Job description

The Centre for Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience is recruiting a team of highly motivated and passionate clinicians and researchers to deliver an exciting programme of research using various forms of drug assisted therapy in healthy volunteers and participants with mental health conditions.  

The post holder will join the Centre for Affective Disorders at King’s College London, led by Professor Allan Young.  The post holder will have a leading role in co-ordinating, managing and delivering clinical trials investigating psychedelic and MDMA therapy in healthy participants and participants with PTSD, anorexia, addictions and treatment resistant depression. The trial team will be supervised by Dr James Rucker, consultant psychiatrist and NIHR Clinician Scientist at the Centre for Affective Disorders, and Professor Allan Young, director at the Centre for Affective Disorders. 

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

• Clinical management of trial participants, including recruitment, screening, informed consent, research measures administration, medication management and administration, risk management, clinical liaison, and monitoring as well as all follow up procedures that may be necessary.  
• The overall efficient day-to-day management of the trial in liaison with the study team. 
• Establishment of procedures to ensure adherence to trial protocols and administrative requirements 
• Ensuring the timely recruitment and retention of trial participants with subsequent efficient and effective data management 
• Monitoring trial progress to ensure compliance with, and adherence to, the project plan and to identify, evaluate and rectify problems. 
• Act as the point of contact for all external and internal agencies 
• Coordinate (and lead where appropriate) the preparation and publication of data, reports and information, ensuring that these meet legislative, contractual and ethical requirements 
• Understand the requirements of the various controlling bodies, agencies and frameworks, guiding the project in conforming to those requirements and co-ordinating any necessary audit processes 
• Liaison with the Trial Steering Committee and Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee with a particular view on compliance with Research Governance, Good Clinical Practice, Data Protection and Ethical Requirements 
• Provision of regular and ad hoc information, both written and verbal, to all the trial participants, clinicians, funders and sponsors, to include reports, updates, guidance, commitments and a Newsletter 
• Work with the Principal Investigator and Trial Consultants to ensure that the trial is meeting its targets, is producing meaningful output and to predict and plan any changes that warrant requests to changes in protocol, funding or time 
• Ensure the inclusion of patient representatives at the appropriate levels and times 
• Planning and supporting the meetings and work of the various groups and bodies associated with the trial 
• Assurance that personal and confidential information is restricted to those entitled to know 
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of relevant research 
• Attend local and national meetings as appropriate and present to promote the study. 
• To make full use of the training facilities that are on offer through King’s College London Staff Training & Development Unit - the College is committed to the training and development of its staff. 

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

• Psychiatric assessment and management 
• Clinical research methods 
• Excellent project management skills and teamwork 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills 
• Knowledge of ethics and research governance procedures 
• High level of organisational skills, problem solving and planning 
• Excellent written English and writing stills with ability to compose detailed documents 
• Self-motivated, with a robust work ethic 
• Ability to organise and motivate others 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 
• Ability to work as part of a team with excellent collaborative skills 
• Demonstrate flair, enthusiasm, innovation and leadership when faced with challenges 
• Able to provide strategic, tactical and operational management skills in the planning and execution of a project 
• Prepared to travel around London 
• Skills and experience recruiting clinical participants for research 
• Working at all times according to Good Clinical Practice, Research Governance and Trust guidelines 
• To ensure that any data collection is conducted according to the specific research protocol and adheres to the Data Protection legal framework 

Essential criteria  

1.       Medical Degree 

2.       Post graduate experience in psychiatry 

3.       GMC Registered 

4.       Publication in peer reviewed scientific/medical journals 

5.       Successful research grant applications 

6.       Presentations at scientific meetings 

7.       Recent experience of recruiting research participants and evidence of high levels of participant retention into studies 

8.       Experience of managing/running research studies 

9.       Experience of data analysis using statistical software 

10.    Experience of research interviewing, including psychological measures and clinical assessments in patient groups 

Desirable criteria

1.       PhD in relevant field/MD  

2.       Basic statistical analysis and study design  

3.       Supervision of junior staff 

4.       Experience in the management or co-ordination of clinical trials 

5.       Experience of recruiting participants from SLaM community teams, C4C, or IAPTs