Project Coordinator –
HPV in head and neck cancer
Job Description and Person Specification
The successful appointee to this position will join the research team at the National Cancer
Registry Ireland (NCR). This document provides information about the NCR, the CERVIVA
research collaboration, the post and the requirements for the position.
About the National Cancer Registry
The NCR was established by the Minister for Health in 1991. It is funded by the Department of
Health.
The functions of the NCR are:
 to identify, collect, classify, record, store, and analyse information relating to the incidence
and prevalence of cancer and related tumours in Ireland.
 to promote and facilitate the use of the data collected, through approved research, and in the
planning and management of services.
 to publish an Annual Report based on the activities of the Registry.
 to furnish advice, information and assistance in relation to any aspect of such service to the
Minister.
Number of employees: 51
Website of the National Cancer Registry: www.ncri.ie
Terms and Conditions
Job Title:
Project Coordinator: HPV in head and neck cancer
Reporting To:
Director of the NCR (Dr Harry Comber)
Hours:
37 hours per week full-time equivalent
Salary:
Salary will be in accordance with Department of Health grade V
(€40,209 - €48,496) including long service increments
Contract:
This is a specified purpose contract with an estimated duration of 6 months fulltime equivalent. The post is available immediately as a full time appointment
(for 6 months) or a part-time (50% time; 18.5 hours per week) appointment for
12 months.
Probation:
A probationary period of 3 months will apply.
Notice:
One month notice in writing is required.
Annual Leave: 29 days per annum.
Confidentiality: Staff are bound by the provisions of the Data Protection Acts and must
preserve strict confidentiality concerning all identifiable information of which
they become aware of during the course of their work. The confidentiality
guidelines of the Registry must be read and signed by all officers, and breach
of these guidelines will be sufficient grounds for dismissal.
Location:
The post is based in Cork, Ireland. There will be travel within Ireland related to
the conduct of study and meetings of the CERVIVA collaboration.
Grievance &
These will be as agreed between management and staff.
Disciplinary Procedures.
The terms of any relevant agreements concerning this grade between the Department of Health
and the Unions representing staff at the Registry will apply.
Research at the National Cancer Registry
The post-holder will join the research group at the NCR. This group currently comprises 11 staff
members (including an epidemiologist, four data analysts/statisticians, two health economists
and several project co-ordinators), and PhD student.
The primary aim of the NCR research programme is to provide information which will help
reduce the cancer burden, through understanding of
 aetiology and risk factor prevalence;
 stage distribution of cancer and factors affecting this, including screening;
 patterns of care, their determining factors and results and patient experience;
 outcomes of cancer care, including patient-reported outcomes and long-term sequelae of
cancer (survivorship), survival and economic burden (on the health services, patients
and society).
More information about the registry research programme, and individual projects, can be found
on the website: www.ncri.ie.
CERVIVA – The Irish Cervical Screening Research Consortium
CERVIVA - the Irish Cervical Screening Research Consortium - was established in 2005. It was
initially funded by the Health Research Board health services research award scheme to
perform high quality research in the area of cervical screening in Ireland. The overarching aim of
CERVIVA is to support CervicalCheck, the Irish Cervical Screening Programme, to ensure the
provision of high quality cervical cancer screening services for women living in Ireland.
CERVIVA is a multi-investigator collaboration encompassing researchers at across several Irish
universities, hospitals and international commercial diagnostic/ biotechnology companies. The
NCR has been a partner in CERVIVA since its inception. The consortium has effectively
bridged the gap between academic research and health services and clinical practice.
Since its establishment, CERVIVA has grown in capacity and expanded its research portfolio,
with additional funding through The Irish Cancer Society, Friends of the Coombe Hospital, and
the European FP7 framework programme. The current post is funded through another large
grant from the HRB, known as a Collaborative Applied Research Grant.
