PET User Access Coordinator

Job id: 084688. Salary: £43,205 - £50,585, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 16 February 2024. Closing date: 17 March 2024.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: PET Imaging Centre Facility.

Contact details:Giorgio Testanera. [email protected]

Location: St Thomas' Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

The PET Centre is part of both King's College London's (KCL’s) Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). Our work includes providing a clinical PET service for >8,000 patients per year from across South-East London as well as national referrals from other UK centres. We also support clinical and technical research programs with collaborators from the Hospital, the Medical School and other institutions. Clinical and research imaging capabilities are greatly enhanced by our on-site cyclotrons and radiochemistry laboratories, with tracers produced to GMP standards. 

In partnership with Imperial College London, we have been selected through open competition by the Medical Research Council (MRC) as one of two initial sites for the UK Total Body PET infrastructure (National Total Body PET Imaging Platform (NPIP, https://npip.org.uk/)), one in London and one in Scotland.

Currently, our purpose designed scanning suite includes two GE Discovery 710 PET-CT scanners and a Siemens Biograph mMR PET-MRI scanner at St Thomas’ hospital, and a third Siemens Biograph PET-CT scanner in the Cancer Centre at Guy’s hospital. During 2024, we expect the replacement of both the Discovery 710 PET-CTs, the first by a Siemens Quadra Total Body PET (TBP). As part of NPIP, we will be supporting research imaging projects led by colleagues across the UK, and making sure these are delivered efficiently alongside our local research projects and clinical service work.

We are now seeking an experienced administrator with excellent project management and organisational skills, to co-ordinate and facilitate Total Body PET access requests between the NPIP Central Hub, external researchers, and local PET Centre operational teams. The postholder will be required to make sure all the appropriate arrangements are put in place to enable stakeholders to access the site and perform their work efficiently. They will provide strategically informed project management support, working closely with internal and external teams and industry partners, to monitor and report all activity delivered for the PET Centre/NPIP/external users, including income and expenditure related to these. We intend to make this appointment before the Total Body PET scanner becomes operational so that the post-holder can also provide project management and administrative support to the team through the installation and set-up period. 

Important qualities will include the ability to communicate effectively, to confidently relay scientific and academic information to a wide-ranging audience, and to work collaboratively, fostering and building relationships with partners and key stakeholders. Prior experience of working within an imaging or radiochemistry facility would be helpful, but is not essential. The post-holder will be someone who can successfully manage a diverse and busy workload largely autonomously, can adapt to change, be flexible, and use their own initiative and creativity to solve problems. Experience of managing projects or change is essential, whilst a good understanding of the legal, regulatory and statutory guidelines governing clinical research will be beneficial. The post holder will report to the PET Centre Service Manager.

This post will be offered on a fixed term contract until 30th September 2030 

This is a full-time post, with on-site attendance at St Thomas’ Hospital expected, and occasional need to travel to external collaborator sites. While some remote working may be allowed, the post holder will be required to be on site at least 3 days a week.

• To act as the main point of contact for the NPIP central hub, external researchers and industry partners wishing to access the TBP at the KCL/GSTT PET Centre 
• To co-ordinate and facilitate TBP access requests between the NPIP Central Hub, external researchers and local PET Centre operational teams 
• To make sure all the appropriate arrangements are put in place to enable stakeholders to access the site and perform their work efficiently 
• To provide strategically informed project management support, working closely with internal and external teams and industry partners 
• To monitor and report all activity delivered for the PET Centre/NPIP/external users, including income and expenditure related to these 
• To provide project management and administrative support to the PET Centre team from the TBP installation and set-up period through to completion of projects 
• To keep accurate records of all TBP projects, including monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) in relation to access, income, sustainability and dissemination  
• To collaborate with the PET Service Manager in evaluating costs of research projects and allocation of Department resources based on priorities.
• To provide administrative leadership and accountability for TBP projects, being actively involved in setting targets and objectives for research teams and reviewing performance against the targets 
• To be aware of National Strategies on TBP delivery and distribution and collaborate with senior management in following the agreed guidelines 
• To network effectively with colleagues at other TBP user sites to guarantee streamlined processes for access at national level 
• To engage with Physics, Clinical and Imaging teams to support coordination of tasks for effective delivery of clinical research scans 
• To assist in developing Data Management Plans and devising clinical study data collection using electronic patient management software (EPIC) applications, collaborating with IT and GSTT managers to implement the necessary features if not already available  
• To assist in managing and developing data transfer and storage processes including patient imaging data and ensure adherence to UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the Data Protection Act, College and National Health Service (NHS) policy and other relevant guidelines and requirements 
• To develop and use appropriate records and monitoring tools for logging all user access and activities 
• To provide regular progress updates to sites in the form of newsletters, investigator meetings and any other format as required 
• To support any Public Engagement or Patient Public Involvement activities 
• To engage and collaborate with the central research team as well as King’s Health Partners (KHP) clinical research delivery teams 
• To provide administrative support to TBP research, operational and stakeholder meetings 
• To work with the senior managers, Principal Investigators (PIs) and operational teams to set project milestones as appropriate, and to redirect finances where needed in accordance with funding regulations 
• To liaise with the PET Centre teams to draft reports required by NPIP and/or other funders (for example: interim, milestone, annual reports and surveys), and to be responsible for ensuring funder reports are completed and satisfactory to ensure the release of further funding 
• To liaise with KCL contracts to draft consultancy and research agreements with independent advisors and subcontractors with private industry, other universities and NHS partners 
• To develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff within the PET Centre, the School as well as in the College and across KHP 
• To proactively pursue Continuous Personal Development opportunities 
• To handle situations that require sensitivity, a high level of awareness of confidentiality, and general tact and diplomacy. 
• To demonstrate leadership and innovation in the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices, recording progress through the King’s sustainability audit process and sharing good practice. To nurture and encourage sustainable practices and leadership within the postholder’s team and networks
• To facilitate an inclusive culture and ethos working with academic, research and other professional services staff and colleagues external to King’s.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the postholder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. 

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Selection process to include a Panel Interview

This role does not meet the requirements of the Home Office and therefore we are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates who require the right to work in the UK.

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service clearance.