Research Development Manager - Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
Based within the School of Cancer Sciences and the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, and working closely with partners in the College of Medicine Veterinary and Life Sciences, the PET Research Development Manager will play a lead role in promoting and managing a translational PET imaging research strategy both for the School and across different Schools and Colleges, helping to deliver a pipeline that enhances and optimises PET imaging research activity (including the Scotland Total-Body PET Facility).
They will take a leading role in overseeing the management and strategic direction of PET research. They will prepare a development strategy to proactively identify and support clinical and non-clinical academics, facilitating opportunities and aligning the most appropriate expertise.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Responsible for directing, implementing, and monitoring the PET imaging scientific strategy (including operational activity, usage and research grants), working in collaboration with the academic Directors of the PET team and key stakeholders and researchers, such as Principle Investigators across different Schools and Colleges.
- Proactively engage and work with staff across academia, NHS, regulatory networks, research management and governance to ensure that effective processes, resources and knowledge is in place to support all relevant activities. Working collaboratively with researchers to facilitate optimal facility access and PET research project delivery.
- Responsible for identifying and maximising opportunities for income generation and research translation through publicising relevant internal and external funding calls. Bring together teams of key researchers from the wider MVLS, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and external organisations (such as the National PET Imaging Platform) and lead the coordination of strategic bid submissions.
- To proactively lead on marketing and promoting strategies for PET activities both through internal and external communications (including webpages, social media, public engagement and liaising with a wide range of stakeholders). Identify new channels for communications and promotions, actively represent and promote PET research at the University at relevant networking events.
- To plan, organise and lead on the organisation of PET imaging related meetings, seminars, invited speakers and external scientific events, spanning the full event lifecycle, from event scoping to final outcomes and ensuring that events are within budget working together with academic Directors of the PET team and key stakeholders.
- Through personal research and networks keep informed and understand scientific advances in the field of PET imaging research, to communicate these with stakeholders, integrate advances into strategy, where appropriate, and drive forward developments in collaboration with the academic Directors.
- Play a key role in planning for sustainability of PET research, including understanding costs and income, anticipating future trends, developing budget forecasts (usually over 3-year horizon) and identifying funding sources to enable strategic research aims.
- Identify and develop collaborative relationships with new and existing partners to increase research income and PET research engagement.
- Play a key role in developing, influencing, and maintaining key partner and stakeholder relationships around the vision for the Scotland Total Body PET Facility, and brokering introductions and collaborative research partnerships with the University.
- Ensure that PET research activities are appropriately costed, managing initial usage enquiries, and working closely with the College Research and Innovation teams. Responsible for monitoring and overseeing the PET Facilities activities (including operational activity, usage and research grants), to provide management information, identify issues, providing solutions/recommendations for implementation.
- To act as a key point of contact for PET researchers, new and existing. As well as play a key role in signposting relevant expertise across the College and NHS to ensure project success.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9,10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent, including being professionally qualified in relevant area, with a broad range of professional experience in a management role(s).
- Knowledge of project management methodologies.
- Functional understanding of clinical and research imaging.
- Basic understanding of relevant clinical trial and medical device legislation.
- Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.
Desirable
- A PhD in a relevant area with independent research experience i.e. designing own research & writing peer reviewed papers.
- A working knowledge of relevant University policies and procedures.
- Knowledge of how to work effectively with the NHS.
- Legislative practice relevant to clinical imaging studies such as GCP, GMP, IRMER, legal and regulatory guidelines for clinical research.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to work across more than one organisation, understanding and responding to the different and changing needs of each organisation and lead and implement business process improvement delivery.
- Strong leadership skills combined with an ability to be highly organised and motivated to succeed.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, balance stakeholder expectations and resolve conflict.
- Broad people management skills and ability to influence and lead at all levels within the involved internal and external organisations.
- Negotiating skills. A proven track record in negotiating a way forward in a collaborative environment and securing agreement from the partner level teams.
- High level of competence with a range of computerised systems, databases and data sources to support project management; improve team communications, information and data dissemination.
- Able to prioritise own work and that of others under conflicting pressures.
Experience
Essential
- Research management experience managing multi-disciplinary collaborations with clinical domain experts and academic/NHS/Industry research functions.
- Management of complex projects and a track record of successful delivery against objectives.
- Experience of working in the technically complex areas of clinical or research imaging and across a range of management functions resolving issues arising.
- Experience in analysing financial data and providing management information with a high degree of accuracy.
- Experience of service design principles, process improvements and evaluation.
- Proven experience of developing operational plans to support delivery of strategic objectives.
Desirable
- Experience of line management of a small team of staff.
- Experience of event management, including leading teams in this respect.
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created a guide to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 23:45 on Wednesday 11th June 2025
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £49,559 - £57,422 per annum. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
This post is full time and open ended.
Informal enquiries may be directed to David Lewis, David.Lewis@glasgow.ac.uk
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability