Clinical Trials Assistant (Set-up)

Are you motivated by targets, timelines and project development?

Join a small friendly department committed to developing and retaining its staff to maintain and further cultivate a high performing, cohesive team that values its members. An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Research and Development Department as a Band 4 Clinical Trials Assistant.

The start date of this 12 month fixed term contract is 8 June 2026. Secondment will also be considered for internal candidates dependent on agreement with their current department.

This is a new role to support the rapid set-up and delivery of commercial and non-commercial clinical trials. It is central to enable the Trust to meet national research performance benchmarks and sponsor activation targets. The successful candidate will work cross-site, focusing on the local set-up of clinical trials and contributing to studies opening on time and recruiting to target. You will aid the harmonisation of processes across both sites of the Trust, improving efficiency and reducing risk. Administration will include trial documentation management, coordination of approvals, liaison with sponsors and internal stakeholders, and tracking set-up metrics.

Sponsorship not available

The Clinical Trials Assistant (CTA) will:

• Manage the administrative and coordination elements of trials, including documentation, trial and metric tracking, scheduling, and communication with research teams and sponsors.
• Help the R&D governance team on each site to improve timely progression of studies through feasibility, approvals, and set-up stages to the receipt of permission to open recruitment.
• Streamline the study set-up process across both sites, identify obstructions and inefficiencies, and propose improvements in trial initiation and management.
• Be integral in coordinating trial set-up across single-site and Trust-wide studies; build relationships with stakeholders to ensure smooth trial operations.
• Work in a fast-paced, target-driven environment and contribute to high-performance research delivery by meeting or exceeding KPIs and timelines.
• Ensure understanding of Data Protection principles and use of LPMS (training provided).
• Travel between hospital sites may be required.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work efficiently and accurately, often within strict time constraints.
• Coordinate and manage administrative aspects of clinical trial set-up across both sites.
• Support studies through feasibility, regulatory approvals, and governance processes to recruitment opening.
• Track study documentation, milestones, performance metrics, key timelines and manage competing priorities.
• Be physically able to visit hospital departments to chase permissions and obtain signatures.
• Anticipate delays and escalates them to support recovery planning and solutions.
• Build working relationships with key stakeholders to ensure smooth trial set-up.
• Be personable, collaborative and a team player; have excellent written and verbal communication skills to liaise with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Build strong professional relationships with other departments to promote a good working environment.
• Act as a central point of communication between R&D, research delivery teams, and external sponsors to ensure trials open on time and to target.
• Understand Data Protection principles; use LPMS (training will be provided); be comfortable in a fast-paced target-driven environment.
• Contribute to high-performance research delivery by meeting or exceeding agreed KPIs and timelines; understand the department metrics and implications of not meeting targets.
• Be highly organized with excellent attention to detail; support studies to open on time and align Trust-wide and single-site study initiation processes.
• Understand and adhere to Trust policies and procedures.

Qualifications and Training

• Essential: Educated to Diploma level or have significant administration experience
• Essential: Good standard of literacy and numeracy
• Essential: Evidence of continuing professional development
• Essential: Willingness to undertake additional training on the job and/or formally
• Desirable: Good Clinical Practice certificate

Experience

• Essential: Previous office experience
• Essential: Evidence of administrative or clinical audit experience in an NHS setting
• Desirable: Experience in project management or complex process coordination
• Desirable: Previous experience working in research administration
• Desirable: Previous clinical trials set-up experience

Knowledge

• Essential: Awareness of the NIHR trial set up metrics and their funding implications
• Desirable: Knowledge and use of the local portfolio management system – EDGE

Skills

• Essential: Highly organized with excellent time management; well-developed IT skills (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Essential: Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise and manage workload
• Essential: Accurate documentation of all metrics with attention to detail
• Essential: Excellent verbal and written communication; able to work independently or as part of a team
• Desirable: Able to produce reports and graphs

Other

• Essential: Must commence work on 08/06/2026; strong relationship-building and proactive problem-solving
• Essential: Motivated, eager to learn, good time keeping, and a team player
• Desirable: Awareness of Research Governance and adaptability

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) / Change in Sponsorship

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a DBS disclosure will be required.

Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Guidance on criminal records checks for overseas applicants is available without links.

Bedford­shire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lewsey Road / South Wing, Kempston Rd, Luton / Bedford, LU4 0DZ