Consultant Clinical Scientist - Immunology

Transformation Unit; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Immunology (Band 8c) to lead and shape a comprehensive diagnostic immunology service. The role blends clinical service, leadership, innovation and teaching within a dynamic NHS setting.

The post holder will work closely with the Clinical Director and Immunologist, providing expert input across the trust and regional network while ensuring high-quality patient care and robust quality assurance across

Qualifications

• First degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise.
• Masters degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise in the relevant speciality.
• Full fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (MRCPath/FRCPath).
• Registered as a clinical scientist with HCPC.
• Relevant PhD or DClinSci.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership to the Immunology department and participate in the Immunology clinical rota.
• Lead delivery and development of a comprehensive diagnostic immunology service; collaborate with clinicians and MDTs.
• Offer specialist scientific and clinical advice on patient investigations and results in highly complex cases.
• Ensure timely clinical authorisation and reporting of patient test results and monitor turnaround times.
• Chair performance review meetings covering quality control and external QA schemes.
• Initiate, organise and collaborate in funded research, development and audits in Immunology.

Education

First degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise

Masters degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise in the relevant speciality

Full fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (MRCPath/FRCPath)

Registered as a clinical scientist with HCPC

Relevant PhD or DClinSci

Job description

Main area Immunology Grade Band 8c Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Department is a 24/7 service) Job ref 287-DTC-106-26

Employer Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Liverpool Clinical Laboratories Town Liverpool Salary £74,290 - £85,601 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 11/10/2026 23:59

Consultant Clinical Scientist - Immunology

Band 8c

Job overview

This is a new full-time Consultant Clinical Scientist post in Immunology. The post holder will work closely with the Clinical Director of Blood Sciences and Consultant Immunologist to provide expert scientific and clinical input to support high-quality patient care across the Trust and regional network in Immunology.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Consultant Immunologist to lead the delivery and development of a comprehensive diagnostic immunology service, working in close partnership with clinicians, and multidisciplinary teams. The role combines clinical service, operational leadership, innovation, and teaching within a dynamic NHS environment.

The post holder must hold FRCPath in Immunology or be within six months of attainment and HCPC registration is mandatory.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will provide clinical leadership to the Immunology department, participating in the Immunology clinical rota, providing a clinical interpretive and advisory service. Supporting quality and performance; initiating and evaluating new techniques and methods.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details, please see attached job description

To provide all Consultants and junior medical staff in this, and other Trust, with a timely, highly specialist, clinical scientific and technical service.

To participate in the immunology clinical scientist rota, assuming independent responsibility on such occasions for the clinical authorisation and issue of reports.

To present complex, sensitive or contentious clinical or scientific information to medical and nursing staff and managers within the Trust and other Trusts or PCTs when appropriate, using professional knowledge and experience.

To offer specialist scientific and clinical advice concerning patient investigations and results, in highly complex cases when appropriate.

To undertake the timely clinical authorisation and reporting of patient clinical test results to clinical staff.

To be responsible for the performance, monitoring and evaluation of a broad range of complex activities, including service delivery of analysis within the Immunology department, ensuring acceptable turnaround times are achieved.

Chair the performance review meetings covering quality control procedures and external quality assurance schemes, for the analyses performed in the above sections.

To be responsible for the initiation, organisation, reporting, interpretation and data storage of external quality assurance schemes making technical and scientific assessments of method and instrument performance.

To assist the clinical colleagues with the responsibility for dealing with matters of a managerial and professional nature, relating to clinical scientists within the department.

To chair the meetings of the Immunology laboratory in partnership with the service lead. Meeting composed of clinical and biomedical scientists, involving policy/organisational changes and improvements.

To represent the clinical scientists at the departmental meetings of the Directorate, chaired by the Clinical Director and providing an executive lead for the department.

To initiate, undertake and collaborate in funded research, development and audit and support clinical trials in the field of Immunology.

To seek and obtain funding for research and development projects carried out in the department, at a local and national level. To advise on research projects undertaken by clinical, laboratory and other staff.

To assist in the training of HSST, trainee clinical scientists and clinical scientists within the department.

To assist and participate in the professional development programmes for clinical scientists within the department.

Person specification

Qualifications

• First degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise
• Masters degree or assessed equivalent level of knowledge and expertise in the relevant speciality
• Full fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (MRCPath/FRCPath)
• Demonstration of appropriate CPD
• Registered as a clinical scientist with HCPC
• Relevant PhD or DClinSci

Experience

• To have completed a substantial period in post as a Registered Clinical Scientist with a demonstrable period at advanced practitioner level
• To have developed an expertise in one or more specialised analytical or clinical areas
• To have attained a good record of achievement in research, development and audit activities, through presentations at national or international conferences and publication in peer reviewed journals
• To have attained status as a national or international expert or advisor

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics
• Good basic knowledge in other areas of Pathology

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.Note: Under current Home Office Immigration Rules we are currently unable to offer right to work visa sponsorship for Band 2 and 3 roles with a salary of less than £25,000 pa as they do not meet the UK Visas & Immigration criteria.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18 th birthday.

The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and achieve fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment. Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing the successful applicant/s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £26.50 (standard disclosure) or £54.50 (enhanced disclosure) will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment.

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.