Job summary
We are delighted to be able to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated, ambitious individual to join our well integrated team.

The successful candidate will already have experience of the rheumatology speciality and a desire to develop further knowledge and skills in the discipline. In particular they will have significant experience of working with patients with inflammatory arthritis and related conditions. They will be curious with a strong desire to pursue research into these conditions and must be a strong and conscientious team player.

This post is to commence ASAP / November 2026 for 12 months.

In addition to the challenges of the role, we can offer you a commitment to teaching, education, research and audit.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Main duties of the job
To contribute to a number of early phase clinical trials, including of a novel advanced therapy that is being conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. The role will involve identification and consenting of participants for the trial, and overseeing trial activities including leukapheresis, administration of test product and follow-up. Another trial involves participants with sarcopenia, testing a novel compound with a potential effect on muscle. There will also be the opportunity to perform some of your own research and to learn interventional procedures such as muscle biopsy and lymph node aspiration.

For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact: Professor John Isaacs, via email: john.isaacs@newcastle.ac.uk

About us
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We're also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients 'contacts' each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Details
Date posted: 20 October 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Doctor - other
Salary: £67,325 to £67,998 a year per annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 317-TD-26-252
Job locations: Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• Clinical: Supporting the inflammatory arthritis consultant team, primarily for participant identification and recruitment
• Attending audit and clinical governance meetings
• Learning relevant practical procedures
• Administrative: Trial-related activities screening logs, collection and documentation of relevant clinical trial data according to GCP principles
• Research: Achieve GCP certification
• Develop deep understanding of relevant study protocols
• Oversee and co-ordinate end-to-end activities in relation to clinical trials participant identification, screening, consenting and subsequent trial activities
• Interaction with the sponsor team(s) to co-ordinate trial activities and product administration. Attend investigator calls and complete relevant administrative and trial-related documentation
• There may be opportunities to develop your own research ideas
• Teaching: Occasional, as required
• Flexibility: Within the requirements of the clinical trial protocol and activities, flexible working is possible in this post

In line with the Trusts core value of placing patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing our service provision to be responsive to the needs of our patients. To meet those needs some staff groups will be increasingly asked to work a more flexible work pattern so that they can offer services in the evening or weekend. As a result any offer of employment to a consultant post will be subject to you agreeing to work a new more flexible pattern or working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.

Person Specification
Essential: Primary Medical Qualification; Full GMC registration with a licence to practise; Good history and examination skills; Able to formulate a working diagnosis; Able to order appropriate investigations; Image interpretation relevant to practice; Knows when to appropriately seek assistance from a senior colleague; An understanding of Clinical Governance; Ability to run a service and participate in management process; Strong organisation and project management skills; Experience of supervising junior staff; Ability to teach clinical skills; Experience of audit projects; Ability to communicate and liaise effectively with patients and other people within a team; Ability to work as a team with professional colleagues in all disciplines.
Desirable: Intercalated degree, e.g. BSc; Experience of complex rheumatological conditions; Experience of practical procedures such as skin biopsy, muscle biopsy, lymph node aspiration, synovial biopsy; Practical experience of musculoskeletal ultrasound; Good clinical judgement in stressful situations; An understanding of advanced therapies; Proven management and administration ability; Understanding of management goals; Evidence of leadership / project management; Evidence of having implemented change; GCP certification; Understanding of GCP; Understanding of the fundamentals of clinical trials; Ability to explain complex concepts to both clinical and lay audiences; Experience of taking consent.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us

For questions about the job, contact: HR Advisor, Louise Scorfield, Louise.Scorfield@nhs.net

Closing date: 27 October 2026

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