Genetic Counselor

King's College Hospital London; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

King s College Hospital London UAE seeks a Genetic Counselor to deliver comprehensive genetic counselling for pediatric and adult patients. You will assess risks from family histories, explain testing options, and provide psychosocial support within a multidisciplinary team.

The role includes newborn genome screening involvement and collaboration with neurology, oncology, obstetrics, cardiology, and more. English fluency is essential; DHA license desirable.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or related field in genetics.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in genetic counseling.
• Fluency in English is essential; Arabic is advantageous.
• DHA license certification or registration desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver comprehensive genetic counselling for pediatric and adult patients.
• Interpret personal and family medical histories to assess risk.
• Explain testing options and results with clear communication.
• Provide psychosocial support throughout the patient journey.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams across specialties.

Skills

Genetic counseling

English fluency

Communication

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Patient education

Education

Master's Degree in Genetic Counselling

DHA license desirable

Genomic medicine knowledge

Job description

The Genetic Counselor is responsible for providing comprehensive genetic counseling services across both pediatric and adult patient populations at King s College Hospital London UAE. The post holder will support patients, families, and healthcare professionals through the assessment, interpretation, and communication of genetic and genomic information enabling informed healthcare and reproductive decision-making. The role involves evaluating personal and family medical histories, assessing genetic risk, facilitating genetic testing pathways, explaining test results, and providing psychosocial support throughout the patient journey. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the Genetic Counselor will collaborate closely with pediatric and adult specialists including neurology, pediatrics, oncology, obstetrics & maternal-fetal medicine, fertility medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, and other relevant specialties. The post holder will contribute to the delivery and development of clinical genomic services, support patient education and service promotion initiatives, participate in audit, quality improvement and research activities, and ensure that genetic counseling practice is delivered in accordance with professional, ethical, regulatory and organizational standards. The role encompasses both inpatient and outpatient services and contributes to the growth of genomic medicine services across the organization.

Key Accountabilities

Genetic Counselling Outpatient Services

• Deliver comprehensive genetic counselling services to pediatric and adult patients referred for genetic and genomic evaluation
• Obtain and interpret detailed personal, developmental, medical and family histories to assess inherited disease risk
• Facilitate informed decision-making regarding genetic and genomic investigations
• Communicate complex genetic information in a clear, compassionate and culturally sensitive manner
• Provide psychosocial support to patients and families before, during and after genetic testing
• Develop individualized management and follow-up plans in collaboration with referring clinicians

Newborn Genome Screening Program

• Support the delivery and expansion of the hospital's newborn genome screening program
• Provide pre-test education and counselling to parents regarding the scope, benefits, limitations and potential outcomes of genomic screening
• Deliver post-test counselling and facilitate understanding of screening results including positive, uncertain, secondary and incidental findings
• Coordinate referrals to appropriate specialties and allied health services when clinically indicated
• Contribute to patient education materials and genomic literacy initiatives related to newborn screening

Clinical Genomics and Rare Disease Services

• Support genomic evaluation of patients with suspected genetic neurodevelopmental, metabolic, neurological, cardiovascular and multisystem disorders
• Assist clinicians in identifying appropriate genetic investigations and testing strategies
• Interpret and communicate genetic test reports in collaboration with clinical geneticists and treating specialists
• Participate in multidisciplinary case discussions and genomic review meetings
• Maintain awareness of advances in genomic medicine and evolving testing technologies

Cancer Genetics and Oncology Services

• Provide genetic counselling for patients and families undergoing hereditary cancer risk assessment
• Support oncology teams in identifying individuals who may benefit from genetic testings
• Deliver pre-test and post-test counselling for cancer susceptibility testings
• Explain implications of results for patients and at-risk relatives
• Facilitate cascade testing and family screening where appropriate

Reproductive Prenatal and Women s Health Genetics

• Provide counselling relating to reproductive risk assessment, carrier screening, prenatal testing and preimplantation testings
• Support obstetric, fertility, maternal-fetal medicine and gynecology services in the management of patients requiring genomic evaluation
• Assist prospective parents in understanding reproductive options and genetic risks
• Communicate testing outcomes and implications for current and future pregnancies

Proactive Genomic Screening and Preventive Health Programs

• Support the development and delivery of proactive genomic screening initiatives across pediatric and adult populations
• Provide counselling related to predictive and preventive genomic testing
• Educate patients regarding genetic risk factors, disease prevention, surveillance and family implications
• Participate in population genomics and precision medicine initiatives introduced by the organization

Genetic Testing Coordination and Result Management

• Coordinate genetic and genomic testing pathways from referral through result disclosure
• Liaise with internal and external laboratories regarding sample requirements and testing processes
• Ensure accurate documentation, consent and record-keeping relating to genetic investigations
• Monitor testing workflows and follow-up requirements to ensure timely patient care

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with specialists from Pediatrics, Neurology, Oncology, Obstetrics, amp, Gynecology, Fertility Medicine, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology and other clinical Services
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, case conferences and service planning discussions
• Provide specialist genomic expertise to support clinical decision-making across the organization

Education Training and Service Development

• Deliver education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals, patients, families and community stakeholders
• Support the development of genomic medicine pathways, clinical guidelines and patient information resources
• Contribute to the growth and strategic development of genomic services across the organization

Education & Qualification

• Master's Degree in Genetic Counselling, Genomic Counselling, Medical Genetics, Human Genetics, Genomics, or a closely related field from a recognized institute.
• DHA License Certification or registration with a recognized professional genetic counseling body (e.g., ABGC, HCPC, GCRB, HGSA, CAGC, or equivalent) is desirable.
• Good understanding of medical genetics, genomic medicine, inheritance patterns, genetic testing technologies, and ethical issues in genetics.
• Fluency in English is essential; Arabic language skills would be advantageous.
• Experience:
• Minimum 2 years of experience in genetic counseling, genomic medicine, clinical genetics, or a related healthcare setting.
• Clinical placements or supervised training experience in pediatric, adult, prenatal, oncology, or genomic medicine services.
• Experience in patient-facing roles involving counselling, patient education, healthcare communication, or multidisciplinary teamwork is desirable.
• Exposure to genomic testing pathways, variant interpretation principles, or genetic laboratory processes is advantageous.