Job overview
We are looking for top talent to join the UK’s leading and fastest and growing pathology company – a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose. Working in partnership with our service partners, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, King’s College Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and local CCG networks, we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.
Are you looking for the next step in scientific leadership that gives you autonomy to oversee delivery of Training and Health and Safety within a growing division, and develop skills in strategic, and operational problem solving, as well as supporting a team of staff to grow and maintain an Infection Sciences Department in central London?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, highly motivated and ambitious professional to take on the role of Principal Biomedical Scientist-Training and Health& Safety Manager. This is a high profile, challenging and rewarding leadership role within Infection Sciences with an emphasis on transformation, innovation, achieving operational and financial performance, and improving staff wellbeing. This role offers significant exposure to senior leadership across the organisation including within our partner organisations.
We are looking for a dynamic individual who can demonstrate initiative and a commitment to improving and delivering a high-quality service through their experience of scientific and operational delivery in Infection and collaborative leadership and solution focused thinking. Reporting to the Operations Services Lead you will provide strategic and operational leadership, for a service that is of significant clinical importance to our Stakeholders, our patients.
Main duties of the job
The Principal Biomedical Scientist is responsible for providing leadership of staff and services within Infection services, including ensuring that all staff and services deliver agreed standards of excellence, meeting agreed key performance indicators, Quality and Health and Safety objectives. They will have responsibility for the overall effective and efficient management of staff within the service, being responsible for maintaining competencies and driving staff development. To be an active member of the Infection sciences divisional senior team which includes managers, Clinicians and Scientists, contributing to the strategic direction and decision making on operational matters.
We will work with you on a mentoring and development plan to ensure that your personal development is a priority, setting you up for success.
Working for our organisation
Your development and learning
You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.
Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London. The job you are applying for will be based at our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, however some work will remain in the refurbished essential services laboratories (ESLs) across our hospital network which includes The Royal Brompton and Harefield Trust, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College Hospital at Denmark Hill and King’s College Hospital at The Princess Royal Hospital in Orpington, which will focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.
You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Plan, organise and manage teams of Biomedical Scientists with a diverse range of skills, knowledge, and experience, performing biomedical analyses and processes. Ensure a high-quality standard of service delivery, meeting key performance indicators.
2. Provide professional leadership to Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientists, Specialist Biomedical Scientists, Biomedical Scientists, Trainee Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants
3. Provide an expert level of technical and operational knowledge to the laboratory services in Synnovis. This means being responsible for, and ensuring that, specialist training is delivered to scientific staff and support workers and other healthcare professionals.
4. Provide expert technical advice and highly specialist information in your area of responsibility to clinical and other healthcare professions where patient care might be affected.
5. Analyse samples in line with local practices including but not limited to recording results and necessary action on the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), ensuring all Information Governance (IG) requirements are met.
6. Ensure all staff are following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe use of laboratory equipment in accordance with manufactures’ guidance.
7. Participate in the strategic development of the analytical service. Participate in the introduction and implementation of new techniques, equipment and tests to realise patient and corporate benefits.
8. Ensure all staff are trained in new techniques, equipment, and tests, as directed.
9. Be responsible for the Training and Development of all Infection Sciences staff including management of scientific portfolios
10. Participate in continuous service improvement initiatives
11. Provide expert technical advice and specialist scientific information to clinicians as to the appropriateness of tests, timescales and guidance as required.
12. Be an ambassador for your area of expertise, presenting at conferences and seminars to share developments, innovations and training.
13. Ensure all Health and Safety incidents and events are correctly reported by junior staff in Q-Pulse quality management data base and other relevant software and support them in learning health and safety procedures and investigations.
14. In conjunction with the Quality team, supervise the monitoring, reporting and actions of errors, hazards, and incidents logged in the CAPA module of Q-Pulse. This may include taking part in investigations of incidents and providing expert insight into making improvements based on outcomes.
15. Participate in appropriate clinical audits as required.
16. Manage Health & Safety in Infection Sciences including documentation, training and compliance with all regulations.
17. Ensure compliance with all legislative and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including: Care Quality Commission UKAS Synnovis policies and SOPs Any other body in area of responsibility
18. Line manage employees, as required. This includes delivering all aspects of people management, such as recruitment, performance management, absence management, learning and development, employee health and wellbeing.
19. Encourage junior employees in their scientific expertise, knowledge and professional development, including the safe use of highly complex and sensitive equipment.
20. Review and authorise relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with the ISO 15189 standard.
21. Ensure that all Synnovis policies and procedures are implemented and maintained and where necessary propose policy and service changes.
22. Attend, and where required, chair regular departmental meetings including those for Training and Health & Safety and contribute to effective communication within the department.
23. Deputise for the Operations Managers in all areas including attendance at meetings, as required.
24. Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always relevant and up to date to your specific area.
Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across Southeast London.
The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in Southeast London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
The Hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis’ corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.
Based in Blackfriars, it’s less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
25. BSc (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
26. HCPC State registration as a Biomedical Scientist
27. Specialist portfolio in relevant discipline or equivalent experience (if HCPC Registration via IBMS Portfolio route)
28. MSc, FIBMS or equivalent experience in a similar role
29. Evidence of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Desirable criteria
30. Higher professional qualification
31. Training, Health and Safety or Management qualification
32. Willing to work towards higher levels of professional practice
33. IBMS membership
Experience
Essential criteria
34. Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, co-ordinating and managing a team
35. Significant expert discipline specific practical experience
36. Experience in the education of scientific principles relevant to specialism at an expert level
37. Significant experience in analysis, interpretation and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist results
Desirable criteria
38. Cultivating junior colleagues with skills in areas of specialty
39. Cultivating Specialist and Senior BMS with skills in research, clinical or analytical areas
40. Acting as owner for escalation and communication to internal and external service users in the event of health and safety issues
41. Experience of registration and specialist portfolio management
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
42. Awareness and understanding of current trends in field of expertise
43. Good awareness of current issues within Pathology locally and nationally
44. Demonstrates an expert degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
45. Well-developed physical skills, expert ability to use precision equipment and consumables
46. Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS
47. Ability to translate complex information to colleagues at all levels including clinicians
Desirable criteria
48. Skilled in the field of continuous service improvement
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. All applicants are welcome to apply regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.
For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.
All employees are entitled to:
49. Contributory pension scheme
50. Generous annual leave entitlement
51. Ground breaking development
opportunities
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.