Operations Lead

Synnovis Analytics; City Of London; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Synnovis is seeking an Operational Lead for Cytogenetic Testing within SE-HMDS, covering day-to-day lab operations and strategic service development. This role drives validation projects, quality assurance, and professional development to ensure high-quality diagnostic output for haematological malignancies.

The post offers leadership across a specialist genomics service within SE-HMDS, with an emphasis on collaboration, staff training and implementation of new testing workflows.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent.
• State Registration as Clinical Scientist with HCPC.
• Evidence of ongoing CPD.
• Quality or Management qualification.

Responsibilities

• Lead the SE-HMDS cytogenetics service and oversee day-to-day operations.
• Drive service improvement initiatives and lead validation projects.
• Provide expert oversight of complex genomic testing and reporting.
• Train and develop staff and manage competency framework.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team across genomics services.

Skills

Staff leadership

Training & supervision

Quality management

Lab troubleshooting

LIMS knowledge

Education

BSc (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent

Tools

LIMS

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and ambitious Clinical Scientist to broaden their leadership experience as Operational Lead for Cytogenetic Testing within the South East Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (SE-HMDS), part of the South East NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub.

This 12-month fixed-term until 31/01/2028. The position offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape a specialist cytogenetics service, overseeing day-to-day laboratory operations, driving service improvement initiatives, supporting staff training and development, and leading key validation projects. You will also provide expert oversight of complex genomic testing and reporting, playing a central role in delivering high-quality diagnostic services for patients with haematological malignancies.

As SE-HMDS continues its transition towards a consolidated genomics service, you will play a pivotal leadership role in facilitating this process whilst delivering high-quality, timely diagnostics that directly support patient care. While experience in haemato-oncology cytogenetics is highly desirable, applications are also welcomed from candidates with relevant experience in other areas of haemato-oncology genomics. The successful candidate will maintain competency across relevant areas of the wider SE-HMDS genomics testing repertoire where appropriate.

Main duties of the job

The SE-HMDS service currently offers a comprehensive specialist genomics service tailored to the requirements of the diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of haematological malignancies. We are the single SIHMDS service for the South East of England, serving a population of over 6 million people across South London and the South East of England. Our UKAS accredited laboratories currently provide genomics services including:

• G-banded karyotype analysis
• FISH
• SNP-array analysis
• NGS
• WGS
• Fragment analysis
• Q-PCR
• Digital PCR

We are actively innovating and evolving our testing repertoire across our integrated service to ensure we support optimum patient care.

As an Operational Lead your duties will include

• Contribution to the management structure.
• Communication and leadership to less senior members of the team.
• Communication with service users and others within the wider SE-HMDS service.
• Leading in the validation of new tests.
• Ensuring work is completed in a timely manner and to standards compliant with ISO 15189:2022.
• Maintenance of advanced knowledge pertaining to the field in order to help direct, provide advice and authorise genomic findings.
• Training responsibilities and overseeing the laboratory competency framework

About us

Your development and learningYou will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The ACCE competencies programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.

We support flexible working patterns and remote working for activities that can be performed off-site to promote a healthy work/life balance.

Job responsibilities

As part of the dynamic team you will have duties including:

• Sample Triage: In line with clinically agreed SE-HMDS triage pathways, you will provide expertise on the triage process, facilitating an interface between the clinical team and the scientific workforce.
• Analysis, reporting and report authorisation: You will contribute to the analysis, interpretation, reporting and authorisation of genomic variants from a wide variety of different genomic technologies as listed above, to enable rapid patient treatment decisions. You will ensure work is carried out to a high standard and within relevant target reporting times.
• Quality: In line with UKAS laboratory accreditation standards you will be an exemplar for quality management activities, including training, validations, audits, incident reporting and management and procedural documentation.
• Training: As the Training Lead, you will oversee the laboratory competency framework and associated documentation, coordinate and support the STP training programme and rota, and guide staff in their professional development, including career progression, continuing professional development (CPD), and Clinical Scientist registration.
• Service development: You will lead in the adoption of new tests and technologies, leading validation of these into the SE-HMDS genomics service.
• Collaboration: As part of a specialised integrated HMDS service you will have a close working relationship with a diverse group of specialists including other genomic scientists, bioinformaticians, immunophenotyping scientists, Histopathologists and Consultant Clinical Haematologists.
• Professional development: You will have the opportunity to attend the plethora of available learning opportunities offered internally including the SEGLH Educational Sessions and SE-HMDS Integrated Training Sessions. Participation in relevant national and international scientific and/ or clinical meetings is actively encouraged and supported by Synnovis.

Please refer to the full job description for further details.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
• State Registration as Clinical Scientist with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Evidence of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
• Quality or Management qualification

Experience

• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and managing a team
• Acting as owner for escalation and communication to internal and external service users in the event of quality/ /assay failures
• Education of physiology, pathology, and scientific principles relevant to specialism
• Supervising analysis, interpretation and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist results
• Line management including all aspects of people management, for example recruitment and rota management

Skills

• Ability to deploy staff flexibly and effectively, to provide an efficient and timely laboratory service able to meet variations in work pattern and clinical demand
• Ability to ensure that all staff, including visiting trainees, are appropriately trained and supervised, and to oversee their training in specialist techniques for the analysis of specimens
• Demonstrate a high degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
• Ability to troubleshoot and train those who use the Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)
• Ability to manage effectively in a dynamic environment with multiple conflicting priorities
• Ability to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time
• Good awareness of current issues within pathology locally and nationally

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience£66,274 to £73,496 per annum depending on experience