Matron CRF

The Christie NHS FT

Job summary

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced senior oncology nurse to join the NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust as Matron.The CRF is a nationally recognised specialist facility delivering early-phase, experimental medicine and complex oncology trials across outpatient, day-case and inpatient services, giving patients access to new and innovative treatments.We are looking for a credible, compassionate and forward-thinking nurse leader with experience in clinical research, senior nursing leadership and clinical governance. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, sound professional judgement and the ability to lead and support the team through significant change. They will be passionate about patient care and staff development, fostering a supportive culture that maintains high standards of clinical and research governance and enables staff to deliver world-class research.The CRF is entering an important period of development, including a major refurbishment, increased research capacity and staged progression towards 24/7 working. The Matron will play a pivotal role in shaping this next phase, working with senior clinical, operational and research leaders at The Christie and contributing to wider NIHR Manchester CRF objectives.

Main duties of the job

The Matron will lead the CRF clinical team and provide visible professional nursing leadership across outpatient, day-case and inpatient services.They will hold senior oversight of clinical quality, patient safety and experience, ensuring care is delivered in line with Trust policies, Good Clinical Practice, research governance requirements and professional standards. This will include review and reporting of risks, incidents, complaints and audit findings, ensuring learning is shared and improvements are embedded in practice.The post holder will lead clinical workforce planning, recruitment, performance, wellbeing and professional development, ensuring staff have the skills, competence and support required to deliver complex research safely. They will provide senior nursing input into the review and implementation of new and complex studies, including cell and gene therapies and other novel cancer treatments.Working closely with the CRF Operational Lead, Medical Directors, R&I Associate Chief Nurse and Lead Research Nurse, they will contribute to strategic planning, service improvement and delivery of the CRF refurbishment and staged progression towards 24/7 working.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Nurse
  • First level Degree
  • Evidence of leadership/senior management qualification or equivalent relevant experience
  • Expertise and knowledge of research and Development regulations and research Governance
  • Understanding of National Research policy
  • Oncology qualification

Desirable

  • Current GCP certificate
  • Specialist training to Masters level or equivalent demonstrable experience
  • Management qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrable experience of Senior Management
  • Examples of initiating and leading on change
  • Evidence of continuous professional development
  • Line management experience at a senior level
  • Experience of workforce planning and development
  • Evidence of budgetary management
  • Evidence of managing and delivering clinical trials
  • Examples of effective people management and leadership skills
  • Experience in quality and clinical improvements
  • Experience of handling sensitive professional issues and human resource issues
  • Experience in Oncology nursing

Desirable

  • Experience of collaborative working within and outside organisational boundaries
  • Experience in delivering experimental medicine clinical trials

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Able to communicate with a wide range of staff at varying levels including external stake holders
  • Excellent presentation, training and mentoring skills
  • Able to inspire and motivate others and lead by example
  • Good IT skills including Word, Excel, Power point, internet
  • Able to interpret data and present it in a meaningful way to a wide range of stakeholders
  • Able to use problem solving skills, prioritise and quickly identify the core issues in a situation
  • Able to make calm rational decisions in the face of adversity

Knowledge

Essential

  • In depth and up to date knowledge of the governance and legislative framework for clinical research
  • Detailed understanding of Clinical Research in the NHS
  • Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy
  • Knowledge of National Clinical research nursing strategy
  • Knowledge and understanding of Clinical Governance, Risk Management and the National Quality Assurance Agenda
  • Understanding of current issues within the Experimental Medicine landscape

Desirable

  • Expert knowledge of Clinical Trials regulations
  • Knowledge of current national systems and approval processes for Clinical Research studies in the UK
  • Knowledge of the inspection and regulation environment in which Clinical Research operates

Values

Essential

  • Ability to demonstrate the Organisational Values and Behaviours

Other

Essential

  • Flexibility in working hours
  • Able to perform a wide range of duties
  • Self-motivated
  • Travel across Manchester to all MCRF sites

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 10 August 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.