Senior Clinical Scientist and Head of Section

Barts Health Nhs Trust; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Camden Town is seeking a Band 8A Head of Section for its Clinical Transplantation Laboratory. This role involves supervising staff in the Molecular or Serology Sections, providing specialized clinical advice, and ensuring high-quality laboratory services to support transplant programs. Candidates should possess strong leadership skills and expertise in HLA characterization and antibody analysis. Commitment to inclusion and teamwork is essential.

Qualifications

• Ability to manage a team and provide leadership in a laboratory setting.
• Expertise in HLA characterization, antibody analysis, and transplant services.
• Strong communication skills to provide clinical advice.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and manage staff performing specialist clinical tests.
• Provide clinical interpretation of results and advice to clinicians.
• Support transplant programs and validate technical assays.

Job description

Overview

As a Band 8A Head of Section in the Clinical Transplantation H&I Laboratory, the post holder will supervise one of the two sections in the laboratory: Molecular or Serology. The post holder will provide managerial and scientific leadership of the band 3-7 staff in the section and offer highly specialised advice regarding further investigations and donor/patient selection for transplant.

The post holder will work with the Head and Deputy Head of Department and key stakeholders to develop clinical policy and to plan, initiate and perform both routine clinical services and research and development activities that lead to service improvements.

Main duties

• Undertake and manage staff to perform a range of highly specialist clinical and technical tests and services in either the Molecular or Serology Sections, including HLA characterisation, antibody analysis and crossmatching activities, during daytime and out of hours.
• Provide highly specialised advice and laboratory services concerning the care or treatment of transplant patients, including final verification and clinical interpretation of results before release to clinicians, and provide clinical advice in person and by telephone. Attend multiple MDT meetings each week.
• Deliver the service in support of thymus, kidney and cardiothoracic transplantation programmes, including virtual crossmatching and immunological risk assessment in liaison with the clinical team.
• With delegated authority from the Head and Deputy Head of Department, act as line manager to provide strategic and day-to-day leadership to the Molecular or Serology Section, manage staff, and supervise validation and troubleshooting of assays.
• Attend clinical meetings in support of transplant programmes and actively participate in the department's Quality Management Systems.

Governance and partnership

The NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership is an arms-length organisation providing pathology services to Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The Pathology Partnership is hosted by Barts Health.

The Pathology Partnership was formed in May 2021. Between 2021 and 2024 the Partnership undertook a complex transformation programme to establish a single network of laboratories, underpinned by a single Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and single Quality Management System (QMS).

The Partnership has a main hub laboratory at the Royal London Hospital and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) at six other hospital sites served by the Partnership.

The 2024/25 total operating costs across the Partnership were approximately £121m per annum with a workforce establishment of circa [data redacted].

Values and equality

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.