Specialist Biomedical Scientist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist to join our Stem Cell and Cellular Therapy Laboratory. This is a highly specialised role within an established Haematology/Oncology stem cell transplant and cellular therapy programme. Working in an HTA-licensed and JACIE-accredited laboratory, you will help deliver a vital clinical service supporting patients receiving haematopoietic stem cell transplants and advanced cellular therapies.

The laboratory receives, tests, processes, stores and issues a wide range of cellular therapy products, including autologous and allogeneic haematopoietic progenitor cells. This includes products processed for cryopreservation, as well as fresh products issued directly for clinical use. The service also supports Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, including CAR-T and TIL therapies, through the production of starting materials and the storage and issue of final products for patient treatment.

This is not a routine bench-based or research laboratory post. You will work across clean room facilities, cryogenic storage areas, and clinical environments, including wards and apheresis areas, to collect and deliver cellular products. This provides a unique opportunity to see the direct impact of laboratory work on patient care and to play an essential role in the treatment pathway.

Main duties of the job:

• The post holder will participate in all aspects of the work of this specialist laboratory which provides a comprehensive service to the Haemato/Oncology transplant programme within the Trust.
• The cellular therapy laboratory team receives haematopoietic progenitor cells collected by apheresis, bone marrow and cord blood and processes and/or stores these for therapeutic use.
• Additionally, the laboratory calculates, processes and stores donor lymphocyte doses and is involved in clinical trials and treatments employing cellular therapies such as CAR-Ts.
• As a member of the laboratory team, the post holder will assist with cleaning and regular environmental testing of the clean room to ensure a suitable environment for the processing of stem cells and will also be involved in maintenance of the cryogenic facility.
• Traceability of cells from donor to recipient is of utmost importance so the post holder will be required to work with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• The post holder will liaise with stem cell transplant programme clinical and ward staff, and work closely with colleagues in Immunophenotyping who perform stem cell enumeration and Microbiology who read environmental testing plates and cultures.

The transplant programme is accredited by JACIE and holds a Human Tissue Authority licence for human application. The post holder will be expected to participate fully in meeting regulatory requirements and contribute to quality improvement within the department.

Working for our organisation:

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services.

We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital. At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That’s why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• To prepare for harvests expected to arrive in the laboratory.
• To collect harvested cells from the apheresis department or from theatres.
• To receive frozen products from cord banks or other transplant centres.
• To receive fresh cells collected from donor centres around the world.
• Receipt, testing, processing, cryopreservation, storage and issue of cellular therapy products.
• Working within clean room and controlled laboratory environments.
• Supporting the handling, storage and issue of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products.
• Maintaining compliance with HTA, JACIE and internal quality management requirements.
• Participating in cleaning, environmental monitoring, documentation, audits, equipment monitoring and quality improvement activities.
• Working closely with other healthcare scientists, clinical teams, nurses, pharmacists, transplant coordinators, pathology colleagues and the Immunophenotyping Laboratory.

We welcome applications from newly HCPC registered Biomedical Scientists. Previous experience in stem cell transplantation, cellular therapy, transfusion, haematology, immunology, histocompatibility, clean room work, GMP environments or other relevant diagnostic laboratory settings would be advantageous, but is not essential. Full training will be provided to candidates with the right scientific background, attention to detail and commitment to patient-focused care.

The role requires excellent communication skills, strong organisational ability, a commitment to quality and safety, and the ability to work accurately within highly regulated procedures. This is a rewarding opportunity to develop specialist skills in a growing and innovative area of laboratory medicine, while contributing directly to life-changing treatments for patients.

Person specification:

• Education/Qualifications: First degree in Biomedical Science or equivalent, HCPC Registration.
• Experience: Demonstrable experience of working in a routine diagnostic or stem cell laboratory, evidence of transferrable skills relevant to the post, experience of working as part of a team, experience of working in a clean room.
• Skills/Abilities/Knowledge: Exceptional organisational ability, able to work with meticulous attention to detail, knowledge and understanding of the role and requirements of regulatory bodies including HTA and JACIE, ability to write clearly, precisely and grammatically.
• Theoretical knowledge of stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies.
• Other Essential Requirements: Understanding of governance procedures, ability to represent appropriate departmental/Trust image.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application. All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff: At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.