Senior Clinical Trials Statistician
Location: Edinburgh Scotland
Description: University of Edinburgh is at present looking to employ Senior Clinical Trials Statistician right now, this vacancy will be placed in Scotland. Detailed specification about this vacancy opportunity kindly read the description below. A senior clinical trials statistician is required to provide senior level statistical expertise in clinical trials at the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Uni! t (ECTU), working closely with the Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research directors and providing support to junior colleagues. This will include accountability for the design, delivery and quality of trials, specifically: design of new trials, contributing substantially to funding applications; interim and final analysis of completed trials; overseeing clinical trial statistical processes; mentoring less experienced statisticians. The post holder will take the lead in developing and presenting research findings at national or international conferences.
The appointee will be well-organised, have excellent communication skills, a high level of accuracy in all aspects of work and be self-motivated.
This post is full-time (35 hours) and is available from September 2013 for 24 months.
Interviews will take place during week beginning 22nd July 2013.
Informal enquiries to Dr Steff Lewis: steff.lewis@ed.ac.uk
1. Job De! tails
Job title: Senior Clinical Trials Statisticia! n
School/Support Department: School of Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences
Unit (if applicable): Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU)
Line manager: Dr Steff C Lewis, Trial Methodology Team Manager, ECTU
2. Job Purpose
To provide senior level statistical expertise in clinical trials at the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU), working closely with the Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research directors and providing support to junior colleagues. The portfolio will include ECTU randomised trials and Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) studies being run at ECTU. This will include accountability for the design, delivery and quality of trials, specifically: design of new trials, contributing substantially to funding applications; interim and final analysis of completed trials; overseeing clinical trial statistical processes; mentoring less experienced statisticians. There will be opportunities to pursue and lea! d independent statistical research in collaboration with the Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research, and to develop new methodology in medical statistics through involvement in funding bids and generation of high impact publications.
3. Main Responsibilities Approx. % of time
To provide statistical expertise to the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, both for ECTU trials and HSRU studies, and including designing and applying for funding for new clinical trials. This will involve contributing to high quality studies across the University, providing expert advice to clinical research staff. At the grant application stage, the person will be expected to plan and lead the statistical aspects of the work, take responsibility for it, and attract resources to ECTU/HSRU to do the work needed. The person will be responsible for writing the statistical sections of the final report and subsequent publications â€" the statistical aspects of the design, and the stati! stical analysis and writing the statistical parts of the final report a! nd subsequent papers form a substantial part of the research, without which the project could not happen. Where appropriate, the person will be expected to speak at meetings and conferences. The role will be as autonomous as possible, although work will be validated in line with current clinical trial regulations. The person will be expected to look at statistical aspects across research projects, and help improve the work practices of, and statistical support provided by, the HSRU and ECTU, both by ensuring consistency, and by suggesting new techniques and work practices. The person will be expected to communicate with and educate other trial staff members, to help team members understand the reasons behind the methods used in the project. 70%
To develop independent clinical trials methodology research in collaboration with the Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research, to contribute to funding bids for this work and to generate high impact publications. 2! 0%
Continually update knowledge and understanding of medical statistics; update skill base within the specific area of clinical trials. 10%
4. Planning and Organising
For ECTU randomised controlled trials and HSRU studies, the post holder will have accountability for the design, delivery and quality of trials. They will provide a major contribution to clinical trial funding applications, provide guidance on trial conduct and data quality and will oversee final analysis and contribute substantial sections to the final trial publications, which will often be published in high impact journals. They will be expected to identify gaps or omissions in proposed analyses and reports, and identify suitable information to fill these. The post holder is expected to contribute to the documentation on the statistical aspects of clinical trials that will be made available through the Edinburgh Clinical Trials website, and to provide oversight of clinical trial proces! ses. The post holder will be expected to take responsibility for much o! f the work, and will be able to discuss strategic priorities with senior statisticians of the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit and Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research. The role will include mentoring of more junior members of the team. The post holder will be expected to work to the deadlines imposed by the studies, to assess and organise their own workload accordingly, and to suggest ways of improving processes in order to meet targets and/or turnaround times. The post holder will take the lead in developing and presenting research findings at national or international conferences.
5. Problem Solving
The post holder is expected to work independently, and as part of a team. The post holder will resolve problems using accumulated experience, and will take the lead on investigating non-standard issues prior to discussion with senior colleagues. Use initiative to analyse and interpret research data, and draw conclusions from it. Use initiative to help ! other researchers in the team to resolve project problems. The post holder will address statistical issues in the design and analysis of assigned studies within ECTU and HSRU and will resolve issues arising in projects which they are leading within the MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research.
6. Decision Making
The post holder will independently: organise own workload; manage statistical resources to successfully see projects through to completion; set time-lines; design and deliver research within assigned projects; solve problems and interpret complex data. Substantial contribution is expected to guiding the overall direction of work, responding to serious and unexpected events, and identifying the best solutions. The post holder will have sole responsibility for the statistical work on substantial research projects.
