Assistant Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 61,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider seeks an Assistant Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager to support quality management in specialized diagnostic labs. This role involves assisting in regulatory inspections, maintaining quality systems, and ensuring high standards. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational and communication skills and a background in medical laboratory science.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Continuous professional development

Qualifications

• Degree in Medical Laboratory Science or equivalent required.
• State Registration as a Clinical Scientist is mandatory.
• Relevant postgraduate training in a specialist area is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining the quality management system and prepare for regulatory inspections.
• Support Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager to meet service objectives.
• Training junior staff on quality management systems.

Skills

Communication

Organizational skills

IT skills

Attention to detail

Education

Degree in Medical Laboratory Science or equivalent

State Registered Clinical Scientist

Tools

MS Excel

Quality Management Software

Job description

Go back University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager

The closing date is 29 June 2025

The UCLH Queen Square Division has a set of ISO15189 accredited highly specialized diagnostic laboratories responding to the unique needs of our rare patient cohorts. A talented and motivated Assistant Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager is sought to work closely with the Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager to help maintain the quality management system, assist with regulatory inspections and training requirements.

The post holder should have excellent IT skills, be well organized and methodical with good communication skills and previous experience applying ISO15189 accreditation standards. Experience in histopathology or immunology would be an advantage but is not essential. On the job training for Quality Management software will be provided.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work in direct support of the Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager for the Queen Square Division and other members of the quality team including the Laboratory heads and Laboratory Quality Leads to ensure that the service objectives are achieved in a timely fashion in line with key Trust Priorities and prevailing best practice or accreditation, licensing or regulatory requirements.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)

National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals

University College Hospital Grafton Way Building

Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine

University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases

University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

*In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the second year in a row.

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Degree in Medical Laboratory Science or equivalent
• Is a State Registered Clinical scientist
• Post-graduate, post-registration training in a specialist area, leading to the completion of a specialist portfolio
• Has work experience assisting in quality management within Diagnostic laboratories
• Maintains an active CPD programme including attendance at relevant courses, best practice meetings and workshops.
• Thorough knowledge of the working of NHS Clinical Pathology laboratories and their relevant Health & Safety legislation
• Possesses theoretical and practical knowledge of Quality assurance and requirements of ISO 15189 Quality Management Systems and can devise alternative ways to implement them in different laboratory settings
• Further qualification in the field of quality management or a willingness to pursue this
• Knowledge, understanding and application of management techniques including an adaptable approach to change.
• Knowledge of LEAN management techniques and their implementation

Experience

• To have completed pre- registration training in an accredited diagnostic Clinical Diagnostic laboratory
• To have completed post registration training in an accredited diagnostic Clinical Diagnostic laboratory
• Excellent computer literacy, in particular with pathology databases and advanced skills in MS Excel software
• Experience of participating in accreditation inspections, and assisting in devising timely, efficient and cost effective strategies to clear findings
• Understanding of the principles of audit schedule design that is compliant with ISO15189 standards, including audit review and root cause analysis.
• Management and supervisory experience
• Strong influencing abilities.
• To have worked as a State Registered Clinical Scientist for over 2 years.
• Experience with teaching junior staff
• Experience of working at a senior level within a diagnostic laboratory in a quality related role
• Experience at and adapting a Quality Management System for the particular needs of the laboratory
• Significant laboratory practical background including an in-depth knowledge of the setting and validation of technical parameters for the interpretation of new and existing tests.
• Excellent decision making, planning and execution abilities in a fast paced environment
• Experience at writing, reviewing and applying policies, documentation, operating procedures risk assessments (including COSHH assessments) .

Skills and Abilities

• Good decision making, planning and execution abilities in a fast paced environment
• Good written and verbal skills, with particular abilities concerning attention to detail and excellent abilities to understand abstract content
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to organise and manage own workload and meet deadlines
• Awareness of Health & Safety Legislation and published Guidance
• Strong influencing abilities.

Values

• Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving

Communication

• Excellent writing skills to communicate with external and internal customers
• Excellent communication skills to explain complex results to non-specialists
• Excellent skills in communication Across all levels within the organisation

Personal and People Development

• A commitment to contribute to the health and care of patients by delivering a high quality diagnostic service
• Flexible, effective team player, methodical, yet able to develop and utilise new ideas in order to solve problems, meet targets and deadlines
• Enthusiastic, self-confident and flexible, showing positive attitude to both individual & teamwork
• Strong capabilities of learning and assimilating new information effectively for the benefit of self, others and organisation.
• Accountability - Takes responsibility for own actions and promotes good team working
• Openness - Shares information and good practice appropriately
• Mutual respect - Treats others with courtesy and respect at all times
• Commitment to working the hours required to fulfil the job, including flexibility of working. Flexible working

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion

• Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties

Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:

• Being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
• Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
• Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
• Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.

Specific Requirements

• Fast development in proficiency in use of ipassport and Qpulse QMS software for document control and error management and trending.
• Continued participation in CPD to maintain State Registration
• Mental effort Significant mental effort and concentration for extended time periods both whilst the laboratories are undergoing inspection and in the following 4- 6 weeks when finding must be cleared on time whilst dealing with regular interruptions to provide colleagues from all labs with advice, data interpretation, opinion and attendance at all other regular meetings with 4NLabs.
• Emotional effort The maintenance of accreditation and by extension the ability of the 4Nlabs to report diagnostic results to patients requires knowledge, skills and effective self-management by this individual.
• Working Conditions The role involves working with and supervising staff, working with biological materials and hazardous chemicals
• Freedom To Act Assist in the development and communication off all of the Quality Management Systems of the 4NLabs including ensuring translational R&D work is introduced into service in a manner that will ensure it is compliant with accreditation requirements and that non-UCLH staff working collaboratively with the 4NLabs have adequate records to be compliant with ISO15189 and Trust policies.

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.

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH

£54,320 to £60,981 a yearPer annum inclusive of HCAS Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

309-UCLH-6424

Job locations

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, UCLH