Microbiology Service Unit Manager

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust as a Microbiology Service Manager in a pivotal role within the Clinical Diagnostics Division. You will lead a dedicated team to deliver high-quality diagnostic services, ensuring compliance with standards while managing operational performance and staff engagement.

Qualifications

• Significant post graduate experience in a senior or manager position.
• Experience in financial management and budget setting.
• Good communication and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Operationally responsible for the day-to-day running of the service.
• Monitor national performance targets and ensure corrective actions.
• Provide strong managerial leadership and support staff.

Skills

Communication

Staff management

Financial management

Education

Registered with the Health Professions Council

FIBMS or Masters or above equivalent

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Clinical Diagnostics Division as a Microbiology Service Manager within the Pathology service. This pivotal role, based at Broomfield, offers you the chance to work alongside senior pathology colleagues to develop an efficient and effective diagnostic service for patients across the MSE footprint.

We are seeking a dynamic individual with recent and robust NHS operational experience. This is a full-time position with responsibility for delivering microbiology performance targets across MSE. Ensure all tests performed are undertaken in compliance with UKAS standards and Based on Quality Assured methodology.

Key priorities will also include, but are not limited to:
• Urgent performance and turnaround time (TAT) delivery
• Staff engagement and communication
• Workforce planning
• Financial efficiency oversight

You will provide strong managerial leadership, supporting staff through a period of transition as the service integrates into a single, unified Pathology network. Collaboration with external pathology partners will also be a key aspect of the role.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a welcoming, inclusive, and highly motivated microbiology team, dedicated to delivering high-quality diagnostic services

Main duties of the job

As a Service Manager, you will be responsible for a range of clinical specialities across the service. Alongside the management team, you will be responsible for managing and developing services delivered across the Directorate.

You will be operationally responsible for the day to day running of the service, and will be required to monitor national performance targets specific to ensure they are achieved, and ensure corrective action is taken when necessary.

Monitor all Laboratory and Admin staffing daily and escalate where necessary and issues which can not be addressed locally.

You will work closely with colleagues across both MSE and with our Pathology Partner Pathology First in to ensure that pathways are optimised for both urgent and routine testing.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Are you looking for an exciting Microbiology Service Unit Manager role using your unique qualities, then we want to hear from you?

For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.

We look forward to your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Significant post graduate experience in a senior or manager position
• Registered with the Health Professions Council. FIBMS or Masters or above equivalent

Desirable criteria

• Enhanced knowledge and experience of dealing with and resolving analytical problems in service performance
• Awareness in scientific development and modern technology in Histopathology

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of demand and capacity and activity planning
• Experience of financial management, budget setting, monitoring and determining corrective action.
• Experience developing and implementing business and service development plans.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex and detailed information.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working within several sub Specialties
• NHS experience

Communication

Essential criteria

• Good communication and influencing skills. Strong, participative and supportive management style.
• Experience of managing staff, including setting of team objectives, team and individual appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary issues

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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

• Microbiology SUM JD & PS (PDF, 960.2KB)
• Privacy Policy (PDF, 441.0KB)
• AFC Pay Poster 25/26 (PDF, 32.3KB)
• Behaviours Framework (JPG, 298.0KB)
• Applicant MS Teams Checklist (PDF, 560.5KB)
• Trust marketing brochure (PDF, 2.1MB)