Research and Trials Administrative… at University of… · United…

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant to join the MND-SMART clinical trial management team based in Edinburgh.

Grade UE04: £26,093 - £28,778 per annum

CMVM / Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-term: 2 years

The Opportunity:

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant to join the MND-SMART clinical trial management team based in Edinburgh.

MND SMART is the largest platform clinical drug trial for Motor Neuron Disease in Europe. The study is currently open across 26 sites in the four UK nations and has recruited over 1,000 participants. MND SMART has definitively tested three re-purposed drugs showing they are not effective in the slowing of MND, is currently testing other drugs and has plans in the next year to introduce more drug arms.

This role provides essential administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the UK’s largest MND clinical trial, operating across more than 25 sites. You will play a key role in supporting trial delivery, ensuring documentation is accurately prepared, maintained, and stored in line with strict ethical and MHRA regulatory requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in clinical trial management within a dynamic and fast-paced research environment.

The post-holder will also be part of the wider Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic team which leads on the delivery and development of research studies for people living with neurological conditions such as Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

This is 100% on-campus role, location: Edinburgh BioQuarter.

View the full job description here

Informal Enquiries are encouraged

For further information, please contact:

• Suvankar Pal, Chief Investigator (MND-SMART) – suvankar.pal@ed.ac.uk
• Judith Newton, Deputy Director, Anne Rowling Clinic – Judith.Newton@ed.ac.uk

How to apply

Please include the following documents in your application:

• CV

• Cover letter

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on ourright to work webpages.

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 28^th^ July 2026.

Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone.

About the Team

School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences

We host research and postgraduate training in neuroscience, cardiovascular, metabolic and psychiatric research. We are one of six schools in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and are home to the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research.

Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research Our institute fosters collaborative neuroscience, cardiovascular, metabolic and psychiatric research to tackle some of the world's most significant health challenges. Our research explores health and disease across the body and life course – from tiny changes in cells to the lived experience of patients. Together, we work to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of major health conditions including heart disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction, mental illness, dementia and neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Empowered by genetics, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence and clinical trials, our research seamlessly connects discovery science with clinical care.

Our work is internationally acclaimed, achieving 4* and world-leading classifications for the majority of our research, health and wealth impacts and research papers in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 assessment, the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

As part of driving progress in our core research areas, we host internationally leading research centres and state-of-the-art technologies:

• Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic
• British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Research Excellence
• Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention | CPSP
• Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research
• Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility
• Edinburgh Imaging
• Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory
• Medical Research Council/British Hearth Foundation Centre of Research Excellence in Advanced Cardiac Therapies
• MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research | MS Society
• Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre
• Patrick Wild Centre
• Row Fogo Centre for Research into Ageing and the Brain
• Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB)
• UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh
• UKRI Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry

Our institute community

Our researchers drive cutting-edge science, enabling our students and working hand in hand with our expert technical and professional services colleagues. We are committed to creating a collaborative, inclusive and welcoming community, where everyone feels supported, empowered and inspired to achieve their best.

Training and education We offer a wide range of postgraduate training opportunities. Students learn from world-class researchers, access outstanding facilities and get support to develop. Our graduates go on to successful careers in academia, research, healthcare and industry worldwide. Our colleagues are also leading contributors to undergraduate programmes.

About the Company

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.