Biomedical Science Assistant – Higher Level (POCT)

Transformation Unit; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Pension scheme

Job summary

Biomedical Science Assistant – Higher Level (HBSA) Band 3 is offered as a fixed-term role at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Sheffield. The post involves supporting the POCT team during flu seasons, ensuring device quality and governance, and staff training across NGH/RHH sites.

The role predominantly runs 37.5 hours with potential shifts 08:00–20:00, and the contract ends on 31 March 2027. Secondments may be considered and flexibility is encouraged to meet service needs.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English at level C/4 or above.
• Level 3 qualification (NVQ, 2 A-Levels, Apprenticeship or IBMS Part I) with lab experience.
• Experience working to SOPs and laboratory policies.

Responsibilities

• Support POCT team in operational fluency for flu testing during season.
• Maintain quality and governance for POCT devices.
• Train staff on POCT device use and manage consumables.
• Assist information management and device inventory under supervision.

Skills

Keyboard and IT skills

Effective communication

Health & Safety awareness

Planning and prioritising

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Level 3 lab qualification or IBMS portfolio

Job description

Main area Laboratory Medicine Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Fixed term: 6 months (All existing NHS staff will only be considered on a secondment basis. Contract end date: 31 March 2027. If start date is after 01 October 2026 then contract duration will be less than 6 months.) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shifts that vary 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.) Job ref 190-2072-DIR-S

Employer Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Hallamshire Hospital and Northern General Hospital Town Sheffield Salary £25,760 - £27,476 pa/ pro rata for part time staff Salary period Yearly Closing 14/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 22/10/2026

Biomedical Science Assistant – Higher Level (POCT)

NHS AfC: Band 3

We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated so whilst you care for our patients and clients, we’ll take care of you. We offer many different ways of helping staff including career development opportunities, flexible working, good annual leave and pension schemes , health and wellbeing packages and financial support systems. Joining the Trust also allows you access to a number of saving options via our salary sacrifice schemes and a wide range of discount opportunities with retailers and service providers.

Job overview

Please note, this role will predominantly involve working 37.5 core hours 09:00 - 17:30. However, there may be a requirement to spread these hours between 08:00 - 20:00, Monday to Sunday and across the NGH and RHH sites.

Are you looking for an exciting new challenge in a place to take your career to the next level? Would you like to join a friendly, progressive, innovative team and play a part in the transformation of pathology services across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw? Do you want to work in a fully UKAS-accredited, modern laboratory environment where you can make a difference?

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Laboratory Medicine – Point of Care Testing (POCT) department at The Royal Hallamshire and Northern General Hospitals, part of the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Pathology Partnership, for a fixed-term Band 3 Biomedical Science Assistant - Higher Level (HBSA) for 6 months. Please note: the contract end date for this post is 31 March 2027. If the successful candidate is in post after 01 October 2026, the contract will run until the specified end date and will be less than 6 months.

Please note, this role will predominantly involve working 37.5 core hours 09:00 – 17:30. However, there may be a requirement to spread these hours between 08:00 - 20:00, Monday to Sunday.

Main duties of the job

As an integral part of the POCT team, you will have a key role in supporting the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) clinical areas with the operational requirements of running flu point of care testing devices during "flu-season". This work has a positive direct impact on patient care and management and ensures the high-quality standards from laboratory specimen testing is transferred and upheld at the point of patient care. The duties of this role also include ensuring quality and clinical governance is upheld with the use of POCT devices, staff training on the use of POCT devices, information management and consumables management of POCT devices all under the supervision of the POCT Coordinators.

Working for our organisation

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

STH operates with a budget of £1.2 bn, has a workforce of over 18,500 employees, covers five hospital sites, provides care from over forty community settings, and has an excellent reputation for research.

As an organisation we value and respect our staff and the community we serve. We provide excellent staff benefits; this includes commitment to professional development but also many initiatives to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

The South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Pathology Partnership are invested in training, developing, and supporting staff in all aspects including academic courses from certificates of achievement, registration, specialist and higher specialist IBMS portfolios, apprenticeships and leadership and management qualifications.

We pride ourselves in enabling opportunity across all our sites to develop staff and provide a strong and sustained service for the future.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period until 31st March 2027 due to the post being recruited as part of a limited term project within the Trust. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts taking into consideration the requirement for the post to be maintained as a part of the project’s implementation and the timescales associated with this.

Please also note any secondment must first be agreed with your current line manager.

Person specification

Qualifications

• GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English at level C/4 or above
• Level 3 qualification e.g. NVQ, 2 A-Levels, Apprenticeship or IBMS Certificate of Achievement (Part I) plus Significant laboratory experience or Extensive laboratory experience in the relevant discipline

Experience

• Ability to follow and work to Standard Operating Procedures and Policy
• Experience with a range of laboratory techniques
• Previous NHS laboratory experience

Skills & Knowledge

• Keyboard and basic IT skills
• Effective Communication skills, written and oral
• Have an awareness of Health & Safety issues

Personal Qualities

• Ability to plan and prioritise allocated work

Please note that in order to comply with the UK Government’s rules on Skilled Worker sponsorship, any applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements or concessions on salary thresholds under the Skilled Worker visa will not be eligible to receive sponsorship from the Trust. Please keep this in mind when submitting your application. Further details on these concessions, and who qualifies for them, can be found here .

The Trust is committed to its obligations in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, and we positively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Should you require any assistance in applying for the position please contact the General or Medical Human Resources Departments on the number identified on the NHS Jobs page for the organisation. Job Share applicants are welcome for all full time posts unless indicated but cannot be guaranteed. In addition for Fixed Term Contracts, internal secondments may be considered, please seek the approval of your current line manager before applying for the position. All employment with the Trust is subject to a number of NHS Employment Checks being met to a satisfactory standard including verification of identity, eligibility to work in the United Kingdom, references and qualifications in addition to professional registration, a disclosure and barring records check and occupational health check if these are deemed to be a requirement for the position to be undertaken.

For more information about our organisation and the opportunities available, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook