MLA Team Leader | The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Blood Science MLA Supervisor to oversee specimen reception in Sutton. This 6-month fixed-term position requires experience in laboratory environments, strong leadership, and the ability to train staff. The role involves supervising MLA activities, managing rotas, and ensuring high-quality service delivery in a dynamic team environment.

Benefits

Learning and development opportunities

Flexible working requests welcome

Wide range of staff benefits

Qualifications

• Experience working in a laboratory specimen reception or similar environment.
• Ability to supervise and train MLA and Biomedical Scientist staff.
• Familiarity with performance reviews and competency assessments.

Responsibilities

• Supervise MLA staff in specimen reception areas.
• Conduct performance reviews and assist with recruitment.
• Manage staff rotas on Health Roster.

Skills

Laboratory specimen reception

Leadership

Administrative skills

Job description

We’re seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Blood Science MLA Supervisor to join our dedicated team in Sutton. This is a Band 4, 6-month fixed-term position, ideal for someone with experience working in a laboratory specimen reception or similar environment who is ready to take the next step in their career. While primarily based in Sutton, occasional cross-site working may be required.

The Blood Sciences Department at The Royal Marsden receives over 250,000 samples each year. We are a multicultural and dynamic team working in specimen reception. Our members are friendly, motivated, and passionate about supporting both patients and staff. The laboratory is equipped with state‑of‑the‑art technology, and we collaborate with suppliers such as Sysmex, Quidel‑Ortho, Thermo Fisher, and Bio‑Rad, among other analytical platforms. While previous experience is advantageous, full training will be provided.

The department provides an exceptional environment for growth, with opportunities to rotate across the different Blood Science disciplines to ensure continuous development, knowledge sharing, and professional progression.

Why Join Us?

• Innovate and Lead: Work with cutting‑edge technology in a UKAS‑accredited laboratory operating under ISO 15189:2022.
• Expand Your Expertise: Contribute to a high‑performing team supporting quality, training, and continuous service improvement.
• Be Part of Progress: Support the Blood Sciences Laboratory team as we implement new technology, IT systems and analytical upgrades.

The Clinical Pathology Department provides diagnostic services for the Trust, primarily focusing on Blood Sciences. The post-holder will perform administrative, technical, and quality assurance duties, primarily supporting the Biomedical Scientists and Section Leads. The post-holder will perform a range of tasks to support the Biomedical Scientists in the provision of a high‑quality service to our patients. The post holder will organise and receive samples ensuring they are processed in a timely manner, including samples analysed on site and referred to other laboratories.

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world‑leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on‑going achievements.

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

Supervisory Duties

• Supervise MLA staff, including:
  • Supervise, carry out and assign MLA team activities and duties in all specimen reception areas to ensure workflow turnaround time (TAT) targets are achieved.
  • Conducting performance reviews and appraisals in line with Trust policy.
  • Allocating work and assisting with recruitment, selection, and training.
  • Providing training and competency assessments for new MLA and Biomedical Scientist staff in Pathology Reception.
  • Provide instructions to the rest of the MLA team which includes Front Office area regarding daily duties.
  • Document staff weekly rotas to ensure service delivery is maintained at all times.
  • Manage staff rotas on Health Roster and ensure they are accurate and up to date.

This advert closes on Friday 14 Nov 2025