Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Are you a Biomedical Scientist ready to progress to a senior role? Do you have an interest in mass spectrometry and like to work in central London? Then this could be the role for you. Mass Spectrometry is used across our department to deliver newborn screening for the southeast Thames region, diagnosis and monitoring of inherited metabolic diseases including purine metabolism and some therapeutic drug monitoring. The laboratory is equipped with tandem mass spectrometers, gas chromatography mass spectrometers and high-performance liquid chromatography analysers.

Our department is split across two sites, the Hub laboratory at Blackfriars and a satellite mass spectrometry lab located at Denmark Hill. You will be part of a small team of seniors managing the day-to-day running of the laboratories. The post will involve working with highly qualified staff and motivated scientists. Within this role, you will also work closely with our clinical teams providing a unique insight into the management of patients. Applicants must have HCPC registration and a higher-level qualification.

Main duties of the job

As a Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist, the post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Laboratory. The focus of this role is to ensure the efficient delivery of high-quality screening, diagnostic and monitoring services to achieve the objectives of efficient and effective patient care and resource management within the hospital. This role seeks to achieve this by the effective line management of a team of Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants. The post holder will be required to:

• Train and motivate staff to meet service requirements and turnaround times
• Line manage several staff of varying grades
• Communicate effectively with senior staff and clinicians
• Undertake analytical, technical and administrative duties, including troubleshooting to ensure reliable service delivery
• Undertake their responsibilities to meet all required national standards e.g. UKAS
• When necessary, the post holder may be required to deputise for a more senior colleague
• Assist staff completing registration and specialist portfolios

About us

You will have access to 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.

Job 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. The post is based in the Biochemical Sciences department within Synnovis Analytics Reference Services which is currently migrating most of the routine service to the Synnovis Hub laboratory in Blackfriars. This is a unique opportunity for an individual with the appropriate technical skills, leadership and initiative to gain experience in a specialist area of laboratory medicine and contribute to the efficient delivery of specialist services.

Reporting to the Principal Biomedical Scientist or 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. You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for a specialist area, providing specialised technical scientific services and communicating complex information that will aid and determine clinical diagnosis.
• Contribute to the development of specialist investigations, identifying better ways of working and finding efficiencies in service delivery.
• 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.
• Take part in other activities such as audits, training, and potentially clinical trials as required.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse samples in line with local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including but not limited to recording results and necessary action on the Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), ensuring all Information Governance (IG) requirements are met.
• Maintain standards of conduct required by the HCPC to practice as a registered Biomedical Scientist.
• Provide technical advice to clinical colleagues as required and within limits of competency.
• 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.
• Ensure all incidents and events are correctly reported by junior staff in Q-Pulse quality management database and other relevant software and support them in learning quality procedures and investigations.
• In conjunction with the Quality team, monitor, report and action errors, hazards, and incidents logged in the CAPA module of Q-Pulse. This may include taking part in investigations of incidents and providing expert insight into making improvements based on outcomes.
• Participate in appropriate clinical audits as required and directed.
• Monitor, and report on EQA and IQC procedures and be responsible for correcting problems that have been identified.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including: Care Quality Commission, UKAS, Synnovis policies and SOPs, and any other body in area of responsibility.
• Provide supervision for all employees, including participating in early, late and weekend shifts if necessary and as required.
• 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.
• Encourage junior employees in their scientific expertise, knowledge and professional development, including the safe use of highly complex and sensitive equipment.
• Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with the ISO 15189 standard.
• Demonstrate ongoing laboratory-based competency against training plans.
• Ensure that all Synnovis policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.
• Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects, and in particular when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding.
• Attend, and where required, chair regular departmental meetings and contribute to effective communication within the department.
• Work closely with Operations Manager to ensure stock inventory compliance.
• Deputise for the Operations Manager including attendance at meetings, as required.
• Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always relevant and up to date to your specific area.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London. The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services. The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UK's leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. Kings has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career. Over the last 170 years, Kings has delivered nothing but world-class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.

The Hub

The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors. Based in Blackfriars, it is less than a 5-minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and neatly close to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
• HCPC State registration as a Biomedical Science Specialist portfolio in relevant discipline or in FIBMS
• MSc, FIBMS or equivalent experience in a similar role
• Specialist portfolio in relevant discipline or equivalent experience (if HCPC Registration via IBMS Portfolio route) or FIBMS Quality or Management qualification
• IBMS Membership

Experience

• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, co-ordinating and managing a team
• Experience in and ability to supervise analysis, interpretation and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist results
• Lead in area of special interest and expertise in one or more areas of the laboratory, for example Quality, Health & Safety, Training or IT
• Specialist BMS with skills in research, clinical or analytical areas
• Experience in Mass spectrometry
• Experience in inherited metabolic diseases or newborn screening
• Experience in reference chemistry
• Experience with manual extraction techniques

Skills and Knowledge

• Manage the resolution of troubleshooting activity for highly technical and precision equipment and assays
• Knowledge of relevant techniques used in Biochemical Sciences

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience £56,276 to £63,176 per annum depending on experience.