About this role
Job summary
As a Research Secretary within Clinical Research Directorate, you will provide vital administrative and secretarial support to research teams across a range of specialities. The role is central to ensuring the smooth running of research services, managing appointments, coordinating communications, maintaining accurate patient records, handling correspondence, and supporting meetings and clinical activities.
We are looking for an organised, proactive and professional individual with excellent communication, keyboard and IT skills, experience in secretarial procedures, and the ability to work independently while managing competing priorities. Accuracy, discretion, attention to detail and a commitment to patient confidentiality are essential, along with the ability to support patients and colleagues in a busy healthcare environment.
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge clinical research within a supportive NHS team. You will play a key role in delivering high-quality research services, develop valuable specialist knowledge, and work alongside dedicated professionals whose work helps improve patient care and advance healthcare innovation.
Interview Date Friday 19 October 2026 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
Managing patient research appointments. Acting as a key point of contact for research teams across the Directorate. Handling telephone and email enquiries, resolving issues where appropriate and escalating more complex matters. Preparing, typing and distributing correspondence, reports, agendas and meeting minutes and other documentation, including audio transcription. Maintaining diaries, arranging meetings and coordinating meeting room bookings.. Managing patient records and data using electronic systems such as eRecord and departmental databases, ensuring confidentiality and accuracy at all times. Contributing to service improvement, audits, data collection and departmental procedures, while ensuring compliance with Trust policies and governance requirements. Providing cross-site administrative support and cover for colleagues during periods of absence.
About us
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:
Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) Freeman Hospital Newcastle Dental Hospital Cramlington Manor Walks Urgent treatment centres Newcastle Fertility Centre Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria Northern Genetics Service These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Job description Job responsibilities
Working within Clinical Delivery Secretarial Department to provide a comprehensive administrative and secretarial support service across clinical research specialities to Consultants, Medical Staff and other clinical members of their team i.e. Team Lead, Research Nurses etc. Communicates with patients regarding appointments and admissions at the request of the clinical l staff. Provide cross site cover for Secretarial colleagues during absences as directed by Line Manager as required. Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education Essential
Appropriate NVQ III Certificate (e.g. Business Administration, Secretarial Support etc) or equivalent level qualifications / relevant experience English Language qualification to GCSE level 4 (or above) or equivalent level qualification / relevant experience Advanced keyboard skills including a high standard of word processing skills (e.g. OCR / RSA II or equivalent level qualification / experience)
Desirable
OCR / RSA III
Knowledge & Experience Essential
Experience of secretarial procedures Audio typing experience
Desirable
NHS secretarial experience Working Knowledge of NHS Systems e.g. eRecord Knowledge of Medical Terminology
Skills & Abilities Essential
IT skills to include office software packages Advanced keyboard skills including a high standard of word processing skills (e.g. OCR / RSA II or equivalent level qualification / experience) Excellent communication skills
Desirable
Ability to manage time effectively and work on own initiative
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.
Employer details Employer name The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address Trustwide
317 Trustwide
NE1 4LP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us (Opens in a new tab)