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical, contractual, and organisational requirements. They will develop and implement governance frameworks that enable the secure, ethical, and effective use of healthcare data for research and innovation, supporting robust decision-making, accountability, and public trust.
The role will provide strategic oversight of funding, contracts, and financial governance arrangements, ensuring the sustainable delivery of research programmes and partnerships across academia, industry, and the public sector. Through effective financial controls, risk management, and stakeholder engagement, the post holder will support transparent reporting, regulatory compliance, and organisational objectives.
Working across a diverse range of clinical, research, technical, and external stakeholders, the post holder will communicate complex information effectively and provide expert advice on governance, compliance, and research delivery. They will work with a high degree of autonomy, exercising sound judgement whilst managing competing priorities in a complex and evolving environment.
About us
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.
Job description Job responsibilities *Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
*Degree or equivalent professional qualification, management qualification (e.g. or equivalent experience and Educated to a Masters level qualification or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in healthcare data function *In-depth knowledge in data Research including experience and training plus further management knowledge to post-graduate diploma level or equivalent. *Experience of further professional development *Knowledge of Human Tissue Act, Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations, Common law of Confidentiality, Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR acquired through degree or equivalent. *Evidence of relevant continued professional development.
Experience Essential
*Experience in technology, healthcare, and research innovation *Excellent working knowledge of MHRA *Experience in writing Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) *Experience of an agile user centred approach to project management *Proven ability to negotiate and motivate teams to ensure project delivery. *Experience in understanding technical discussions and documentation including data and digital themes. *Experience in dealing with sensitive and confidential information. *Understanding of Research Data Governance process *Experience of working with public & private sector funding *Knowledge of Data science and data research within the NHS *Have demonstrable experience of understanding and implementing key legislation to practice, including the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR), ISO standards and Information Commissioners Office (ICO) guidance. *Hold extensive knowledge of NHS data and the use of it in terms of Governance practices
Desirable
*Understanding of the needs of hospital staff, clinicians, and researchers. *Experience working with Commercial companies to service data requests *Experience of working in hospital setting
Additional Criteria Essential
*Ability to work under pressure within tight deadlines and prioritise workloads *Flexible approach to work with a strong motivation *Strong attention to detail *The post holder will be required to work flexibly for this post *May be required to work and travel across all UHB sites and externally as required by the role
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Address Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)