Further information about CERVIVA and its research can be found on the consortium website:
www.cerviva.ie
Background to the post
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the single most important aetiological agent in the pathogenesis
of cervical cancer and pre-cancer. It is increasingly recognised that HPV is causally implicated in
other cancers, including head and neck cancer. The incidence of head and neck cancer, and
more specifically oropharyngeal cancer, has been increasing over the last decade. An average
of 411 cases are now diagnosed annually in Ireland. Oropharyngeal carcinoma is increasing in
younger age groups and among females, who are less likely to have strong tobacco or alcohol
histories, suggesting the importance of HPV in these cohorts. In the US, approximately 35% of
oropharyngeal tumours are HPV-positive. The prevalence of HPV in other head and neck
cancers – notably those of the oral cavity and larynx – is less firmly established. In addition, it is
unclear whether the survival advantage associated with HPV-positivity in some clinical series
and trials persists at the population-level. In this project, CERVIVA will extend its scope into
HPV associated cancers beyond the cervix, by generating the first data on HPV prevalence and
genotype distribution, and associations between HPV status and outcome, in head and neck
cancers in Ireland. The post-holder will have responsibility for co-ordinating this study on the
epidemiology of HPV in head and neck cancer in Ireland.
Job description
The primary responsibility of the post-holder will be to secure access to pathological specimens
from head and neck cancer cases across Ireland. These specimens will subsequently be tested
for HPV status at the CERVIVA laboratory in the Coombe Hospital, Dublin; the post-holder will
not have responsibility for the HPV testing or subsequent data analysis.
The project protocol has already been developed in liaison with collaborating pathologists, and
ethical approval is in place from several hospitals. The post-holder will, therefore, be responsible
for the day-to-day implementation of the project. Her/his specific responsibilities will be to:
 identify potentially eligible cases of head and neck cancer in Ireland by liaison with other
registry staff, clinicians and pathologists;
 establish a database to track cases and samples throughout the project;
 contact clinicians and pathologists in hospitals across Ireland to arrange access to
formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, biopsy and/or resection specimens from eligible
patients and transport of these to the Coombe Hospital;
 contact patients to obtained consent for access to their specimens;
 act as point of contact for any outstanding ethical and data protection issues/queries
from ethics committees, collaborating centres, etc;
 maintain an up-to-date overview of the literature on HPV and head and neck cancer;
 participate in meetings for this project and the CERVIVA consortium;
 undertake other related duties as required.
Person Specification
Essential qualifications and experience
The successful candidate must have a third level qualification in healthcare or an allied
discipline, a RGN or equivalent nursing qualification, or be educated to degree level in health
sciences, social sciences or a related subject. S/he must have worked in the health services for
at least two years and be familiar with medical terminology. Experience of Microsoft WORD and
database software is essential.
Desirable experience and training
Experience of working/liaising with clinicians/pathologists, handling specimens and/or
knowledge of cancer diagnosis and treatment would be advantageous. Experience of
population-based research projects, involving primary data collection, would be desirable.
Experience of some of the following would also be desirable:
 project management;
 recruiting patients to research studies;
 abstracting information from medical records;
 computer systems used in hospitals in Ireland;
 handling confidential information/data;
 developing databases;
 Microsoft ACCESS.
Personal qualities
The successful appointee must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. S/he
must be able to establish good working relationships with hospital staff from a diverse range of
disciplines (including clinicians, pathologists and medical records departments) and with other
members of the multidisciplinary CERVIVA team.
S/he must also be able to demonstrate the following:
 the ability to plan and manage her/his own workload;
 the ability to work with a minimum of supervision;
 appreciation of data confidentiality and data protection issues;
 excellent attention to detail, including scrupulous concern for accuracy;
 a flexible approach, including a willingness to travel as required;
 ability to meet targets within define time frames; and
 persistence and an ability to solve problems.
Other requirements
The post will involve travel to hospitals across Ireland. The post-holder must be willing to work
outside normal hours if required. S/he must hold a full driving licence and have her/his own
transport to meet the mobility requirements of the post. (Costs of travel for the purposes of the
project will be reimbursed).
Application Procedure
Applications in the form of a CV (three copies), plus a covering letter describing how your
qualifications and experience make you suitable for the post together with the names of at least
two referees should be submitted to:
Human Resources Officer
National Cancer Registry Ireland
Building 6800
Cork Airport Business Park
Kinsale Road
Cork, IRELAND
Applications by email will not be accepted.
Closing date for receipt of applications: 12 midday on Monday 26th October 2015.
The National Cancer Registry Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.