Senior Biomedical Scientist and Trials liaison officer

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious NHS teaching Trust is seeking a Senior Biomedical Scientist to join their Clinical Biochemistry lab. The role involves managing staff, coordinating research trials, and performing complex laboratory analysis while ensuring high standards of patient care. The applicant should possess an MSc in Clinical Chemistry and have a strong background in laboratory management and leadership to effectively support staff and improve departmental quality.

Qualifications

• HCPC registered and appropriate masters level qualification or equivalent.
• 3 years experience in a NHS biochemistry service.
• Experience managing and training staff.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and organize staff work within a section.
• Conduct laboratory investigations and manage sample analysis.
• Liaise with research teams and oversee trials coordination.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical Chemistry

Laboratory Management

Research Coordination

Troubleshooting

Education

MSc in Clinical Chemistry or equivalent

Job description

Band 5 NurseandBand 2 Healthcare Support Workerrecruitment iscentralised, meaning when you apply you will be considered fora number of rolesacross the Trust. If you have any questions please email:[e-mail] .

Domestic,catering,porteringandmaintenance engineerservices at some of our hospitals are provided by our PFI partners. For these jobs, please seevacancies with our PFI partners .

This post is only open to internal applicants.

Senior Biomedical Scientist and Trials liaison officer

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Clinical Biochemistry Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent: Expected to work out of hours as required on senior rota Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Senior shift rota) Job ref 321-CSS-7181878-B7

Site John Radcliffe Hospital Town Oxford Salary £46,148 - £52,809 Per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 19/06/2025 23:59 Interview date 01/07/2025

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.

The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel .

Many of our recruitment programmes useValue Based Interviewingto identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visitwww.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values

Job overview

Applications are invited from well-motivated State Registered Biomedical scientists for the above post in a Biochemistry Laboratory that is part of a busy UKAS accredited department. The successful applicant will join the senior biochemistry BMS team of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and will be expected to work in each of the sections, as required, by service requirements.

Applicants should hold an MSc in a Clinical Chemistry related subject or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. Key responsibilities will be coordination of the trials enquiries and running the research samples. Team management including appraisals, equipment management and method performance monitoring/control. The post position is currently in Core Automated Biochemistry and the successful candidate will provide oversite of this section too. They will play an important role in training new staff and developing existing staff to meet current and future service needs.

Key attributes of the successful applicant will be the ability to lead and motivate coupled with a strong grounding in the discipline as evidenced from appropriate CPD activities.

Main duties of the job

To supervise/organise staff/work within a section, ensuring work is completed within acceptable timescales and co-ordinate the training of all levels of staff within the section.

To perform, analyse, interpret, document and report both routine, and highly complex laboratory investigations of a highly specialised nature commensurate with the professional grade that will impact directly on patient care.

To collaborate with research teams, be the point of contact for all trials related queries, lead and coordinate the trial samples costing, analysis and invoicing.

The post holder will exercise autonomy within professional and managerial boundaries and will be required to verify and validate completed work.

To liaise/cooperate with hospital clinicians, general practitioners, other healthcare professionals, research teams, suppliers/manufacturers and their agents.

Participate in the strategic development of the section and deputise for their line manager in their absence.

Develop highly specialist skills in all sections of the laboratory via internal rotation.

The work will include a requirement to work some weekend, night and evening duties as required by departmental rotas. This requires a flexible approach to the hours of employment subject to terms and conditions.

Working for our organisation

Clinical Biochemistry is part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We provide services to primary, secondary and tertiary services throughout Oxfordshire, and also neo- and antenatal screening services to a wider geographical area.

There are three laboratories within the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Horton General hospitals. Processes on all three sites have been harmonised through use of common equipment, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and information management.

The laboratory website is here: https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/biochemistry/

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Organise/supervise the work/conduct of all staff within the section and assess staff competence within the section in collaboration with other senior staff.

Organise/supervise the training of laboratory, medical, clerical and ancillary staff within the section in collaboration with other senior staff.

Ensure appropriate testing procedures are followed and use experience and knowledge to request any further tests that may be required to aid in diagnosis by clinicians.

Ordering/stock control of reagents, chemicals, quality control materials, equipment spares/parts and consumables.

