Job description

This is an exciting new opportunity for a talented individual trained and experienced in sound statistical approaches and their communication to join our flourishing Nightingale-Saunders Clinical Trials and Epidemiology Unit (NSU) led by Professor Toby Prevost, a specialist unit of King’s Clinical Trial Unit (KCTU). The reporting line is to Dr Francesca Fiorentino, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Trial Statistics. The NSU supports high quality trials of complex interventions and related studies primarily in nursing, midwifery, palliative care, rehabilitation and relevant heath care and clinical studies. The post-holder will be a graduate in mathematics/statistics (or other quantitative discipline), MSc (Research Assistant) or PhD (Research Associate), with strong programming skills and good attention to detail.

What will you be doing?

The appointee will contribute as the trial statistician to current and newly funded clinical trials. This will involve supporting studies to completion and publication, with senior trial statistician supervision. The appointee will have roles in the conduct, analysis and reporting stages of clinical trials, working with the senior statistician, as required by the King’s CTU Standard Operating Procedures for Clinical Trials.

This will include:

• Development of statistical analysis plans
• Statistical contribution to ensuring a suitably designed database
• Statistical analyses to produce reports for presentation to independent data monitoring committees
• Final statistical analysis to produce trial results
• A co-authorship role in contributing statistical results to final trial reports and publications

Further design stage work will be required in supporting the senior statistician in the design of new trials.

This will include:

• Verification of the sample size calculation
• Assisting with statistical requirements in grant applications and study protocols

The trials are predominantly of complex interventions, led by researchers in the faculty. The appointee will undertake this role in a programme of randomised controlled trials in different disease areas, such as mental health, cancer prevention, rehabilitation and experimental medicine, and funded by main funders such as the National Institute for Health Research, the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK. These are both feasibility and definitive trials.

In addition, the post-holder will contribute to statistical consultancy and teaching as part of the faculty.

The post offers very good prospects for extension and personal development, as the current feasibility trials are parts of ongoing programmes and have the potential for subsequent larger effectiveness trials.

This post offers an opportunity to develop and apply a range of methodological skills to be put into practice in areas such as in the progression of feasibility trials to large trials, and the statistical choices around developing complex designs, interventions and outcome measures, as well as encouraging effective trial teamwork and communication. The Faculty offers fields of PhD study including in ‘Clinical Trial Statistics’, and the NSU within KCTU is co-ordinating the development of education materials relevant to clinical trials.

Why choose us?

King’s College London is a leading University with nine Faculties. As part of King’s Health Partners, we have an excellent environment for health care interaction and a strong focus on mentoring and career development. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) placed King’s applied and allied health research 1st for: overall proportion of research rated 4* (world-leading, the best mark possible), research papers rated 4*, impact rated 4*, environment rated 4*(joint), Grade Point Average and Power. REF2021 rated as world-leading: 100% of our environment, 86% of our impact and 70% of our research overall. Over 95% of our research overall was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. For the last four years, King’s has been number 2 in the world and number 1 in Europe for Nursing (QS world rankings). King’s produces more highly cited research outputs (top 1% citations) on palliative care than any other centre internationally (SciVal).

The Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care (NMPC) is based in the heart of central and south London. It includes the Cicely Saunders Institute for Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, the premier Institute for Palliative Care, bringing together clinical, research and education teams. Our award-winning NMPC education programmes span pre-registration nursing and midwifery, and multidisciplinary post-graduate taught and research programmes. King’s is the largest provider of health care education in Europe. Our applied clinical and health research transforms therapies, the healthcare experience and outcomes for patients and those important to them, wherever they are cared for. We are ambitious to expand our quality research and international postgraduate taught and research offering.

The post will be offered on a fixed-term contract till November 2026 pending successful completion of a 6 months’ probation period.

The post-holder is required to actively participate in performance development review (PDR) annually.

The post is full-time - 100% full time equivalent. However, we offer flexibility for part-time working.

