Assistant Data Manager

Salary: £25,742 to £26,444 with progression to £27,979 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: 19 February 2024

The Role

The post holder will be an individual with good knowledge and experience of Microsoft excel to join our team as a data administrator.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a closeknit and supportive data management team that are at the forefront of world leading research.   

Joining the data management team of the international “European NAFLD Registry” and the “NASH-DTA ADVANCE” study to support world leading research being undertaken by members of the Newcastle NIHR BRC Liver Theme. 

You’ll report to Kristy Wonders (Data Manager) who has been working in the team since 2016. For informal enquiries about the role please contact kristy.wonders@newcastle.ac.uk

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The key skills and experience we are looking for in applicants are as follows:

•    Good knowledge of excel (look ups and pivot tables)
•    Previous database and data administration experience
•    Experience of working within a clinical and/or research environment
•    Ability to organise your own workload
•    Attention to detail

You’ll be based at our Newcastle Upon Tyne campus that has fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities, and we offer a hybrid and flexible working model.

What you’ll be doing:
The main purpose of this role is to work with staff at the ~40 study sites, central and local biobanks and the lead Data Manager in Newcastle to ensure that the data set is as complete and robust as possible and samples are transported and processed in a timely manner.

You will assist with the management of projects professionally and in accordance with relevant regulations from first customer contact through to archival of project documentation; providing evidence demonstrating that the research conducted in NUTCRI and Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust safeguards the wellbeing of patients and produces credible data.

To apply for the position, we will need your CV and ideally a covering letter outlining how you are suitable for the role, using examples to highlight how you meet the essential criteria as listed in the job description. Please focus your covering letter on the bullet points shown above in this section.

About NAFLD:
Analysing large patient cohorts and linked biological samples, liver theme investigators are conducting research focused on (1) the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to cirrhosis and liver cancer, (2) the identification of new biomarkers for risk-stratification and predicting disease outcomes and (3) novel therapeutic target discovery. The European NAFLD Registry is a large database bringing together clinical data and biological samples from across Europe that underpins much of this research. These studies will be important in the development of better diagnostics to monitor NAFLD progression and to help identify new ways to treat cirrhosis.

Key Accountabilities  
•    To be responsible for the overall day-to-day administration of the European NAFLD Registry and sample inventory databases to ensure complete data sets are available for analysis and act early to address any missing data points, in line with the LITMUS Monitoring Plan, including data entry into the system
•    To work with recruiting sites to ensure samples are transferred to local or central biobanks in a timely manner and validate sample inventories
•    To be responsible for the cleansing and importing external datasets into the European NAFLD Registry
•    To support the lead Data Manager in all aspects of maintaining records of patients on trials and the regulatory issues that govern the management of clinical trials and associated projects.
•    To produce regular reports on registry and sample metrics
•    To act as the main point of contact for the partner sites and the Data Manager for data entry queries and support
•    To provide advice and training to sites on the use of the European NAFLD Registry 
•    To work with analyst teams, and external researchers, to review data and to proactively check required data. This will include working with external researchers from industry and academia requesting clinical data on approval of data requests by the relevant academic project lead
•    To ensure data quality of the European NAFLD Registry and Sample Database to ensure that high standards are met and comply with University, Trust and external governing bodies’ requirements
•    To be assist with the preparation and facilitation of audits and/or inspections
•    To take responsibility for all data security and integrity in line with University and Trust policies
•    To be responsible for ensuring that University and Trust policies in relation to Data Protection/Caldicott Guidelines are adhered to, including checking that all data capture systems used comply with this
•    Be responsible for anticipating requirements for and ordering and shipping supplies of labels. Liaise with the nursing and clinical team at sites to maintain sufficient stocks of clinical equipment required for individual trials
•    Be aware of and take responsibility for working in accordance with applicable regulations and guidance including the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Guidelines on Good Clinical Practice, UK Regulations on Clinical Trials, Data Protection Act, and Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care
•    To work with researchers and partners to ensure that data is prepared for analysis in advance of analysis team meetings 
•    To provide administrative support when needed as directed by the line manager. This may include supporting the administration of submissions to journals or conferences
•    To support links between the European NAFLD Registry and other projects as required
•    To initiate requests for data/material transfer agreements and to keep a record of the status of these agreements
•    To provide data administration support for other projects as required
•    Take responsibility for continuous improvement of research administrative processes and target achievement, in line with changing regulations and faculty strategy
•    Take responsibility for identifying own learning needs, including identifying appropriate courses to ensure up to date knowledge in the regulations governing clinical research and research data

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

•    Significant relevant experience of working in healthcare data administration and/ or clinical research
•    Critical and intelligent attention to detail and high standards of accuracy
•    Must be experienced in all aspects of Microsoft Windows applications, with excellent knowledge of Excel  
•    Meticulous about following processes and procedures 
•    Ability to organise own workload, with minimum supervision
•    Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)
•    Team membership skills within multidisciplinary research teams
•    Able to demonstrate the ability to prioritise workload
•    Ability to accurately transfer data from one medium to another (using paper based and electronic data capture)
•    Willing to undertake personal development training as required
•    May be occasionally required to work unsocial hours when urgent data capture / resolution is necessary
•    Previous database and data administration experience
•    Significant administrative experience
•    Experience of working within a clinical and/or research environment
•    Experience of working on own initiative
Desirable
•    Experience of working with multi-relational databases
•    Experience of Filemaker, SPSS, Python or R
•    Knowledge of research environment.

Attributes and Behaviour

•    Team-working
Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the organisation where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued. 

•    Planning & organising
Manages time and resources by prioritising and organising effectively. The post-holder will be able to plan and organise their own workload, taking into account the timelines required for individual aspects of the work e.g. obtaining data. Much of the work will be of an on-going nature, but other work will come from the project team members or requests from partners responsible for sample and data analysis.

•    Communicating
Uses clear, concise and accurate communication, tailoring the approach accordingly and encouraging a two way communication process 

•    Gathering information
Gathers a broad range of relevant information from internal and external sources making this information widely available. Uses information to gain competitive advantage. 

•    Finding Solutions
Formulates options and possible scenarios

•    Decision Making
The post-holder will receive training and support tools and will be required to make independent decisions but will usually act on the advice of the Data Manager and Principal Investigator.

Qualifications
•    HNC/HND/A-Levels or equivalent

Desirable
•    First degree in relevant field (e.g. mathematics, computing, finance, life sciences or other health-related field)
 

 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: 26616