7. Key Contacts/Relationships
- Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit and the NHS Lothian Health Services Research Unit !
- Academic Clinical Director, Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit
- Director of Operations, Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit
- Principal Investigators of studies
- Statisticians working within the Edinburgh universities and on NHS Lothian-sponsored studies
- Director and Staff of Edinburgh MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research
- Hub collaborators within the University of Edinburgh and elsewhere
Essential
- PhD in medical statistics plus six years of experience (or MSc in medical statistics plus a longer period of experience) relating to the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation and reporting of clinical trials or other biomedical research.
- Track record of successful delivery of research project results
- Extensive experience in advanced statistical modelling (for example: simulation studies; programming Bayesian statistical modelling in software ! such as WinBUGS; analysis of cluster-randomised trials). SAS programming knowledge would be an advantage.
- Familiarity with the statistical regulatory guidelines relevant to clinical trials
- Flexible, enthusiastic and confident in relating to colleagues of varying levels of seniority. The ability to work well as part of a team and to take a leading role in the design and delivery of assigned projects.
- Self-managing and organised. Ability to prioritise work against tight deadlines
- Proven analytical and problem solving ability.
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal. Ability to present complex statistical issues to non-specialists, including engaging with non-academic beneficiaries of research.
- The post holder reports directly to Dr Lewis, and will have day-to-day contact with other statisticians based in Edinburgh, and with other members of study teams.
- Provision of expert s! tatistical advice.
- Responsibility for the design, delivery and! quality of clinical trials.
- Contribution to the development of a research portfolio in a subject area of interest.
- Development of collaborative funding bids and generation of high impact publications in internationally recognised journals.
- Dissemination of research outputs at national and international conferences, and development of relationships with relevant external organisations such as the topic-specific working groups of the MRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology Research.
Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit was established in 2006 and is registered with UKCRC. The NHS Lothian Health Services Research Unit was established in 2009. The MRC Hub for Trials Methodology Research was established in 2009 and has funding for 5 years in the first instance.
________________________________________
Application Procedure
All applicants should apply via our Vacancy W! ebsite . The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. The online system allows you to submit a CV and other attachments.
The vacancy website may be down for periods of time on 27 June 2013 for maintenance. This will not affect any un-submitted applications which have been partially completed and saved by applicants. Once the site is back on-line candidates will be able to complete and submit applications.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
We anticipate interviews will be held in the week commencing 22nd July 2013. You will be notified by email whether you have been shortlisted for interview or not.
The closing date is 5pm on Friday 12th July 2013.
________________________________________
Eligibility to Work
In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has! a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must c! heck that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
To do so, the University of Edinburgh requires to see original documents evidencing right to work in the UK before commencement of employment and this is normally carried out at interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview.
For further information on eligibility to work please visit our eligibility to work website
This post meets UK Border Agency criteria for sponsorship by the University of Edinburgh. Even if you are not currently eligible to work in the UK, it may be possible for the University of Edinburgh to sponsor you to obtain a Tier 2 (General) visa to enable you to take up the appointment should you be successful at interview.
For applicants interested in sponsorship information is located here
However, if you have previously been sponsored by an employer within the UK but your leave has expired or lapsed and you are ! no longer in the UK, according to UK Border Agency rules you can cannot apply for sponsorship under any category of Tier 2 for a period of 12 months after the date your leave has expired or lapsed.
________________________________________
Conditions of Employment
Pension Scheme
This role is grade UE08 and therefore the post holder is automatically included in membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), subject to the USS membership criteria, unless they indicate that they choose not to join the Scheme.
Hours to be Notified (HTBN) will automatically become a member of the USS scheme if their monthly earnings are deemed to be ‘qualifying earnings’ (equivalent to the HMRC monthly threshold above which their earnings are taxable). If the post holder’s earnings are not deemed as “qualifying earnings†and therefore will not automatically become a member they can opt in to the USS Scheme.
For further inform! ation please visit our Pensions website .
Salary
The ! role is grade UE08 and attracts an annual salary of £ 37,382 to £ 44,607 per annum for 35 hours each week. Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to your Bank or Building Society account, normally on the 28th of the month. Salaries for part-time staff are calculated on the full-time scales, pro-rata to the Standard Working Week.
This post is available on a fixed term basis, with a working pattern of 35 hours per week for 24 months.
The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no appointment at all. Neither in part, nor in whole does this information form part of any contract between the University and any individual.
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
The Centre for Population Health Sciences (CPHS)
The Centre for Population Health Sciences (CPHS), in the University’s central area, brings together researchers from the r! ange of disciplines underpinning population health research, including public health and primary care research.
School of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences
Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences is one of four Schools in the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine and is headed by Professor Sarah Cunningham-Burley. The School comprises the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, the Centre for Population Health Sciences, the Division of Pathology and the Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit. The School currently attracts annual research grants of around £40M, including a number of full programme grants, and has around 630 employees including 39 Professors, over 260 other academic members of staff and 330 members of support staff.
The Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), ()
The IGMM (Director, Professor Nick Hastie, CBE, FRS) was formed in 2007, as a consequence of a strategic alliance between the M! RC, the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK (http://www.igmm! .ed.ac.uk/). It constitutes one of the largest aggregate of human molecular genetics research capacity in the UK and brings together almost 400 scientists and support staff in a single scientific endeavour, with a mission:
“To identify molecular and cellular mechanism underlying normal human development, maintenance and disease, including malformations, later onset anomalies and cancer, and translate these findings for clinical benefit".
The Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU) is a Collaborative Clinical Trials Unit established with funding from the NHS and the University of Edinburgh. It has full registration with UKCRC, is part of the Scottish Collaboration of Trialists and has been awarded MRC clinical trials methodology hub status.
The WGH site is also home to one of only five Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facilities (WTCRF) in the United Kingdom. The WTCRF provides state-of-the-art facilities for investigators undertaking multi-disciplinary! Clinical Research and include clinical, laboratory and specialised support. There is a common application and administrative process for applications and investigators can apply to use any, or all, of the resources available. The WTCRF hosts the £15M Clinical Research Imaging Centre at Little France, which comprises a cyclotron, PET chemistry, a PET/64-slice CT scanner, 3T MRI, the first 320-slice CT in the UK and space for development of human optical imaging.
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine ( http://www.mvm.ed.ac.uk ) traces its origins back nearly 500 years (Darwin, Simpson and Conan-Doyle were students here) and is internationally renowned for its research and teaching. Headed by Professor Sir John Savill, the only conjoint Medical and Veterinary Medical School in the UK employs over 2300 academic and support staff within the College and the four Schools; Biomedical Sciences ; Molecular,! Genetic and Population Health Sciences; Clinical Sciences and Royal (D! ick) School of Veterinary Studies.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/about/medical-schools/biomedical
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/about/medical-schools/molecular-clinical-med
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/about/medical-schools/clinical-sciences
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/about/medical-schools/vet-school
The undergraduate medicine teaching programme in the College enjoys a very high reputation nationally and internationally, with over 1,300 students enrolled on the MBChB and Intercalated courses and nearly 1000 on the Veterinary Sciences BVS and related programmes. In addition, approximately 2000 students are currently enrolled in the College’s taught and research post-graduate courses, including an extensive range of online distance learning diplomas and degrees. They are trained by over 1000 outstand! ing academic staff. Details of PhDs, research programmes and studentships are available through our major interdisciplinary research institutes and centres (http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/research/institutes/centres).
The academic disciplines within Medicine are largely concentrated in the two teaching hospital campuses in Edinburgh, the New Royal Infirmary at Little France and the Western General Hospital. Both have extensive new infrastructure with major new research institutes and state of the art research facilities on clinical sites. Edinburgh hosts a number of prestigious MRC and BHF Research Centres. The approach is interdisciplinary, with basic and clinical researchers working together at the laboratory bench and in our clinical research facilities to address major themes in basic, clinical and translational medicine.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science on the new Easter Bush campus houses outstanding teachi! ng and clinical facilities as well as the splendid Roslin Institute, on! e of the world’s leading veterinary research centres. The College is the UK’s only conjoint medical and veterinary school which affords outstanding opportunities to address ‘One Health’ and Global Health problems of the highest international priority.
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008
In RAE 2008, the College was placed first of 28 submissions in the UK, in Hospital-Based Clinical Subjects. Of all those submitted at the international level 80% of the submission were judged world-leading (4-star, 40%) or internationally excellent (3-star, 40%) levels.
The College was placed fourth in Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science, but was the first-placed veterinary school (by 4*) and delivered the largest volume of 4* research in the whole UK. The College was also sixth in the UK in Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology, an area further reinforced by the advent of Edinburgh Neuroscience to coalesce the University’s neuroscience act! ivities.
The University of Edinburgh
For more than four centuries, our people and their achievements have rewritten history time and again. They’ve explored space, revolutionised surgery, published era-defining books, paved the way for life-saving medical breakthroughs and introduced to the world many inventions, discoveries and ideas from penicillin to Dolly the sheep. We have believed that anything is possible.
We still do. The latest Research Assessment Exercise highlighted our place at the forefront of international research. This adds to our international reputation for the quality of our teaching and our student experience excellence.
As a member of staff you will be part of one of the world's leading universities, with 22 Schools spread over 3 Colleges that offer more than 500 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate courses to over 30,000 students each year. Professional services are critical to this success as well as our world-class! teaching, research and student facilities. In fact, we are one of the ! top employers in Edinburgh, with over 11,700 people spread across a wide range of academic and supporting roles.
As a world-changing, world-leading university we are an exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. We give you support, nurture your talent, develop and reward success and integrate academic, professional and personal career goals, as well as give your career the benefit of a great and distinguished reputation.
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
- .
If you were eligible to this vacancy, please email us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to University of Edinburgh.
If you interested on this vacancy just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This vacancy starts available on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:58:17 GMT