RD Lawrence Chair and Head of KCL Department of Diabetes 

Job ID: 023285

Salary: £82,096 - £110,683 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Posted: 18-May-2021

Closing date: 22-Aug-2021 

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Department: Department of Diabetes Contact details: Professor Lucilla Poston, lucilla.poston@kcl.ac.uk

Denmark Hill Campus   Academic and teaching    

Job description 
We are seeking a leading clinical academic with established research experience in type 2 diabetes, obesity and associated metabolic complications for a high profile and prestigious Professorship within King's College London (KCL). 
 
This post, within the School of Life Course Sciences at KCL, aims to provide clinical academic leadership in diabetes to complement the Department of Diabetes' existing strengths in the areas of clinical diabetes management, metabolic medicine and surgery, diabetes clinical trials, islet biology and transplantation. The post holder will act as Head of the Department of Diabetes.
 
The appointed Chair will play a critical role in developing, shaping and delivering the Department's clinical research and training, ensuring that the opportunities are maximised. They will be expected to bring a portfolio of world class research in diabetes and/or obesity to the Department, and to use their experience to support development of early-career academic staff and students to help them reach their full potential.
 
The Chair will undertake clinical duties related to their clinical/research expertise through an honorary consultant contract with King's Health Partners Trusts. Through this aspect of the role they will provide clinical leadership in their specialism and, as a clinical researcher of high standing, act as a role-model and mentor to colleagues seeking to develop their own clinical science research.
 
The post will also play a key role in increasing the impact of the KHP Institute of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity (IDEO), one of several KHP Institutes developed as a collaboration between KCL and its partner NHS Trusts. Within the Institute, the appointed Chair will contribute to the development and delivery of KHP's strategy for diabetes, primarily around the interface of obesity, diabetes and metabolic complications. The appointed Chair will work closely with the Institute Directors to ensure complementarity between the Department and Institute research and education strategies, academic and clinical engagement activities, and innovation / commercial partnerships.
 
In addition to the Chair, KHP IDEO will provide a research administrator (grade 5), shared with other IDEO clinical academics (year 1 funding agreed in 2021/2022 annual business planning cycle). We also have funding available for a clinical senior lectureship and lectureship in diabetes. Following appointment, the Chair will play a role in recruitment to these posts.
 
If you are interested in an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Professor Lucilla Poston, Head of School, KCL via lucilla.poston@kcl.ac.uk. 
 
This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.
This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.

Key responsibilities

• Develop a distinctive clinical research strategy within the Department of Diabetes that builds on both its academic strengths and clinical partnerships and underpins translational research and innovation within IDEO.
• Lead a personal programme of internationally recognised research that complements existing activities and/or capitalises on the opportunities offered by the Institute partners and the population they serve in South London.
• Develop and manage a clinical diabetes research programme by identifying relevant funding opportunities, supporting colleagues in developing grant applications, identifying developing opportunities for innovation / commercialisation, and ensuring research impact is maximised.  
• Maintain an international profile in academic and clinical research through publication in high‑quality peer-reviewed journals and presentation at high-profile conferences / meetings.
• Provide formal line management and informal mentoring / guidance to early career academic staff working in the Department of Diabetes.
• Shape, contribute to and ensure delivery of a high-quality programme of undergraduate and postgraduate (academic and clinical) education in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine.
• Contribute to the academic business and resource planning for the Department, and oversee relevant Departmental budgets.
• Act as an advocate for research and raise the profile of our research.
• Work with the Directors of the KHP IDEO to develop a platform to allow NHS clinicians and allied health professionals across the KHP Partners to realise their research and academic potential.
• Work with the IDEO Directors to drive the KHP tri-partite vision ensuring that research and education agendas support development of clinical services.
• Act as a role-model, mentor, and advisor to clinical colleagues seeking to develop their academic careers and clinical research in the field of diabetes.
• Work with the KCL Department of Diabetes and with the research leads of its NHS partners to identify and prioritise research that will enable on-going development of clinical services. 
• Drive and guide the development of collaborations between clinical and basic sciences, with a view to enhancing our ability to accelerate translational research.

A job plan including clinical duties will be agreed with the post-holder following appointment. This will be dependent on clinical expertise and the needs of the specialism into which they are appointed, but indicative duties may include:

• Ward rounds
• Outpatient clinics
• Meetings relating to patient care
• Clinical administration
• Development and delivery of clinical training 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. 

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria 

• Proven leadership of independent research of international standing in type 2 diabetes, obesity and associated metabolic complications.    
• Evidence of clinical practice skills at a recognised, high standard in type 2 diabetes, obesity and associated metabolic complications.  
• Good knowledge of delivering clinical services and ability to identify and prioritise research that will lead to clinical service improvements.   
• Excellent strategic and organisational skills, including leadership in the design and delivery of a clinical research strategy, and plans to maximise academic / clinical impact, and funding opportunities. 
• Knowledge of the NHS research and innovation policy context and the Higher Education environment in the UK, and especially how these may enable or constrain opportunities for developing King's clinical and applied research into a world class Institution.
• Excellent communication skills, including presentation of scientific research at national and international meetings. 
• Extensive record of publication in high-quality peer-reviewed scientific and clinical journals. 
• Evidence of maintaining an active research profile with a sustained track record of securing external grant funding.   
• Experience of supervision of PhD students and/or clinical fellows. 
• Experience in mentoring and developing junior research colleagues. 

Desirable criteria

• Development and delivery of undergraduate / postgraduate training.

Further information

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.