Senior Biomedical Scientist in Microbiology

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A large hospital trust in the UK is looking for a Senior Biomedical Scientist with extensive microbiology experience. The role involves full participation in working rotas and requires HCPC registration and a Level 7 qualification. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic team at a leading healthcare provider dedicated to quality patient care and professional development.

Qualifications

• HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist.
• Level 7 qualification in a relevant subject (e.g., MSc or IBMS Higher Specialist Diploma).
• Extensive experience in microbiology-related work.

Responsibilities

• Participate fully in the 7-day working and out of hours on call rotas.
• Train and supervise other staff.
• Work with cross-functional teams within the network.

Skills

Extensive experience in an ISO-accredited laboratory

Supervisory skills and ability to train staff

Specialist knowledge across microbiology, virology, and molecular techniques

Analytical and technical skills for microbiology work

Ability to communicate results to health professionals

Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience of molecular techniques

Strong IT skills (MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint) and familiarity with LIMS

Education

HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist

Level 7 qualification in a relevant subject

Tools

LIMS

Job description

Overview

We are looking for 2 enthusiastic, visionary BMS with extensive Microbiology experience to join our team as a Senior Biomedical Scientist (Band 7). These are 2 full-time, substantive vacancies. Suitable candidates must be HCPC registered and hold a Level 7 qualification in a relevant subject. This role requires full participation in the 7-day working and out of hours on call rotas.

The Microbiology service, centralised on one site at the William Harvey Hospital, provides a wide range of bacteriology, virology, molecular, parasitology and mycology diagnostic tests for all our acute sites and community services, totalling 600,000+ samples per year. We are a fully ISO 15189 accredited service and are recognised by the IBMS and the National School for Healthcare Science for training. We are a dynamic diverse team currently training Trainee Biomedical Scientists, Trainee Clinical Scientists, Senior and Consultant clinical scientists, Senior Clinical Fellows and apprentices at several levels.

Microbiology at EKHUFT is known for its inclusivity, support and open friendly culture. The department invests in and develops staff, strives for excellence, and supports a forward-thinking Service and Quality Improvement plan. We are supporting new and exciting career pathways and roles, such as dual registration as a clinical scientist.

Main duties

KMPN: You will have a fantastic opportunity to grow your career in KMPN. We are developing a network academy, a platform for all network education and training from apprenticeships to advanced clinical and scientific qualifications with a single faculty making best use of our talented educators and trainers. You will not be expected to work at sites outside of EKHUFT; however, there will be opportunities for collaborative working within the network.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is “great healthcare from great people.” Everything we do is guided by our values: “People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference.” We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called “We care”. It is about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We are looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form. We are able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa for roles Band 6 and above.

Job description and person specification

Job responsibilities and the full Job Description/Person Specification are located in Documents to download. For any queries, please contact the line manager using the contact details below.

Qualifications

Essential

• HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist
• Level 7 qualification in a relevant subject (e.g., MSc or IBMS Higher Specialist Diploma or IBMS Fellowship examination or 60 credits in a relevant postgraduate qualification)

Desirable

• Clinical Microbiology Masters which could feed into HSST
• Suitability for Clinical Scientist HCPC registration
• Relevant training or qualifications (e.g., PostGrad Certificate, IBMS extended practice certificate)

Skills and experience

Essential

• Extensive experience in an ISO-accredited laboratory
• Supervisory skills and ability to train staff
• Specialist knowledge across microbiology, virology, and molecular techniques
• Analytical and technical skills for microbiology work
• Ability to communicate results to health professionals (telephone and email)
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience of molecular techniques
• Strong IT skills (MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint) and familiarity with LIMS

Desirable

• Teaching and training skills for staff at different grades

Personal and professional attributes

Essential

• Strong interpersonal, communication and organisational skills with attention to detail
• Ability to work in a team and on own initiative

Knowledge

Essential

• Up-to-date knowledge of current practices in Microbiology and Virology
• Specialist knowledge across relevant procedures and molecular techniques
• Awareness of NHS developments and their impact on Pathology services

Desirable

• Detailed knowledge of UKAS Accreditation, ISO 15189 and other quality management systems

Other

Essential

• Awareness of the Trust’s Vision, Mission, Values and behaviours

Disclosure and sponsorship

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975 and will require Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. For information, please refer to the sponsoring guidance. UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details

Employer name: East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Address: William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Ashford, TN24 0LZ