Technical Assurance Officer

We currently have an exciting opportunity within the Health Research Authority for an enthusiastic and organised individual to join our Technical Assurances team. The role will support HRA coordinated activities relating to pharmacy and radiation technical assurances for applications for HRA Approval.

The post-holder will support the review and coordination of research studies from initial submission through to expert review, ensuring reviews have been completed and recorded in line with agreed processes. It is expected that interviews will be held W/C 13 July or 20 July 2026 - this information is provided to support potential applicants to assess availability to attend.

An understanding of research governance and study set up within support departments is key for this role, alongside, knowledge of a range of administrative practices and good communication skills.

The postholder will be expected to extract required information from research protocols into a standard template to enable technical reviews to be undertaken by NHS professional staff outside the HRA structure, coordinating the review process to strict time frames in order to inform Regulatory reviews where appropriate.

They will have excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise against a background of change and uncertainty. Experience of working with people at all levels in an organisation and of working to tight deadlines is essential.

The vacancy is for Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol or home based and will be offered to the most suitable candidate irrespective of location.

Working at the HRA, we are reminded daily of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for you, not just us and the work we do.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

When applying to work here, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement - if it works for us, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Please note, if applying to our Manchester, Nottingham or Bristol locations, we are only able to offer the role as home based.

The HRA is made up of five directorates:
Approvals, Chief Executive, Digital, Policy and Partnerships and Resources.

This role is in the HRA Approvals Service directorate which consists of teams that work together, across the HRA and across the UK research landscape to provide the appropriate approvals for health and care research in England and, in some cases, across the UK, and to coordinate and standardise research regulation policy and practice across the UK.

This directorate issues HRA Approval, provides the research ethics service in England, supports the Confidentiality Advisory Group advising on the use of confidential patient information without consent; and coordinates technical assurances for pharmacy and radiation. We lead work to refine and maintain the systems and processes researchers need to follow to ensure a swift, robust and simple experience. We do this by working collaboratively with external partners and nearly 1000 committee volunteers to improve the research environment.

• Degree-level qualification or evidenced ability to work at a similar intellectual level
• Post-graduate qualification, in a related scientific discipline, law/ethics, or management

• Thorough understanding of the HRA role and remit
• Knowledge of principles and processes for approving and conducting health research in England, including legal requirements relating to research, and the ability to apply this knowledge practically
• Awareness of NIHR clinical research network structures in England
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise against a background of change and uncertainty
• Problem solving and analytical skills, including ability to interpret and prepare reports
• Presentation skills including the ability to conduct meetings and deliver presentations and workshops using a range of presentational aids
• Ability to work to frequent deadlines and to manage multiple processes and cases simultaneously
• Ability to work in a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment
• Data analytical skills (both quantitative and qualitative) including the analysis of multiple sources of information to ensure compliance with targets and…