Medical Laboratory Assistant Supervisor *INTERNAL ONLY POST*

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust; Telford; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in Telford is seeking a Medical Laboratory Assistant Supervisor for the Princess Royal Hospital. The role involves supervising MLA staff across Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Blood Transfusion, with duties including staff allocation and training needs assessment.

A 24/7 rota applies for out-of-hours training and weekend shifts. Responsibilities also include recruitment, induction, staff appraisals and personal development planning, plus

Qualifications

• Experience supervising MLA staff in a clinical laboratory setting.
• Able to arrange training and induction for new staff members.
• Experience in staff appraisals and personal development planning.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and organise MLA staff across clinical biochemistry, haematology and blood transfusion.
• Assign staff to sections and identify training needs of all supervised staff.
• Refer matters outside your area to the Specimen Reception Manager.
• Prioritise workload and oversee day-to-day MLA team activities.
• Lead recruitment, training and induction; conduct staff appraisals and development plans.
• Liaise professionally with pathology colleagues and respond to inquiries from external users.

Skills

Staff supervision

Training

Induction

Appraisals

Staff development

Job description

Job Overview

This post is for internal candidates to The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust. If you are not currently working within either of these Trusts, your application will not be reviewed and automatically rejected at shortlisting stage. Please be aware of this when submitting your application.

Job Overview

This post is for internal candidates to The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust. If you are not currently working within either of these Trusts, your application will not be reviewed and automatically rejected at shortlisting stage. Please be aware of this when submitting your application.

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced individual to join our Specimen Reception team as a Medical Laboratory Assistant Supervisor at the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford. The post holder will be required to work as part of a 24/7 rota when training new staff for out of hours shifts. Weekends and bank holidays will be part of a rotation.

Core hours Monday -Friday would be 09:00-17:30. You will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) working in Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Blood Transfusion. You will also assign staff to sections within the laboratory and identify the training needs of all staff under your supervision. You will refer all matters outside your area of responsibility to the Specimen Reception Manager.

Main duties of the job

The MLA Supervisor is expected to supervise and organise the MLA staff and perform a range of tasks of a similar nature and level of responsibility that contribute towards an integrated, diagnostic service. You will be required to supervise, instruct and train MLA staff to a level defined by your grade.

You will be expected to prioritise your own workload and organise the day-to-day work activities of the MLA team. You will also be expected to assist in the recruitment, training and induction of new staff. In addition to this, you will perform staff appraisals and make recommendations for further training and develop personal development plans, as appropriate.

You will be required to work under direct or indirect supervision at all times. You will also need to liaise professionally with other staff in Pathology and handle enquiries from external users of the service appropriately.

Working for your organisation

Our Poppy’s Promise Commitment

We believe that compassionate care sits at the heart of everything we do. Every member of our team — clinical or non-clinical — plays a vital role in ensuring that patients, families, and colleagues are treated with dignity, empathy, and respect at all times.

We expect all staff to demonstrate compassion not only through their words, but through their actions: by listening attentively, communicating clearly and kindly, and recognising individual needs, feelings, and circumstances of those in our care.

Effective communication is central to safe and high-quality healthcare. We value colleagues who take the time to understand others, explain information in a meaningful way, and respond to concerns with patience and understanding.

By joining our team, you are committing to uphold these values — ensuring that every patient feels heard, respected, and valued, and that compassion is embedded in every interaction, every day.