Governance Officer

**Governance Officer - London - 12 months contract - Higher Education**

About the position:
The Institute is headed by Professor John Collinge FRS, and comprises MRC and grant funded clinicians, scientists, research/technical staff, PhD students, rotational MRes students and professional services staff.
The post-holder reports to the Business Director who directs all professional services and operations.
The post-holder will be part of the Management Team and will be responsible for ensuring members of the Institute and visiting workers are operating to good research practice as required by current laws and laid out in clinical and research governance guidelines. To develop and deliver the Quality Management function for the Institute and monitor and advise on compliance with operating procedures.
This is a key post, critical to delivering operational and research governance, providing high quality customer services that underpin delivery of the Institutes research strategy.

Main Duties:

- Develop policy and procedures to ensure that the Institute works to good research practice as dictated by law and laid down in the guidelines of professional bodies.
- Develop policy and systems to ensure that the Institute works consistently to defined quality procedures.
- Keep up to date on governance developments nationally and internationally to ensure that the Institute always operates to the latest standards and ideally leads in them.
- Ensure that all members of the Institute are kept up to date on all matters of clinical and research governance.
- Ensure and oversee that Institute standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place, updated as appropriate and adhered to in discussion with all service, research and clinic managers. This includes Biological Services (BSF), H&S, IT, Admin and Finance, HR, and Histology in addition to research teams. Manage the tracking of these on the Institute system.
- Develop an audit schedule and conduct audits in consultation with the Business Director and H&S Manager as appropriate across Institute sites research and clinic groups and service providers, prepare audit reports and coordinate the implementation of preventive and correction actions resulting from the audit. Report findings and actions as required to the Business Director and relevant internal Committees.
- To act as the Institute lead on GDPR/Data protection lead and work with all staff to ensure adherence. Oversee and manage the Institute Register of Processing Activities (ROPA) database ensuring it is updated regularly. Ensure that all databases containing personal information are registered appropriately, and all applicable research projects are registered with the Data Protection Officer and with the Joint Research Office.
- Ensure that patient data is managed to the approval of the Trust / Health Research Trust (HRA). Ensure appropriate NHS/UCLH honorary contracts are in place for all staff needing to access patient data and secure a personal honorary contract.
- Prepare research protocols and supporting documentation, completing Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) forms for submission to the Joint Research Office and Research Ethics Committee/HRA, working with collaborating sites as required.
- Management of the Institute’s ethics portfolio submitting amendments and progress reports and end of study notifications and reports.
- Ensure streamlined systems are in place to enable timely setup and delivery of research studies performing risk-assessments in line with funder and institutional policies.
- Collaborate with the clinical team and clinical project managers/coordinators in supporting clinical trial life cycle and activity.
- Provide advice and support to members of the Institute to ensure that intellectual property rights are protected.
- Manage and ensure appropriate agreements are in place including Confidential/Non-Disclosure Agreements (CDA/NDA) Collaboration Agreements and Material Transfer Agreements in liaison with Research Services.
- Address governance, IP, collaboration agreements and material transfer components of MRC Annual Assurance Statements and Quinquennial Review (QQR) submissions.
- Perform governance related risk management reviews and develop mitigation plans with senior staff; ensure the business continuity plan and procedures for area of is updated.
- Carry out induction and teaching sessions on governance matters so that the Institute meets its regulatory obligations.
- Manage governance budget, procure, and monitor expenditure.
- Represent the Institute as directed at meetings on matters to do with research governance and GDPR and assist in meeting external audit requirements.
- Represent the Business Director as required on other matters delegated to the post holder.
- Open access and RPS tracking and monitoring of compliance and assessing reports. Report findings to the Directors Office, claiming articles on behalf of the Director and uploading publications where