Co-ordinate staff rotation and absence management, including use of e-rostering to manage holidays, shift, and absences including sick leave, in collaboration with other senior staff.

Motivate staff within the section and help to resolve staff related grievances / problems.

Liaise with departmental clinicians, consultants, BMS staff of all grades, nurses, EQA providers, manufacturers, suppliers and support staff.

Ensure general and highly complex equipment within the section is maintained and calibrated, troubleshooting where necessary.

Attend advanced training course(s) for use / maintenance / repair of equipment as required.

Ensure that accreditation standards (ISO15189) within own area of responsibility are maintained, including the preparation/revision of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and compliance with current national/local guidelines

Use I-passport to review, archive and update all documentation including standard operating procedure (SOPs)

Monitor technical integrity of assays undertaken through day to day review of internal quality control.

Review in conjunction with the Chief Biomedical Scientist, the longer term quality of assays through review of internal quality control data and external quality assessment returns.

Participate in and support Research & Development initiatives, including clinical research and evaluation/implementation of new methodologies, automation and working practices, in conjunction with line manager and clinical staff.

Ensure Health and Safety and COSHH guidelines are followed and that work is carried out safely and promote good laboratory practice.

Assist in improving departmental quality in conjunction with line manager and the quality manager.

Record Quality Incidents and contribute to their resolution

Demonstrate higher specialist skills and professional knowledge through post registration academic and continuing professional development, including attendance at relevant local/national scientific meetings and providing educational/scientific presentations internally and externally.

Carry out advanced maintenance procedures/ troubleshooting on department analysers, arrange service visits to cause minimal disruption to workflow and maintain stocks of spares and consumables.

Analyses potentially infectious samples using a range of highly specialised laboratory procedures, by either manual or automated techniques, to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care. Undertakes these duties in all areas of Clinical Biochemistry.

Ensures efficient use and maintenance of resources, is aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of the reagents used.

Exercises own initiative and works in co-operation with other staff members to ensure that the workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner.

Is fully conversant with departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensuring that personal performance complies with ISO 15189 and other professional standards.

Carries out troubleshooting and preventative maintenance on highly complex automated systems. Ensures appropriate records are kept and liaises with service engineers where appropriate.

Matches samples with request forms and inputs patient and test information into the laboratory computer system, requiring complete accuracy.

Trials officer for Biochemistry laboratories, be the first point of contact. Collaborate with NIHR and multiple other research groups proving costings and invoicing of work undertaken. Coordinate the timely analysis of trail samples and the return of results. Ensure material is stored appropriately and returned if required.

Person specification

Offline Shortlist

• HCPC registered and appropriate masters level qualification or equivalent
• 3 years experience in a NHS biochemistry service
• Trials experience
• Trouble shooting experience with specific named examples
• Supervisory experience
• Training experience

COVID-19: The COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment , we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information at Oxfordshire County Council Website where you can also find out more about how to access vaccination.

Vacancy Closures: Please note, this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications are received.

Probation Period: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period. If you currently hold a contract of employment with the Oxford University Hospitals, this will not apply. This statement does not apply to Medical staff or Executive Appointments.

Referencing: When providing employment reference details please provide correct work related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your first referee will need to be your line manager, supervisor or clinical lead from your current or most recent post or place of study. Please note that if you have previously worked for the Trust we will require a reference from your last Manager, this information is essential if your offer of employment is to be confirmed.

Next Steps: Please make sure that you read the job description and person specification, and that your supporting statement reflects this as your application will be judged against these criteria. Candidates selected for interview will be contacted after the short-listing process, usually within 2 weeks. (Please note that shortlisting times vary when applying for a Medical position within the Trust). The majority of correspondence will be via the e-recruitment system; therefore you should check your emails regularly including junk mail folders in web-based email products.

No unsolicited recruitment agency telephone calls or emails.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.

Application numbers

Please note that this job advertisement will close automatically once the application limit is reached, regardless of whether this occurs before the advertised closing date.

Domestic / catering / porteringservices at theJohn Radcliffe Hospitalare provided byMitie.

Domestic / catering / portering / maintenance engineerservices at theChurchill HospitalandNuffield Orthopaedic Centreare provided byG4S.

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