Senior Biomedical Scientist (Dissection) in Kidlington

Laboratory Based; Kidlington, Oxford, UK. Travel may be very rarely required, on an ad hoc basis. Step into Diagnexia’s cutting-edge digital pathology environment where innovation meets purpose. Working for us means taking a step into a forward-thinking, digitally-driven diagnostic laboratory at the forefront of diagnostic innovation. At the heart of our laboratory is a passionate team dedicated to advancing healthcare. For you this means working alongside open, skilled colleagues who inspire growth and learning every day. You're part of a vibrant team, where your ideas matter and your contributions make a real difference to healthcare.

Why Senior Biomedical Scientists Join Diagnexia

• Competitive salary - We offer above NHS pay scales, recognising the expertise you bring.
• Annual pay progression - Performance-based salary increases that reward your impact, not just your years in role.
• UK relocation support allowance - Moving across the UK to Oxford? We offer a relocation bonus to make your transition easier.
• Private healthcare & pension - Comprehensive support for your wellbeing, now and in the future.
• Holiday entitlement that grows with you - Earn additional annual leave the longer you’re with us.
• Clear pathways for career growth - Structured development plans, regular reviews, and fast-track progression opportunities.
• A genuinely supportive team culture - You’ll join our collaborative lab environment where your voice is heard, and your experience is respected.

Role Summary

As a Senior Biomedical Scientist (Dissection) at Diagnexia, you will play a pivotal role in our fully digitised pathology laboratory. You're expected to be visible beyond your own workload, driving quality, supporting lab teams, and delivering a high-quality service.

What you will do:

• Undertake dissection for Category A-C & evolving to occasional D&E complex specimen types as our service evolves.
• Act as technical reference for junior staff (e.g MLA, BMS etc) on dissection.
• Supervise the performance of MLA, BMA & others within the laboratory, as required to ensure timely delivery of laboratory targets.
• Lead or co-lead internal audit cycles and UKAS/ISO 15189 readiness activity.
• Design and deliver in-house training and competency assessments.
• Develop and maintain the standard operating procedures for use within our laboratory in accordance with relevant regulatory standards including RCPath guidelines.
• Deputise for the BMS Lead or Lab Manager for operational matters during planned absence, if needed.
• Provide specialist advice to service users.

The role also includes:

• Inventory and Operations: Monitor and manage stock of reagents, supplies, and consumables to ensure uninterrupted laboratory operations.
• Method Development: Collaborate with Dissection Lead, Senior BMS (Dissection) and leadership to develop and validate dissection procedures across different complexity levels.
• Quality and Compliance: Ensure QC and QA procedures are followed, escalating issues to the laboratory or quality manager as needed. Adhere to all regulatory requirements including GDPR and UKAS, and maintain strict patient and data confidentiality at all times.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate records of all testing activities including sample tracking and procedures. Produce clear, concise reports for pathologists, clinical trial managers, data scientists, and other stakeholders.
• Other ad hoc duties as may be required from time to time.

Training required for the role: May include ISMS, GLP, DocuSign and GDPR awareness.

Reporting and Leadership: Develop and present reports at relevant meetings. Facilitate and chair laboratory section or departmental meetings as required.

People and Training: Participate in staff interviews, selection, (and appraisals) if needed. Develop and maintain competency training documents in line with regulatory standards. Deliver and evaluate staff training and competencies, and support CPD across the team.

Research and Development: Contribute to research activities that advance tissue labelling, digitisation, and analysis techniques.

Additional Responsibilities: Maintain a valid HCPC registration and CPD portfolio at all times. Work within Diagnexia SOPs and relevant RCPath/UKAS/ISO 15189 standards.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Currently HCPC registered as a Biomedical Scientist - (Mandatory) This must be maintained on a continual basis if successful.
• Bsc in Biomedical Science or Equivalent (Mandatory).
• Proof of CPD and competency required.
• Completed IBMS Diploma of Expert Practice in Dissection OR a Masters Degree (must hold one of the other - Mandatory).
• Minimum of 4+ years post-registration experience in a UK based, UKAS accredited Histopathology / Cellular Pathology Lab (Mandatory).
• Strong Specimen dissection experience - Category A-C experience as a minimum. Experience in Category D&E a huge bonus.
• Experience in Special stains, Embedding, Microtome, cutting sections. (Mandatory).
• Ability or experience mentoring and supervising Lab staff (Mandatory).
• Ideally have experience in preparation for UKAS audits.
• Solid technical and scientific judgement. You know how to act decisively when results do not behave as expected.
• You are comfortable operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting laboratory equipment, relevant to your role (e.g AFOS bench & tissue processors).
• You have the capability to develop, validate, and optimise laboratory methods, and take pride in doing it well.
• You enjoy working with data, and feel confident using statistical and visualisation tools to make sense of complex findings and share them clearly.
• You have a good grasp of QC and QA principles and take genuine pride in maintaining high standards in a busy laboratory environment.
• Ability to work rotational weekend as or if needed.

Whether you have hands-on experience in digital pathology or are eager to grow into it, we would love to hear from you.

Core competencies we look for:

• Communication: You communicate complex science clearly and confidently in English, both in writing and in person, for any audience.
• Collaboration: This is how you do your best work. You build genuine relationships across laboratory teams, physicians, and healthcare professionals, and people enjoy working with you.
• Ownership: You own your work. No waiting to be managed, no deflecting when things go wrong. You close the gap between what is assigned and what actually needs doing.
• Deliver Consistently: You execute. Ideas are not scarce, execution is. You move decisively, prioritise by impact, and do not let perfect block progress.
• Pay attention to detail: Mistakes have real impact for patients. You have a sharp eye for detail, catching the small things others miss and knowing why they matter.
• Stay Curious: You stay curious. Not chasing trends, but genuinely motivated to improve your craft and the processes around you, even when no one is asking.
• Care about end patient impact: You bring your own ambition into alignment with our mission. Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is its absence.
• Work well with others: You communicate with intent. In a distributed team, how you share information, handle disagreement, and give feedback matters as much as the content itself.
• Stay Adaptable: Change is constant here. If you treat setbacks as data rather than verdicts, you will thrive.

The above Job Description reflects the requirements of this position at time of issue. As duties and responsibilities change and develop, this will be reviewed and may be subject to amendments. Deciphex is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to the principle of equality. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, religious beliefs, political views, gender identity, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, family or marital status (including pregnancy), disability, membership of the travelling community or any other classification protected by applicable law.