Director of Approvals
Employer: Health Research Authority
Location: Homeworker - Willingness to travel nationally on an occasional basis including being absent from home and outside of core hours.
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £90,900 - £113,625 per annum
Closing date: 06/08/2026 23:59
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Job overview
The Health Research Authority (HRA) is seeking an exceptional senior leader to join its Executive Team as Director of Approvals.
This is a pivotal role responsible for leading the HRA’s regulatory approvals services, ensuring the effective, timely and proportionate delivery of health and social care research approvals across England.
As an Executive Director and member of the HRA Board and Executive Committee, you will play a key role in shaping organisational strategy, driving performance, and delivering against statutory objectives. As we develop and change as an organisation this role will be key in influencing the wider sector on regulatory authorisation.
Leadership at the HRA is focused on taking initiative and achieving outcomes. We are looking for someone who embraces innovation, to change things ultimately for the benefit of the public.
You must also be a champion for understanding and supporting technological change in service delivery and efficiency that lead to new ways of working.
Main duties of the job
You will:
Provide executive leadership for the Approvals Directorate, ensuring high-quality, user-centred services
Lead delivery of Regulatory Authorisation, including REC, CAG and HRA approvals
Ensure operational excellence, including performance, governance, risk management and service standards
Drive continuous improvement and transformation across approvals services
Build and maintain strong relationships with government, NHS, regulators, academia and industry partners
Provide expert input into national policy and system-wide regulatory development
Lead and develop a high-performing workforce, fostering a culture of inclusion, collaboration and accountability
The Director of Approvals has overall responsibility for:
Leadership of the Approvals Directorate, including operational delivery of research approvals.
Oversight of a c.£7m budget as part of the Executive Committee and effective resource management.
Strategic planning and delivery aligned with organisational priorities.
Ensuring timely study and site setup for research across the system.
Providing insight into policy development and regulatory design.
Maintaining effective governance, information management and reporting.
Leading engagement with internal and external stakeholders at the most senior levels.
Working for our organisation
At the HRA, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment where we actively invest in the development and empowerment of our staff, enabling them to perform at their best. We strive to promote a healthy workplace culture where wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth are valued and encouraged.
Working at the HRA, we support flexible working, recognising that home based or hybrid arrangements provides us with the most productive environment to work well. Where possible, we’ll offer a working pattern that suits you.
The HRA offers home based contracts for all locations. For this role, you could be based at any HRA office: Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham or London. Hybrid working arrangements are also possible. We encourage you to speak with us to explore how this could be accommodated.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents for full details about this role.
Completing your application and AI
When completing your application, ensure you clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills align with the criteria outlined for this position.
We recognise that generative AI tools can be helpful in supporting applicants during the recruitment process, particularly for tasks such as proofreading, structuring, or refining written responses. However, we encourage candidates to use AI responsibly and sparingly. Applications should reflect your authentic voice, personal experiences, and genuine qualifications. Over reliance on AI-generated content can result in generic or inaccurate submissions that fail to meet the criteria or convey your individuality. Misrepresentation of skills, knowledge, or experience, including through AI-generated content, may lead to the rejection of your application, withdrawal of your offer, or your dismissal if you do start with us. If you choose to use AI, please ensure it enhances rather than replaces your own input, and be transparent about its use where appropriate. False and insincere examples go against our values of integrity and transparency.
Important information
We are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement as we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Applications requiring sponsorship will not be considered.
Applications that do not clearly demonstrate how the essential criteria outlined in the person specification are met will not be shortlisted.
Only the information provided in the application form will be considered. CVs will not be reviewed.
We do not accept applications via recruitment agencies or other third parties.
The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.
Our fixed term roles are also open to applicants who wish to apply on a secondment basis. Applicants who fit this category are advised to speak with their line manager before applying and visit their organisations Secondments Policy.
Organisational structure and directorate overview
The HRA is made up of five directorates: Approvals, Chief Executive, Digital, Policy and Partnerships and Resources.
This role is in the HRA Approvals Service directorate which consists of teams that work together, across the HRA and across the UK research landscape to provide the appropriate approvals for health and care research in England and, in some cases, across the UK, and to coordinate and standardise research regulation policy and practice across the UK.
This directorate issues HRA Approval, provides the research ethics service in England, supports the Confidentiality Advisory Group advising on the use of confidential patient information without consent; and coordinates technical assurances for pharmacy and radiation. We lead work to refine and maintain the systems and processes researchers need to follow to ensure a swift, robust and simple experience. We do this by working collaboratively with external partners and nearly 1000 committee volunteers to improve the research environment.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
Extensive executive management experience in a relevant field or masters in a relevant field, with evidence of ongoing professional development.
Knowledge, Skills and Expertise
Essential criteria
In-depth expertise in the UK health and care system, the research environment, research regulation frameworks and relevant legislation (including research governance and data protection).
Significant executive level leadership and organisational capability, with a proven track record of leading diverse expert-led teams, driving change and applying effective management and leadership approaches.
Experience
Desirable criteria
Significant experience of working within a public board and regulator.
Significant experience of working within a clinical research delivery organisation.
Board level or equivalent experience within the NHS, health and social care, or key HRA stakeholder sectors, with evidence of developing strategies, business plans and financial management, and monitoring performance across organisational or cross organisational services.
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential criteria
Strong analytical and problem solving ability, able to interpret complex information and think creatively to identify new models and innovative solutions, and align solutions with internal and external stakeholders across multiple organisations.
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
Excellent communication and organisational skills, including preparing complex proposals and business cases, managing shifting priorities, and able to respond to challenge and objections.
Conducts themselves and communicates professionally, respectfully and with authority, upholds the Nolan principles of public life, and other expectations placed on the HRA as a public body by Parliament and the UK public.
Inclusive and collaborative leader with strong commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity, relationship building, influencing and negotiating skills, able to handle difficult situations sensitively and maintain constructive partnerships.
Desirable criteria
Demonstrates and embeds a high quality customer service ethos across teams.
Other
Essential criteria
Highly self motivated, proactive and innovative, able to work independently with flexibility and adapt priorities against a background of uncertainty.
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