Project and Innovation Manager

UNIVERSITY OF READING

Project and Innovation Manager

Salary: Grade 6 Spinal point 28 - 35 £36,636 - £44,746 per annum 1FTE

Contractual hours: 35

Basis: Full time

Job reference: SRF52881

Closing date:  23:59 29th April 2026

Full time Fixed Term Contract for 18 months 

Interview date - 14th May 2026

If the successful candidate already holds a Skilled Worker Visa sponsored by another organisation and it was issued before the 4th April 2024, by reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

We are seeking a Project and Innovation Manager who will provide operational leadership for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Orthopaedics Research UK (ORUK) funded project RMD-Health: developing and validating a machine-learning–enabled decision support system to improve early detection and referral of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) (NIHR206473). You will support the effective delivery of the multi-site research and innovation project, coordinating activity across NHS partners, supporting ethics and governance processes, and contributing to innovation and market-focused activities to enable future adoption and impact.

Team Structure

You will be part of the Informatics Research Centre (IRC), and will work closely with the project leads, collaborators, research staff, NHS clinical and R&D teams from Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford University Hospitals and wider clinical partners, as well as patient and public contributors. IRC is based in the Department of Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Henley Business School.

Main duties and responsibilities

Project Management and Delivery

You will:

• Manage the day-to-day operational delivery of the RMD-Health project, ensuring progress against agreed milestones, timelines, and NIHR requirements.
• Develop and maintain project plans, delivery schedules, and risk registers.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and issues, and implement mitigation actions in consultation with the project lead and team.
• Prepare progress reports and updates for internal project meetings and funder reporting.

Multi-site and Stakeholder Coordination

You will:

• Coordinate project activity across multiple NHS Trusts and partner organisations.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with clinicians, research teams, and governance staff.

Ethics, Governance, and Regulatory Support 

You will:

• Support the update and amendment of ethics, IRAS, and HRA submissions for retrospective evaluation and prospective clinical validation studies.
• Liaise with NHS R&D offices, research governance teams, and clinical partners at participating sites to ensure compliance with relevant policies and approvals.
• Support the coordination and maintenance of regulatory and technical documentation to support compliance with digital health and AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD) requirements, including UKCA-aligned evidence generation.

Pilot Delivery and Implementation

You will:

• Support the planning, coordination, and delivery of pilot and prospective clinical validation studies within NHS rheumatology referral pathways.
• Coordinate site initiation activities, working with clinical, informatics, and IT teams to support integration with existing NHS systems and workflows.
• Track operational issues that arise during pilots and escalate to the project leads as appropriate.

Innovation, Market, and Translational Activities

You will:

• Plan and conduct market and stakeholder research activities that may involve national and international travel, including engagement with healthcare providers, industry partners, and policy stakeholders.
• Support work packages focused on future NHS adoption and wider international market exploration, including engagement with clinicians, NHS managers, patient representatives, and regional or global networks.
• Participate in, or support application to, structured innovation and market-discovery programmes (e.g. ICURe, MSK Innovation Accelerator programme or equivalent), subject to eligibility and project needs, to strengthen market understanding, value propositions, and adoption pathways.

Communication and Engagement

You will:

• Support dissemination activities, including preparation of publications, reports, summaries, and presentations for funders and stakeholders

Contact details 

Contact Name, Job Title and Email address: Professor Weizi (Vicky) Li weizi.li@henley.ac.uk

Alternative Contact Name, Job Title and Email address: Professor Keiichi Nakata k.nakata@henley.ac.uk

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

Apply now