About this role
Job summary
Oxford Health is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to join our Corporate Affairs function as Head of Research Contracts, Intellectual Property and Innovation Governance.
This is a opportunity to play a pivotal role in enabling world-class research and innovation across the Trust. You will provide expert leadership on research contracting, intellectual property (IP) and innovation governance, ensuring robust frameworks are in place to support groundbreaking research while safeguarding the Trust's legal, financial and reputational interests.
Working at the heart of a thriving research environment, you will act as the Trust's principal adviser on research contracts and intellectual property matters, supporting the delivery of organisational priorities and helping to advance National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and partnership research objectives.
Main duties of the job
The Research Contracts, Intellectual Property and Innovation Manager is responsible for leading the Trust's research contracting, intellectual property (IP), and innovation governance functions. The postholder will ensure that research and innovation activities are supported by robust contractual, legal, commercial, and governance frameworks, enabling the safe, effective, and efficient delivery of research and innovation across the Trust.
The role provides expert leadership in research contracting, intellectual property management, commercialisation governance, and research collaboration, supporting the Trust's strategic ambitions for research and innovation while managing organisational risk and protecting Trust interests.
The postholder will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, senior leaders, academic partners, commercial organisations, funding bodies, and legal advisers, to facilitate high-quality research and innovation activities that deliver benefits for patients, staff, and the wider NHS.
About us
Please note that this role will require us to undertake a DBS check as a part of your onboarding.
Give yourself the best chance of success by reviewing our Applicant Guide before applying. Your supporting statement should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role.
Oxford Health delivers physical, mental health and social care services across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our vision is "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team", and our values are Caring, Safe and Excellent.
We are proud to offer a supportive working environment with opportunities for career progression, learning and development, generous annual leave, pension benefits, wellbeing initiatives and staff networks
Job description Job responsibilities
Lead the Trust's research contracting function. Negotiate, review, and execute research agreements, including: Clinical Trial Agreements Collaboration Agreements Data Sharing Agreements Confidentiality Agreements Material Transfer Agreements Partnership Agreements Provide expert contractual, legal, and commercial advice to researchers and senior leaders. Ensure contracts support research delivery while protecting the Trust's interests. Lead implementation of the Trust's Intellectual Property Policy. Identify, assess, record, and manage IP arising from research and innovation activities. Maintain the Trust's IP register and reporting processes. Advise on ownership, licensing, benefit-sharing, and protection of intellectual property assets. Assess and govern innovation and commercialisation opportunities. Support the development of business cases and commercial partnerships. Evaluate opportunities for strategic fit, benefits, risks, funding requirements, and potential returns. Ensure innovation activities comply with governance and regulatory requirements. Identify and manage contractual, intellectual property, and commercial risks. Develop policies, procedures, and assurance systems for research governance. Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and national research requirements. Provide assurance reporting to Trust committees and senior leadership. Build and maintain relationships with key partners including: Oxford University Innovation University of Oxford Oxford University Hospitals NIHR Commercial sponsors and funders Support collaborative research and innovation programmes. Represent the Trust in external meetings and partnership discussions. Lead and develop a high-quality research contracts and IP service. Produce performance reports, metrics, and assurance information. Monitor developments in research regulation, intellectual property, and innovation policy. Provide training and expert guidance to researchers, managers, and stakeholders. Promote best practice in research contracting, intellectual property management, and innovation governance. The primary purpose of the role is to lead the Trust's research contracting, intellectual property, and innovation governance functions, ensuring research and innovation activities are delivered safely, compliantly, and effectively while maximising opportunities for collaboration, commercialisation, and organisational benefit.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Master's degree or equivalent level experience in law, business, research management, commercial management, intellectual property, innovation, governance or a related field.
Desirable
Relevant legal qualification or Chartered or accredited membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. Chartered Governance Institute, Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, Association of Research Managers and Administrators, Licensing Executives Society, Chartered Management Institute).
Experience Essential
Experience of working within a research, innovation, technology transfer, commercialisation or knowledge exchange environment.
Desirable
Experience of intellectual property management, commercialisation, technology transfer or innovation governance.
Experience Essential
Significant experience of negotiating and managing complex research, commercial or partnership agreements within the NHS, higher education, research, public or commercial sectors.
Desirable
Experience of supporting or leading research contracting functions within an NHS organisation, university, research institute or NIHR-funded infrastructure.
Experience Essential
Demonstrable expertise acquired through postgraduate study and/or substantial senior-level experience in research contracting, intellectual property governance or a closely related field.
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 Oxford Health NHS Trust
Address Littlemore Mental Health Centre,
Oxford,
OX4 4XN
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)