Research Administrator, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Job ID: 010604

Salary: £28,717 - £31,831 per annum, including London Weighting

Allowance Posted: 23-Nov-2020

Closing date: 06-Dec-2020

Business unit: IoPPN Department: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Contact details: Dr Udita Iyengar , Udita.iyengar@kcl.ac.uk

Denmark Hill Campus   Research

Job description
The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department has a very busy active research and teaching programme but maintains a lively and friendly atmosphere. This post provides an ideal opportunity for a research-interested administrator with strong office administration skills. The role will provide comprehensive and high-level administrative support for a National Institute of Health Research funded programme, which is a two-centre randomised controlled trial called the Best Services Trial (BeST?). Dr Dennis Ougrin, Senior Lecturer, is the Primary Investigator (PI). The post holder will have the opportunity to work closely with the other members of the professional services team including the Department’s business manager.

This is a part-time post (50% FTE), a fixed-term contract for 6 months with a strong likelihood of extension for 24-28 months. 

Key responsibilities

• Monitoring and reporting to the project leader and investigators on agreed outputs
• Establish and maintain effective administrative systems, relevant to each project, and regularly review these procedures with a view to providing a more efficient service 
• Assist the Project Manager manage the programme budget, including ordering equipment and managing other expenditure, keeping financial records and liaising with accountants in Research Grants 
• Ensure that all documentation required by the funder, university and NHS, including ethics and R&D approvals, are completed in a timely manner 
• Organise and facilitate project meetings – preparing presentation materials taking minutes, distributing papers and drafting agendas 
• Assist the researchers in aspects related to data collection, including confirming participant appointments, arranging travel for researchers and participants, booking assessment space, and ensuring that assessment materials are available
• Assisting with financial reimbursement claims for members of the team
• The Department’s professional services team works on a mutually; supportive basis. Administrative staff contribute to a range of grade appropriate tasks to facilitate smooth running of the wider department in implementing and maintaining Institutional and local policies.  

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

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience  
• Previous PA and/or administrative experience 
• A meticulous eye for detail and able to keep accurate records 
• Demonstrable experience of complex calendar management 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills 
• Proactive and accustomed to anticipating issues and needs before they arise 
• Good IT skills, including the use of MS Office 
• Ability to work as part of a team 
• Ability to work independently and proactively with minimal supervision 
• Ability to multi-task, balancing competing priorities under pressure of deadlines and workload 
• Flexible and willing to help colleagues during busy periods 
• Willing to learn new skills and undertake training, as required by the job 

Desirable criteria 

• Previous administrative experience in higher education, a clinical setting or similar environment     
• Excellent organizational skills
• Managing financial spreadsheets
• Excellent numeracy skills
• Knowledge of the UK research funding environment
• Experience of HR administration
• Experience of financial administration- ordering, processing invoices and monitoring and administering budgets. 

Further information
The Best Services Trial is the first randomised controlled trial in the family courts, and involves recruitment of vulnerable families and children to evaluate a parenting assessment service alongside the judiciary and local authority, and clinical team, all of which have been considered essential services and frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study has maintained successful recruitment during the pandemic and follow up and data collection is crucial for the success of the trial, which is pending approval for an additional extension of 24-28 months. The role will be carried remotely during the current period, and roles and responsibilities will include managing budget and purchasing orders (such as participant vouchers; translation services), managing administrative-specific accounts (SLaM TRAC; Business World), maintenance and secure transfer of documents to partner site (participant data, consent forms), and attendance and minuting of all meetings (with local team and larger Steering Group). These roles cannot be covered by existing staff, who are not able to access and apply expertise and knowledge of administrative tasks and are assigned additional and competing tasks. 

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service clearance. 

This advertisement does not meet the requirements for a Certificate of Sponsorship under Home Office regulations and therefore the university will not be able to offer sponsorship for this role.