Occupations and Terms of Reference › Research and development manager
Universal terms of reference · POS-023 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Research and development manager
To lead research and development for the organisation, so that projects are ethical, well-run, funded and used to improve care.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You lead research and development. You manage the project portfolio, make sure ethical approval and data protection are in place, support funding bids, and make sure findings are shared and used.
Reports to: Chief strategy and development officer.
Leads or supervises: Research coordinators and project leads.
What you do on a typical day
- Review the project portfolio and milestones each month.
- Check ethics approvals and consent before projects start.
- Support funding applications.
- Review data protection with the data protection officer.
- Share findings internally and externally.
Working conditions and demands
- Works to research timelines and funder rules.
- Must keep research separate from commercial pressure.
- Handles sensitive patient data in some projects.
What good looks like
- Every project has ethics approval before starting.
- Projects meet milestones and report on time.
- Findings are used to improve care.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every decision that affects patient safety is made on evidence and recorded.
- Patient safety and quality come before financial targets; no trade-off that puts patients at risk is accepted.
- Every staff member can raise a concern without fear of reprisal, and every concern is answered.
- Legal, licensing and accreditation duties are known, owned and reviewed.
- Finances, people and information are managed openly and within the law.
- Mandatory training and policies apply to the executive as much as to frontline staff.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-023 |
| ISCO-08 | 1345 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Governance |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-011. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Chief strategy and development officer | Research priorities and funding. |
| Ethics committee secretary | Ethics approvals. |
| Chief medical officer | Clinical relevance and safety. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Manages the research portfolio, milestones and reporting. | Portfolio reviewed monthly | Monthly | C-01 | T-06 | – | 2 |
| Ethics and consent | Makes sure ethics approval and consent are in place before work starts. | Approvals on file before start | Monthly | C-02 | T-04 · T-05 | POL-DATA · POL-INC | 2 |
| Funding | Leads funding applications and funder reporting. | Applications submitted on time; reports on time | Quarterly | C-03 | T-06 | – | 2 |
| Findings | Makes sure findings are shared and used to improve care. | Findings reported internally each year | Annually | C-01 | T-06 | – | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Research design within approved protocols | Research with significant risk or new data uses (ethics committee and CSDO) |
| Selection of project leads | Funding bids above the agreed financial threshold (CSDO and CFO) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in a health, science or research field | Yes | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | Research methods or good clinical practice training | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Research management or project leadership in a health or research setting | 5 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | C-02 |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-02 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | C-01 · C-03 |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-01 | Immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases relevant to the setting, documented at entry | At entry or as set | essential | Documented hepatitis B status at entry |
| H-02 | Tuberculosis screening at entry, then as the national rule requires | At entry or as set | essential | Symptom screening at entry and after exposure |
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Research design and management | Follows protocols | Manages a research project | Designs the research portfolio | Project review | Every 12 months | T-06 |
| C-02 | Research ethics and consent | Follows consent rules | Checks ethics requirements | Designs ethics oversight for research | Ethics audit | Every 12 months | T-04 · T-05 |
| C-03 | Grant and funder management | Supports applications | Leads applications | Sets funding strategy | Grant review | Every 12 months | T-06 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Projects with ethics approval before start | 100% | ethics register | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Projects on schedule | set in plan | portfolio tracker | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Funder reports submitted on time | 100% | funder calendar | Quarterly |
| PI-04 | Findings shared each year | 100% | reports register | Annually |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Research and development manager | 5 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 expert, C-02 practitioner | T-04 · T-06 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |