Senior Scientific Officer/Trials Analyst

Salary: £34,866 to £36,924 with progression to £45,163 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: 10 January 2025

The Role

The Senior Scientific Officer/Trials Analyst will be responsible for the coordination of research projects in the Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group of Professor Gareth Veal, a leading international centre in the development and validation of clinical pharmacology assays in the field of oncology. The role involves the coordination and management of multiple projects relating to the analysis and quantification of anticancer drug levels in clinical samples obtained as part of national clinical pharmacology trials. Additional preclinical assay development work may also be involved. You will take responsibility for leading individual projects, involving the validation of novel assays and analysis of clinical samples, and the implementation of new programs of research utilising your high level of expertise in assay development. This expansive role will incorporate collaboration with a wide variety of people including university research staff/students, analytical technicians from external companies, clinicians/research nursing staff in national treatment centres and representatives from charities and funding bodies.

This new post is funded by Cancer Research UK and is available on a full-time basis for a 5-year period. The post will provide opportunities for you to further develop your skillset in an active research group.

You will have experience in clinical pharmacology assay development, primarily focusing on the use of ELISA approaches for the quantification of antibody therapies. Experience of working with automated ELISA platforms is desirable. You will be required to plan and carry out the development and validation of novel assays to facilitate the analysis of clinical trial samples. All work will be carried out according to GCLP regulations.

The Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group is a dedicated team of experienced researchers. We have a proven track record in running clinical pharmacology studies in an oncology setting, working in close collaboration with Cancer Research UK, academia and pharma and biotech companies (https://www.ncl.ac.uk/cancer/our-research/late-phase-trials/pharmacology/).

Further information can be obtained by contacting Professor Gareth Veal (gareth.veal@ncl.ac.uk). 

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

The role is fixed term until 16 June 2028.

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require a Research Passport and medical clearance before you can commence in the role.

Key Accountabilities

• Development and validation of analytical assays using highly specialist equipment, requiring the application of a high level of skill and expertise, obtained through many years of experience
• Provision of expert advice and management in all aspects of clinical pharmacology assay development (e.g. advising on experimental design and feasibility, assay validation, logistics, etc) to a wide range of staff, students and commercial users
• Generation of assay validation plans and reports for submission to external companies
• Development of new/improved analytical methods and facilities, by keeping up-to-date with developments in the field to enable an ongoing understanding of cutting edge technologies. Developing business cases for the upgrading of the pharmacology group analytical facilities, including the procurement of new equipment
• Devise and implement strategies and decisions in order to most efficiently allocate resources to meet aims and objectives across multiple projects involving charities, pharma and regulatory agencies in a fast moving environment
• Initiate and develop enterprise opportunities and foster and maintain established links with national and internationally recognised companies and organisations
• Provide training in analytical assays to staff at all levels
• Analyse drug levels in clinical samples from patients recruited to clinical trials, working according to GCLP practices at all times
• Make a significant contribution to research through the compilation of clinical pharmacology data for internal and external reports and publications
• Provide input into the publication of scientific data generated from both preclinical work and clinical trials, with authorship expected on multiple projects
• Be aware of and take responsibility for working in accordance with applicable regulations and guidance
• Provide regular updates regarding status of ongoing clinical trial work and projects
• Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Take responsibility for identifying own learning needs
• Contribute to the training and mentorship of new research and clinical trial staff
• In line with agreed goals and objectives, attend conferences, seminars and/or courses to ensure knowledge is up to date
• Undertake other reasonable duties or responsibilities as requested

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Extensive experience in ELISA assay development, gained through many years of experience in this area
• Ability to take on lead roles within a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge in the area of research
• Experience of working in clinical research with experience of conducting independent research projects
• Knowledge and experience of working to standards of GCLP
• Excellent analytical skills and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Attributes and Behaviour

• Have an interest in cancer research and the study of clinical pharmacology
• Demonstrate development of intellectual independence and academic discipline
• Ability to provide leadership to small research teams and to work with multi-professional teams
• Commitment to continuing professional development
• Understanding of ethical issues surrounding clinical research involving patients
• Desire and ability to work as part of a team
• Strong commitment to the study of clinical pharmacology
• Ability to work independently on individual research projects
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing and verbally

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level 

Desirable:

• Educated to higher degree level

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: 27830