Laboratory Manager

University College London Hospital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious healthcare institution in Greater London is looking for a responsible and motivated Laboratory Manager. The successful candidate will oversee the daily management of the laboratory operations, ensuring high quality and compliance with standards. You will manage a team of scientists, ensure timely reporting of results, and maintain current knowledge of Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation. The ideal applicant will hold a degree in biological or medical science and be HCPC registered, along with substantial laboratory experience.

Qualifications

• Cleanroom working and monitoring experience.
• Knowledge of regulatory bodies including the HTA and JACIE.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the management of daily operations and workload of the laboratory.
• Ensure timely completion of tasks and quality control.
• Train other scientists in the Cell Processing Laboratory.
• Liaise with other hospitals and suppliers.

Skills

Use of haematology analysers and flow cytometry

Cellular therapy product cryopreservation / manipulation

Technical problem solving

Good computer skills

Education

Degree in biological/medical science

Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Tools

Laboratory information systems

Job description

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a responsible and self‑motivated HCPC registered scientist to join the team within the Haemopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Programme as the Laboratory Manager. The team has 9 scientists who are all involved in the processing, storage, and distribution of cellular therapy products for patients undergoing transplantation. A rigorous quality management system is in place to ensure that the facility operates within national and international legislation and provides the best possible care to patients and donors.

The postholder is expected to oversee the management of the day‑to‑day operation and workload of the laboratory, including the supervision of scientific staff. The successful applicant will be required to maintain at all times the high standards and quality of this highly regulated service and keep an up‑to‑date knowledge of Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Biology, and current working practices in those areas.

The unit's operational hours are 08:00 – 18:00, Monday – Friday. As a senior member of the laboratory you may be asked to provide support to other staff covering the unit, and to provide assistance in the event of a major incident.

Main duties of the job

• Actively manage the day‑to‑day workload of the laboratory including the analysis and processing of patient’s blood and procured cellular therapy products using a variety of assays following departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure work is completed timely and to satisfactory standards, results are reported within the agreed turnaround times and in accordance with the relevant SOPs.
• Ensure the efficient functioning of the unit including QC/QA of laboratory equipment and procedures, stock control, participation in external QA schemes, document review and auditing.
• Take responsibility for the documented training of other scientists in the Cell Processing Laboratory.
• Liaise with other hospitals, academic collaborators, commercial suppliers and customers.
• Promote good working relationships between members of the department and with other hospitals. Ensure that staff are able to carry out their duties free from harassment and bullying, adhering to hospital guidelines.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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

Person specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree in biological/medical science
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Knowledge of regulatory bodies including the HTA and JACIE
• Knowledge of Equal Opportunities and Data Protection/Confidentiality

Desirable criteria

• Published academic work in peer reviewed journals relating to cellular therapies

Experience

Essential criteria

• Substantive experience in same or similar specialty
• Experience of laboratory information systems
• Experience in audit and evaluation of practice and service
• Cleanroom working and monitoring experience

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Use of haematology analysers and flow cytometry
• Cellular therapy product cryopreservation / manipulation
• Technical problem solving e.g. equipment failure, Quality Control failure
• Competent in the interpretation and technical validation of results including the investigation of abnormal outcomes
• Good computer skills

Communication

Essential criteria

• Clear communication of complex information including results and advice to other health professionals
• Ability to provide and receive sensitive information

Personal and People Development

Essential criteria

• Well-developed interpersonal skills, able to organise and manage own workload
• Work well as a team member
• Reliable, trustworthy, flexible and self‑motivated

Specific Requirements

Essential criteria

• Required to work a 37.5 hour week

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 568.3KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 262.3KB)
• UCLH Values (PDF, 860.9KB)

Equal opportunity statement

At UCLH we take equality of opportunity seriously and are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer, with a culture that creates a real sense of belonging and trust. It is our fundamental aim, to recruit, retain and promote a diverse mix of people who are representative of our local communities. Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures and perspectives to support our world‑class research, innovation and creativity.