Scientific Officer

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Scientific Officer to join our team in our laboratory, with a starting salary of £26,000 per annum. This is a full time role working 8am – 4pm Monday – Friday.

Below covers everything you need to know about what this opportunity entails, as well as what is expected from applicants.

At Future Health Biobank we are passionate about protecting the future health of children. Our focus is in two main areas: stem cell banking and genomics.

We are the largest stem cell bank in the UK and have been established for over 20 years.

We now have a vacancy for a Scientific Officer to join our team.

Scientific officers are responsible for performing clean room equipment calibration according to the defined schedule, confirming that equipment is operating as per specified requirements before use, which ensures the accuracy of data being generated. Scientific officers perform procedures including the aseptic processing of samples within clean room environments involving cord blood volume reduction processing, cell culture, sterility testing and flow cytometry in accordance with standard operating procedures, guaranteeing that our client’s samples are processed and stored to the highest standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Sample Processing

Aseptic processing of cord blood samples within the clean room

Aseptic processing of cord tissue samples within the clean room

Aseptic processing of tooth samples within the clean room

Donor blood serology and PCR testing

Ensuring environmental monitoring plates are incubated as per defined procedures and recording results

Performing flow cytometry analysis on cord blood, cord tissue and dental pulp samples

Perform cord tissue sterility testing

Perform cord tissue post-thaw quality control testing

Perform dental pulp post-thaw quality control testing

Daily equipment monitoring and laboratory set-up

Set-up of clean room equipment and environment prior to use

Report any equipment faults immediately to the Laboratory Manager

Replenish clean room consumables and report any low stock levels to Laboratory Manager

External Qualification Programs (EQA)

Testing of flow cytometry samples, microbiology, serology, PCR, blood analysis and ABO for the EQA program

Periodic facility/equipment maintenance and calibration

Environmental monitoring of clean room areas

Quality Management System

To recognise the regulatory requirements for procurement, processing, testing, storage and disposal of human samples by reading, understanding and acknowledging the company policies and high-level documents assigned on Qpulse

To recognise the procedure requirements for processing, testing, storage and disposal of human samples by reading, understanding and acknowledging the standard operating procedures (SOPs) assigned on Qpulse

Ensuring the accuracy and validity of sample data generated through completion of equipment calibration and adherence to SOPs

Ensuring the traceability of all samples through confirmation of sample codes and adherence to SOPs

Raising of deviations for investigation by the Laboratory Manager

Updating SOPs as per the change control procedure to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Qualifications & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in a scientific subject or a minimum of two years equivalent experience

Good written and verbal communication skills

Good computer literacy

Attention to detail

Ability to work as part of a team and independently

Ability to follow and adhere to written standard operating procedures

Terms & Benefits:

37.5 hours per week,

Salary of £26,000 per annum,

25 days holiday