Centre for Trophoblast Research – Licensing Manager

The Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR)

The Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) is a centre of excellence to promote scientific study of the placenta, early development and maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy. The centre brings together over 30 Principal Investigators, many of whom are recognized international experts in their fields. The CTR was one of the University of Cambridge’s first inter-school initiatives: https://www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/

About the role

The purpose of the role of the Licensing Manager is to support the interface of clinical and basic sciences research within the CTR. You will be responsible for managing all of the CTR licensing activities including liaising with collaborating clinics, maintaining updated nationally regulated licences and National Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee  and annual reports. You will be responsible for expanding our network of clinical collaborators to improve CTR member access to clinical samples, and provide expertise and training in Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licensing, with training provided for either of these if needed.

You will provide oversight of the CTR Human Uterus in Pregnancy and Disease Biobank and central storage of human samples donated to the CTR, including extraembryonic placental or related tissues, and uterine samples. In addition, you will be managing donations of preimplantation embryos to an HFEA licenced research project. You will be responsible for sample storage, coordinating Research Ethics Committee processes, and enhancing tracking and auditing systems to ensure compliance in these sensitive research areas. You will provide training and supervision of CTR technicians to ensure that donated samples are recorded and stored appropriately and that codes of practice and relevant health and safety regulations are implemented.

A major mission of the CTR is training and you will be responsible for training junior colleagues in licensing and provide course content on this topic at the annual Placental Biology Course. To support the maintenance, expansion and use of the biobank and human preimplantation embryo donations, you will work collaboratively with and support the Executive Manager and CTR colleagues to develop and write funding applications. You will support the CTR to provide an environment that enables the delivery of research at the highest level and to work in innovative ways to achieve research and training excellence.

What you will need

You should have undergraduate scientific/clinical training in a relevant field and experience of health & safety procedures and working within human tissue regulations (HTA or HFEA).

Please refer to the further particulars document for a full list of essential skills and qualifications.

Contract details

Appointments will be made on a fixed-term basis for a period of 3 years, with the possibility of renewal subject to funding. The salary range is £33,966-£44,263, per annum pro rata (0.6-1 FTE).

We would welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

You can expect to receive:

• A competitive salary with automatic service-related progression and annual cost of living increases;
• A generous annual leave allowance of 41 days per year (including bank holidays);
• Access to defined benefits pension schemes.

How to apply

Visit the University of Cambridge jobs portal to find out more and submit an application: https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/40242/

Please ensure that you upload a curriculum vitae and cover letter indicating how you would contribute to the responsibilities of the post.

References will be requested from candidates after interviews.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience particularly encourages women and candidates from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background to apply for this vacancy.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all its employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. For further information, please see: https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/right/have/.

Please quote reference PM36075 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

Find out more

To find out more about the CTR please visit our website at: https://www.trophoblast.cam.ac.uk/

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Professor Kathy Niakan, CTR Director (kkn21@cam.ac.uk) or Erin Slatery, CTR Executive Manager (ctradmin@pdn.cam.ac.uk).

If you have any queries about the recruitment process, please contact Tracey Flack, Chief HR Administrator (pdnhr@pdn.cam.ac.uk).