As a research administrator in the Old Age Psychiatry Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience you will assist the research managers of the group in successful delivery of studies, providing a comprehensive and efficient administration service for the clinical research programme. The post will be based within the OAP team at the Centre for the PROTECT research online platform.

The PROTECT Study Administrator will be responsible for supporting an online study – the Platform for Research Online to investigate genetics and cognition in ageing (PROTECT) - that is underway in collaboration with the University of Exeter Medical School.

The role will be supporting the recruitment and retention of participants in the PROTECT study. There are currently more than 30,000 participants involved in the study, and candidate will be supporting and liaising with study participants on daily basis, responsible for their query resolution and study related administration tasks. The post-holder will be one of the points of contact for these participants, alongside administrators in the other study site in the University of Exeter. This role will be critical to the maximising the success of recruitment and retention of participants, particularly due to the very large numbers involved in the study.

This role will have responsibility for supporting the day-to-day running of the PROTECT study. The overall objective for the post is to ensure participant contact and study administration is achieved in a timely and professional manner. This will include:

• Handling of participant enquiries by telephone and email in a friendly and professional manner
• Supporting participants in accessing the study, completing the registration process and completing study assessments and requirements
• Assisting in planning for study-wide communications including production and circulation of the newsletter and development of targeted email communications
• Contributing to website updates and content development
• Supporting development and maintenance of study documents, including the site file and recruitment materials
• Contributing to recruitment and retention of participants
• Liaising with the PROTECT IT team for individual aspects of the study
• Working with colleagues to ensure DNA sampling is coordinated effectively
• Having access to large datasets of personal details and anonymised study data
• Assisting with administrative tasks including report writing and creating presentations

Further to the objectives described above, this post has a critical responsibility as the ‘face’ of the PROTECT study to all participants. An excellent phone manner and strong communication skills are therefore essential. While the candidate will be working as a part of a team, the majority of the work is self-directed, so they will need to be confident in working independently and able to manage a large workload under pressure.

As this is an online study, excellent IT skills are required, including but not limited to the Microsoft package.

Further to the objectives described above, this post has a critical responsibility as the ‘face’ of the PROTECT study to all participants. An excellent phone manner and strong communication skills are therefore essential. While the candidate will be working as a part of a team, the majority of the work is self-directed, so they will need to be confident in working independently and able to manage a large workload under pressure.

As this is an online study, excellent IT skills are required, including but not limited to the Microsoft package.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 12 months.

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.

Key responsibilities

This role will have responsibility for supporting the day-to-day running of the PROTECT study. The overall objective for the post is to ensure participant contact and study administration is achieved in a timely and professional manner. This will include:

• Handling of participant enquiries by telephone and email in a friendly and professional manner
• Supporting participants in accessing the study, completing the registration process and completing study assessments and requirements
• Assisting in planning for study-wide communications including production and circulation of the newsletter and development of targeted email communications
• Contributing to website updates and content development
• Supporting development and maintenance of study documents, including the site file and recruitment materials
• Contributing to recruitment and retention of participants
• Liaising with the PROTECT IT team for individual aspects of the study
• Working with colleagues to ensure DNA sampling is coordinated effectively
• Having access to large datasets of personal details and anonymised study data,
• Assisting with administrative tasks including report writing and creating presentations

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

• Educated to at least A-level standard or equivalent administrative qualifications/experience
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, in writing and email, and by telephone with a diverse range of people
• Recent, relevant administrative experience
• Research study administration
• Experience in handling complex processes, tracking progress and reporting on outcomes
• Effectively handling complex enquiries
• Working independently, including experience in prioritising and meeting deadlines under pressure
• Excellent IT skills including proficiency in MS office (especially, Excel, Word and PowerPoint) and web based programmes
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to provide accurate information
• Ability to present a professional image at all times
• Ability to obtain cooperation by developing excellent working relationships with a wide range of people

Desirable criteria

• First degree level or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of Higher Education
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary teams
• Working with web-based resources
• Identifying areas for process improvement and making recommendations

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