Principal Clinical Scientist

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Blood Sciences Clinical Chemistry department at Birmingham Children’s hospital and satellite lab at Birmingham Women’s hospital invites HCPC registered biochemists to apply. You will provide senior scientific leadership, oversee FAS and screening pathways, and work across sites to deliver NHS-standard clinical chemistry services.

We require Part 1 FRCPath, Full FRCPath, and HCPC registration, with a track record in neonatal/paediatric biochemistry and foetal anomaly screening.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry.
• MSc in Clinical Biochemistry or equivalent.
• Part 1 FRCPath and HCPC registration as Clinical Scientist in Biochemistry.
• Full FRCPath; PhD advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive scientific service to national standards with senior leadership in key areas such as screening.
• Participate in duty biochemist rota and FAS authorisation rota.
• Communicate highly complex information to staff, trainees, midwives, consultants and industry representatives.
• Research, evaluate, verify and implement new methods and instruments as directed.
• Manage day-to-day workload to fulfil service requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Teamwork

Auditing

Education

Honours degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry

MSc in Clinical Biochemistry

Part 1 FRCPath

HCPC registration as Clinical Scientist in Biochemistry

Full FRCPath

PhD

Tools

Roche analysers

Beckman analysers

Job description

Search through the open vacancies at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s.

This is YOUR place

• To be at the heart of brilliant care for women, children and young people.
• Where innovation, compassion, and opportunity meet to help transform lives.
• To make a unique impact from day one. As one of only two centres in the UK for women, children, and young people, this is where you can help bring prize-winning discoveries and game-changing innovations to life.
• To grow a thriving career and unlock your potential. Our unique and vast specialisms provide opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. No matter the career path you choose – you’ll have unwavering support for your ambition and a real investment in your learning.
• To discover a community of support. Where our strength comes from our people, who come from every walk of life and who work shoulder-to-shoulder across every discipline. Here, you’ll find a deep camaraderie and the support to take control of your career and find your passion – on the best days, and the toughest.

This is Birmingham Women’s and Children's Trust.

This is your place, our place, the place.

Site Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust Town Birmingham Salary £57,528 - £64,750 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 07/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 20/10/2026

Flexible working arrangements may be considered and discussions with the recruiting manager regarding this are encouraged.

Job overview

The Blood Sciences Clinical Chemistrydepartment is based at Birmingham Children’s hospital with a satellitelaboratory at Birmingham Women’s hospital that provides Fetal Anomaly Screening services to a large number of Trusts across NHSE and the British Isles.There are close links with Newborn Screening and Biochemical Genetics Department . Our laboratories arewell equipped(Roche and Beckman analysers)and provide UKAS accredited services. There is a requirement to work within laboratories at both hospital sites.

There is close liaison within the Trust with the hepatology, endocrinology, renal, gastroenterology and antenatal screening teams with respect to patient management and laboratory service development. This is an exciting opportunityfor biochemists with interest and experience i nneonatal/paediatric/obstetric biochemistryand f o etalanomaly screening to take a greater leadership role .

You should be a HCPC registered clinical scientist (Biochemistry) with FRCPath Part 1 . The Department is accredited for NSHCS STP Biochemistry training

Main duties of the job

To assist in providing a comprehensive scientific service to nationally accepted standards and provide senior oversight and leadership in key areas of service provision , for example, expansion of trisomy 18 screening .

The post holder will participate in both the duty biochemist rota and FAS authorisation rota.

You will be expected to communicate highly complex information with a variety of people such as laboratory staff, trainees and students, midwives, consultants and industry representatives regarding FAS and clinical chemistry testing.

The post holder will be involved in the research, evaluation, verification and implementation of new methods and instruments as directed by the Head of Clinical Chemistry Department and Director of Antenatal screening.

You willmanage day to day workload in order to fulfill requirements of service provision.

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centered care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications

• Honours degree in relevant science (Chemistry/Biochemistry).
• MSc in Clinical Biochemistry or equivalent
• Part 1 FRCPath
• Registered with HCPC as a Clinical scientist in Biochemistry
• Full FRCPath
• PhD

Knowledge and Nature of Experience

• Knowledge of managerial processes within the Trust and NHS and Basic knowledge of business planning and procurement.
• Experience of a wide range of specialised analytical techniques relevant to Clinical Chemistry and Foetal Anomaly Screening
• Able to advise senior medical staff, nursing staff and other health professionals on investigations and interpretation of biochemical and metabolic and screening processes in complex situations, also utilising data from other specialties
• Able to advise on aspects of service provision and development
• Able and confident to challenge established views
• Able to recognise patterns of abnormality and relate them to clinical situations and assess differential diagnoses
• Able to organise, prioritise and manage complex activities
• Ability to pass on skills and knowledge to others
• Experience of membership of committees
• Experience of leadership of small groups
• Experience of preparing complex scientific papers for publication

Analytical and Judgement Skills

• Well-developed analytical and deductive skills
• Able to conduct audit of services and take corrective action
• Able to advise senior medical staff, nursing staff and other health professionals on investigations and interpretation of biochemical and metabolic processes in complex situations, also utilising data from other specialties
• Able to advise on aspects of service provision and development
• Able and confident to challenge established views
• Ability to initiate and co-ordinate R&D activity
• Ability to prepare and present complex scientific information at local, national and international meetings to large audiences

Personal skills - Abilities and attibutes

• Able to work on own initiative. Self motivated.
• Able to work as part of a team (laboratory and/or clinical)
• Interest in Paediatric and maternal biochemistry and Foetal Anomaly Screening
• Able to travel to ‘off site’ meetings as required in the UK
• Able to maintain intense concentration on important tasks despite interruption.
• Good hand eye co-ordination for fine manipulation of delicate instrumentation

Sponsorship:

Please note, visa sponsorship is only available for certain roles in line with current UKVI regulations. Please ensure the role you are interested in meets the criteria for sponsorship before submitting your application. If you would like more information, please visit: UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

Reasonable Adjustments:

BWC is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, committed to fostering an inclusive environment for those with a disability, long term health or mental health condition. The Disability Confident scheme means we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, long term health or mental health conditions, and we want to ensure our recruitment practices are inclusive and accessible to all. Our aim is to get the best out of every individual and if successful for interview, you will be asked if you require any reasonable adjustments (special requirements). We will strive to support and accommodate these requests where possible.

Safeguarding

As a Trust employee you are required to comply with all legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding children and adults with care and support needs, and promoting their health and welfare. You are required to inform the Head of Safeguarding of any safeguarding concerns about your own children or children you live with. This information will be treated in a confidential manner.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.