Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager

Salary: £33,966 to £36,024 with progression to £44,263 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 23 May 2024

The Role

As Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Manager for the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) delivered by Newcastle University and Partners, you will work with the NIHR RSS Directors, members of the PPIE team and methodologists to deliver the PPIE and EDI strategy and related operational activity.  Reporting to the RSS PPIE Strategic Lead, you will also support RSS PPIE activity including working with representatives from other NIHR infrastructure regionally and nationally, in line with the broader “One NIHR” approach. 

In this role, you’ll be based at our Newcastle Upon Tyne campus that has fantastic transport links and is in the heart of the city centre. 

This is a full time fixed term position available up to 8th June 2025. Job-share will be considered but please contact us if you would like to discuss this further.

For an informal discussion please contact Dr Jo Lally (joanne.lally@newcastle.ac.uk) 

Key activities will include:

• Building capacity and expertise in PPIE across the NIHR RSS 
• Managing, monitoring, reporting and evaluating PPIE activities and associated learning, including capturing impact case studies
• Influencing policy and practice by collaborating with key stakeholders in the local and national health economy
• Working collaboratively and in partnership with other NIHR Infrastructure PPIE leads, as part of the “One NIHR” joined up approach to PPIE.
• Working collaboratively with the wider PPIE network to deliver on the PPIE strategy and link to key priorities including communication and training. 
• Working collaboratively with partner organisations, the Faculty of Medical Sciences and University Engagement teams to support the national and international expansion of PPIE to ensure opportunities for PPIE are visible to a diverse range of public and patients. 

Key Accountabilities

• Project manage the day to day operations and proactively identify engagement opportunities for the future development of the NIHR RSS PPIE programme,  to deliver outstanding and exemplary activity to support PPIE
• Responsible for liasing with and building strong relationships with external engagement network leads and members through relevant local, regional & national NIHR infrastructure, NHS and patient groups/organisations to support PPIE
• Develop, deliver and manage, with the RSS PPI lead, on streamlined processes and effective communications to facilitate a co-ordinated and joined up approach to PPIE. This will involve promoting events through appropriate communication channels such as press, websites and social media
• Plan and deliver events, meetings and workshops within the scope of the PPIE programme. Manage the capture, reporting and dissemination of regular feedback from events to ensure continuous improvement
• Develop publicity materials and reports, website content and other written materials to ensure optimal external visibility of the NIHR RSS. Facilitate patient and public involvement in disseminating research findings to a wide range of audiences, including professionals, policy makers, third sector and lay people
• Maintain the RSS PPIE communications and activity
• Maintain database of, and extend links with (local and national) charities, patient groups and other networks for the purpose of eliciting patient and public input, advertising meetings and disseminating research findings
• Improve awareness and appreciation of patient and public involvement and engagement among clinicians and researchers as well as the wider community. Develop and facilitate delivery of educational and training activities, events and related materials for patients, public, clinicians and researchers. Co-ordinate collaborative working between researchers and PPIE contributors in developing project summaries suitable for lay audiences
• Implement and further develop resources to facilitate reporting, monitoring and evaluation of PPIE and EDI activities. Implement, maintain and develop data capture systems to monitor PPIE requirements and activity with a particular focus on demonstrating and recording impact
• Liaise with other RSS PPIE Leads and attend national, regional and local meetings and teleconferences as required
• Where appropriate, facilitate patient and public contribution to papers for presentation at national and international conferences and meetings
• Attend meetings and other events appropriate to the projects and give progress reports as required
• Be aware of and comply with current data protection legislation; and ensure that all activity, data collection and management comply with these demands
• Any other relevant activities required by the Director of the NIHR RSS or RSS PPIE Strategic Lead
• To co-ordinate researchers for and chair meetings and other patient groups that are led by the RSS

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Sound knowledge and experience of project management
• Experience of public engagement and patient involvement and working with diverse/marginalised communities
• Knowledge of University and Trust procedures, processes and practices
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills relevant to interaction with, and dissemination of information to, mixed audiences (via verbal, written and other media)
• Ability to work flexibly and co-operatively with others, but also to work independently
• Experience of working with patients or public in developing processes and practices to achieve agreed objectives
• Strong IT skills
• Experience of facilitating collaborative working
• Experience of working as part of a multi-professional team
• Experience of meeting project milestones and producing high quality outputs  
• Experience of working across several projects
• Experience of engagement event organisation and management
• The ability to communicate verbally and in writing to a range of audiences
• The ability maintain confidentiality and to handle difficult or sensitive situations
• The ability to work flexibly with regard to hours of work including occasional evenings

Desirable

• Ability to use initiative, prioritise and take a creative approach to problem solving
• Chairing skills
• Knowledge and experience of healthcare policy issues 
• Knowledge of research processes and requirements 
• Experience of working with a variety of stakeholders

Attributes and Behaviour 

Planning and Organising  

• Manages time and resources by prioritising and organising effectively

Communicating  

• Uses clear, concise and accurate communication, tailoring the approach accordingly and encouraging a two way communication process 

Delivering Services

• Works continually towards achieving excellent service delivery through understanding and meeting / exceeding the expectations of stakeholders
• Gathers a broad range of relevant information from internal and external sources making this information widely available

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, plus extensive relevant experience

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27002