Lead Technician - Analytical Microbiology

At North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, our main priority is providing safe and high-quality care to our patients every day; the kind of care we would want for ourselves and our loved ones. If you share our passion then apply for this opportunity and help us make our patients' experience the best it can possibly be.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital-based services to the population of Hartlepool, Stockton on Tees and parts of East Durham and Sedgefield as well as community, therapeutic and screening to a wider population across Durham and Teesside.

Stockton Quality Control Laboratory is an NHS service which is an MHRA Inspected contract laboratory. The laboratory provides a range of pharmaceutical testing services including analytical chemistry, microbiology, clean room testing, medical gas testing and theatre testing. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Lead Technician in Antimicrobial to support the ongoing development of the service. We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a Degree in Microbiology or a related field, with experience in a GMP environment to join our team working into our internal services.

Under the direction of the Head of Internal Services, the post holder is responsible for the co-ordination of workload in the analytical microbiology section to meet contracted turnarounds. This will require the supervision of Technicians along with Senior and Assistant Technical Officers in the analytical microbiology section of the laboratory along with performing a range of analytical tests on pharmaceutical microbiology test samples. As part of the role, the post holder is expected to have or develop an understanding of the principles of current Good Manufacturing Practice and Data Integrity Guidelines.

We want our organisation to be the best place to work with the right staff, in the right roles, at the right time, to ensure we deliver exceptional patient care and experience. We are an Active Hospital and strongly encourage participation of all staff and patients. We expect MECC for all our people interactions. We will support staff through providing an inclusive and supportive workplace with health and well-being initiatives, staff benefits and opportunities for personal and professional development. Staff recognition is very important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Star and Team of the month, colleague recognition - a note of thanks, Managers Awards, Shining Stars and Service Awards.

• To supervise and organise the work of Technicians, SATO's and Assistant Technical Officers working in the analytical microbiology section of the laboratory.
• To liaise with other Lead Technicians within Internal Services to ensure that resources are co-ordinated to the needs of the service.
• To perform a range of microbiological analyses on a variety of pharmaceutical and other samples using instrumental and classical microbiology techniques.
• Working with the Head Microbiologist to provide judgement on the result of analytical tests to staff and customers of the laboratory.
• To supervise and undertake the validation of microbiology kits and sterility test samples by challenge testing in accordance with laboratory procedures.
• To supervise the monitoring of incubation temperatures and storage conditions using the Tutela monitoring system.
• To plan the workload to ensure samples within the analytical microbiology section of the laboratory are tested in accordance with agreed procedures and within contracted turnarounds.
• To plan the workload and allocate staff within the Microbiology Identification Service and to ensure contracted turnarounds are met.
• To ensure that adequate stocks of consumables and equipment used in the microbiology section of the laboratory.
• To ensure that deviations, change controls and out of specification results are raised as appropriate according to local procedures within a timely manner and any required actions are acted upon.
• Author controlled documents as appropriate. Approve procedures, forms, methods and specifications as appropriate.

Experience

• Significant experience in a similar role in a similar environment.

Skills

• Organisational skills.
• Planning skills.
• Approachable and easy to talk to.
• Logical and calm.
• Polite and considered in responses to queries.
• Ability to deal with customers in a polite neutral and responsive way.
• Ability to represent the service in the best light.
• IT skills for documenting customer queries and planning the service - MS Excel and Word in particular.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances without flapping or sharing stress with customers.
• Innovative and ability to think of creative and efficient ways of documenting and planning.

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate well, putting people at ease and striking an immediate rapport.
• Flexible and adaptable.

Please be aware: Once sufficient applications have been received this vacancy may close early.

Disclosure and Barring Checks (DBS): It is the policy of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, that all successful candidates who are new to the Trust who require DBS clearance for the post they have been offered, are required to pay the cost for their DBS certificate.

Qualifications: Please note the essential qualifications required for the post are outlined within the Person Specification. You are required to provide original evidence of the necessary qualifications for the post at interview should you be shortlisted.

New Starters - Probationary Period: For any new employees commencing employment with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, you will be subject to satisfactory completion of a 6 month probationary period.

Employment References: As part of our pre-employment screening process, all applicants are required to provide references covering their last three years employment history including any gaps.

Working Hours: If the hours advertised for the post are up to full time (37.5 hours per week), applications are still welcomed from individuals who may be seeking to work less than full-time hours.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: The details in the Monitoring Information section of your application will be used for monitoring our recruitment process and will not be seen by the interview panel.

Right to Work in the UK: The Trust welcomes applications from all candidates who meet the criteria for the role.

Disability: The Trust gives full and fair consideration to applications for employment received from disabled people.

Armed Forces Covenant: As a supporter of the Armed Forces and an employer of Reservists, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust are proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Further Important Information: Please check your email on a regular basis for updates on your application.