Key responsibilities

• Under the supervision of a senior statistician, to undertake statistical requirements in the design, conduct, ongoing reporting, analysis and interpretation of Unit trials. 
• To ensure that key aspects of the trial in relation to the data quality and data credibility are considered, evaluated, with key decisions documented. 
• To lead the development of the statistical analysis plan, to manage and manipulate datasets, and analyse data using syntax-based statistical software. 
• To proactively contribute to the co-authoring of trial documents including: developing the statistical analysis plan; writing and presenting data monitoring committee reports; interim and final analyses; and contributing to clinical study reports and final papers.  
• To contribute to teaching and the statistical consultancy across the faculty, with appropriate training and support, and as needed.  
• To communicate conceptual and complex ideas within trial teams, and to lay and technical audiences in the Clinical Trials Unit and Faculty.   
• To contribute actively in presenting work to team meetings and providing advice to others. 
• To work well with others at a range of levels, and to work as part of a team. 
• To work independently and effectively in planning day to day activities in accordance with the project deadlines under the guidance of the senior statistician.   
• Independently to provide advice and deal with queries of a specialist nature, and to interpret requirements of collaborators. 
• To organise relevant statistical meetings, including for data monitoring committee meetings, and ensure accurate minutes are kept and distributed appropriately. 
• To show a desire to establish a personal area of methodological research. 
• To write or contribute to publications or disseminate research findings using other appropriate media. 
• To embrace the attitude of a team player and play a full part of a multidisciplinary research teams. 
• To attend and contribute, via presentations, to relevant Unit and Divisional meetings to ensure feedback on and progress of NSU projects are disseminated by the team. 
• To demonstrate a willingness to develop personal objectives via regular appraisals with the line manager. 
• To engage in risk assessments, complying at all times with the requirements of the Health and Safety regulations with responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of others in the working environment 
• To be able to use the computer for long periods with appropriate breaks.  

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

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Research Assistant:

Essential criteria

1. BSc in mathematics or statistics (or quantitative discipline with substantial statistical content). 
2. MSc in mathematics, biostatistics, medical or applied Statistics. 
3. Skills in syntax-programming and dataset manipulation in statistical software packages such as SPSS, STATA or R. 
4. Understanding of the fundamental principles of epidemiology and medical statistics.  
5. Competence in the analysis of longitudinal data. 
6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate to lay, as well as technical audiences. 
7. Ability to work under pressure and meet competing deadlines. 
8. Commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity. 

Desirable criteria

1. Experience in analysing and publishing clinical research data  
2. Experience of working as a clinical trial statistician in a clinical trial unit 
3. Experience of analysing longitudinal data  
4. Assistant in teaching subject with statistical content 
5. Advisory or consultancy experience 

Candidates are strongly encouraged to specifically address the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification in their covering letter.

Research Associate:

Essential criteria

1. BSc/MSc in mathematics or statistics (or quantitative discipline with substantial statistical content). 
2. PhD* in mathematics, biostatistics, medical or applied Statistics. 
3. Experience of working as a clinical trial statistician in a clinical trial unit. 
4. Skills in syntax-programming and dataset manipulation in statistical software packages such as SPSS, STATA or R. 
5. Understanding of the fundamental principles of epidemiology and medical statistics.  
6. Experience writing/contributing to manuscripts for publications. 
7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate to lay, as well as technical audiences.  
8. Motivated and self-disciplined. 
9. Ability to work under pressure and meet competing deadlines. 
10. Commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity. 

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of teaching or assistant in teaching subjects of predominantly statistical content. 
2. Experience as a statistician in the conduct of randomised controlled trials in academia or in a regulated industry.  
3. Experience of analysing longitudinal data  
4. Advisory or consultancy experience in statistical content 
5. Experience of working as the technical expert in a multidisciplinary team. 

Candidates are strongly encouraged to specifically address the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification in their covering letter.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.[A1] 

Further information

We are committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce, and therefore we encourage applications from all groups. This includes from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups, the LGBTQI+ community, those who are neurodiverse and those with a disability.  

King’s considers the professional and personal development of our staff a priority and we offer an inspiring range of opportunities for training and career progression. Our Organisational Development team provide in-house and bespoke learning. 

 To apply complete the online application form, and provide us with an uploaded copy of the following documents: 

1. CV, to include any research publications and research income, as well as details of any research experience to date.   

2. A maximum of 4 pages cover statement, to include: any key contributions to research, leadership and teaching relevant to this role, and your future plans if appointed at King’s.   

The selection process will include a presentation and a panel interview. Scheduling of interview and presentations will be confirmed once shortlisting has taken place.  

Interviews may be held online.