Job overview
Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Our organisation brings together the very best in clinical, scientific and operational expertise, and displays in action the core values at the heart of our brand: science for life, collaboration for the benefit of everyone, and innovation and quality.
This vacancy is within the infection services department based in the recently opened centralised laboratory in Blackfriars, London. It provides a wide range of specialist and routine tests to both primary and secondary care. You will have the opportunity to work in the modern, newly designed and state of the art department. It has automated testing systems including two Keistra lines, Bruker Maldi-Tofs and Pheonix analysers, as well as molecular testing platforms for the diagnosis of enteric and fungal infections. It has large CL3 laboratory suites for TB and respiratory sample testing, and automated BD blood culture and TB systems.
The successful candidate will join a large team of Biomedical Scientists, Medical laboratory Assistants, Associate Practitioners and Clinical Scientists, producing, in excess of, one million test results per year. The department operates a 24/7 service, therefore the successful applicant will be required to work the early, core and shifts as required.
Main duties of the job
1. This role delivers specialist biomedical investigations and provides first line people management as part of the laboratory team in Synnovis. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will have a high level of responsibility, including leading in an area of expertise, to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives
2. Participate in the strategic development and service improvement of the analytical
service, be responsible for the implementation of new techniques, equipment, and tests, as directed including all verification and validation work. Where necessary this will include analysing clinical trial samples.
3. Working early, late and weekend shifts as required
4. Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including
5. Care Quality Commission
• UKAS
• Any other body in area of responsibility
6. 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
7. Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects, and in particular when communicating with people who do not share same level of knowledge or understanding
8. Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with the ISO 15189 standard.
Working for our organisation
Your development and learning
You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The ACCE competencies 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. For now, the job you are applying for will be based at one of our hospital sites however, from 1 April 2024 our people and services will start to move to our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.
Purpose of the Job
This role delivers specialist biomedical investigations and provides first line people management as part of the laboratory team in Synnovis. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will have a high level of responsibility, including leading in an area of expertise, to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives.
What you will do
You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:
9. Responsible for a specialist area, providing specialised technical scientific services and communicating complex information that will aid and determine clinical diagnosis
10. Contribute to the development of specialist investigations, identifying better ways of working and finding efficiencies in service delivery
11. Manage day-to-day staffing with the Operations Manager to ensure all resourcing needs are met, manage workflow and relevant training to meet turnaround times, cover bench work and where required supervise others as part of early or late or weekend shifts
12. Take part in other activities such as audits, training, and potentially clinical trials as required.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
13. BSC (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
14. HCPC State registration as a Biomedical Scientist
15. Specialist portfolio in Microbiology or equivalent experience (if HCPC Registration via IBMS Portfolio route) or FIBMS
16. MSc, FIBMS or equivalent experience in a similar role.
17. Evidence of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Desirable criteria
18. Quality or Management qualification
19. Willing to work towards higher levels of professional practice
20. IBMS membership
Experience
Essential criteria
21. Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and managing a team
22. Experience of supervising junior employees
23. Significant demonstrable discipline specific practical experience.
24. Lead in area of special interest and expertise in one or more areas of the laboratory, for example Quality, Health & Safety, Training or IT
Desirable criteria
25. Cultivating junior colleagues with skills in areas of interest or expertise such as Quality, Healthy & Safety, Training or IT.
26. Cultivating Specialist BMS with skills in research, clinical or analytical areas.
27. Acting as owner for escalation and communication to internal and external users in the event of quality/analyser/assay failures.
28. Line management experience
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
29. Demonstrates a high degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
30. Well developed physical skills, demonstrable ability to use precision equipment and consumables.
31. Manage the resolution of troubleshooting activity for highly technical and precision equipment and assays
32. Ability to troubleshoot and train those who use the Laboratory Information Management System
33. Ability to manage effectively in a changing dynamic environment with multiple conflicting priorities
34. Knowledge of effective line management techniques including all aspects of people management, for example recruitment and rota management
35. Ability to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time.
36. Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS.
37. Knowledge of the management of laboratory procedures in your own area, including following Health & Safety legislation and procedures.
Desirable criteria
38. Good awareness of current issues within pathology, both locally and nationally.
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:
39. Contributory pension scheme
40. Generous annual leave entitlement
41. 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.