Oxford Cancer Patient and Community Involvement Manager

We have an exciting opportunity for a Patient and Community Involvement Manager to join Oxford Cancer, a city-wide research initiative and partnership between Oxford University, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Thames Valley Cancer Alliance and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. We seek to harness Oxford’s world-leading cancer research from our growing network of 1,000+ members who are working in cancer-related fields. This network covers a range of disciplines, all with the core aim of facilitating collaboration to ensure rapid translation of scientific discovery to treatments for patients.

A critical aspect of our activity is supporting the planning and delivery of new cancer patient facing research infrastructure that supports a broad range of impactful research. This can only be achieved by working with patient and members of the public to identify their most pressing needs, and to directly address those through the setting of organisational and research priorities.

This role will focus on working with patient groups, members of the public, and clinicians to identify the aspects of care in most urgent need of improvement. Working with others in the Oxford Cancer team and researchers across the city, the post will also be involved advocating for bending ongoing and new research activity to address them (e.g. through studentships, development funding and infrastructure priorities).

You will contribute to the development of a comprehensive PPI strategy that draws from diverse communities, trains both researchers and public/patient (P/P) to ensure meaningful participation, ensures P/P representation across the organisation and throughout the research cycle for all Oxford cancer programmes and projects. You will lead on the design and delivery of a framework to support the identification and escalation of patient identified research priorities for all strands of Oxford Cancer’s current and future research, building on existing Oxford Cancer PPI activity to establish groups of patients with an interest in the work of the theme and experience of the disorders and disease groups relevant to theme research. You will be the point of call for contributors to bespoke individual projects, reporting on research activity from across all parts of Oxford Cancer and coordinating scientific and clinical colleagues to devise training workshops for the expert patient engagement group. You will also represent Oxford Cancer within the local PPIE professional community, national networks, and national patient involvement initiative/groups.

This post is offered on a part-time basis (50% - 80% FTE, 18.75 – 30 hours per week) and is available on a three-year fixed-term contract. The post is based at Oxford Cancer, New Richards Building, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LA.

You will hold a post graduate degree (Masters or DPhil/PhD) in a cancer relevant field and have in-depth practical experience of delivering field-leading patient involvement throughout a medical sciences related research cycle, and experience of developing PPI plans at a strategic level. You will have proven experience of facilitating patient engagement working groups to identify research priorities with experience of training students and/or researchers in engaging with patient escalated research priorities. You will have excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work effectively with patient groups and clinicians. You will have exceptional planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage concurrent projects and activities successfully. Experience of working in higher education and/or a scientific or health-related organisation is essential.

You will be required to upload a supporting statement (setting out how you meet the selection criteria), a curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of two referees as part of your online application.

Only applications received by 12pm GMT on Thursday 23 February 2023 will be considered.

Interviews are expected to take place on Monday 06 March 2023.

Informal enquiries about the role can be sent to jackie.fellows@oncology.ox.ac.uk