Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Synnovis; Greater London; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Generous annual leave entitlement

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

Synnovis is recruiting a Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist for its centralised laboratory in Blackfriars, London. The role supports a 24/7 pathology service with a large team of Biomedical Scientists and support staff, reporting to the Operations Manager.

You will lead in a defined area, develop new techniques, maintain regulatory compliance, and manage staff training and performance in line with ISO/UKAS standards.

Qualifications

• BSC IBMS accredited degree and HCPC registration.
• Specialist portfolio in Microbiology or FIBMS experience.
• MSc / FIBMS or equivalent qualification.
• IBMS membership and CPD evidence.

Responsibilities

• Lead in a specialist area and ensure successful pathology service delivery.
• Line manage staff including recruitment, performance and absence management.
• Develop, review SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with ISO standards.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Communication

Problem solving

LIMS

Q-Pulse

Education

BSC (Hons) IBMS accredited degree

HCPC registration

MSc / FIBMS

Quality or Management qualification

IBMS membership

CPD evidence

Tools

LIMS

Q-Pulse

Job description

Employer Synnovis Employer type Private Sector Site Friars Bridge Court Town London Salary £58,133 to £65,261 per annum depending on experience Closing 21/09/2026 23:59

Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Synnovis Pay Band 7

The place to work in pathology

We are looking for top talent to join the UK’s leading and fastest growing pathology company – a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose.

Working in partnership with our service partners, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.

Job overview

Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland and the NHS. Our organisation brings together the very best in clinical, scientific and operational expertise.

This vacancy is within the infection services department based in the recently opened centralised laboratory in Blackfriars, London. You will have the opportunity to work in this modern, newly designed and state of the art department.

The successful candidate will join a large team of Biomedical and Clinical Scientists and support staff producing more than one million test results annually. The department operates a full 24/7 service.

Main duties of the job

• Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will have a high level of responsibility, working to ensure successful service delivery, in line with corporate objectives.
• Participate in the strategic development and improvement of the service
• Work early, late, night and weekend / Bank Holiday shifts as required.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements of regulatory directives and accreditation bodies.
• To line manage employees delivering all aspects of people management, including recruitment, performance and absence management.
• Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding.
• Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with ISO standards.

Working for our organisation

Your development and learning

You 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.

Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Purpose of the Job

This role delivers specialist biomedical investigations and provides first line people management as part of the laboratory team. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will have a high level of responsibility, including leading in an area of expertise, to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives.

What you will do

You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for a specialist area, providing specialised technical scientific services and
  communicating complex information that will aid and determine clinical diagnosis.
• Contribute to the development of specialist investigations, identifying better ways of
  working and finding efficiencies in service delivery.
• Manage day-to-day staffing with the Operations Manager to ensure all resourcing needs
  are met, manage workflow and relevant training to meet turnaround times, cover bench
  work and where required supervise others as part of early or late or weekend shifts.
• Take part in other activities such as audits, training, and potentially clinical trials as
  required.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse samples in line with local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including but not limited to recording results and necessary action on the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), ensuring all Information Governance (IG) requirements are met.
• Maintain standards of conduct required by the HCPC to practice as a registered Biomedical Scientist.
• Provide technical advice to clinical colleagues as required and within limits of competency.
• Participate in the strategic development and service improvement of the analytical service, be responsible for the implementation of new techniques, equipment, and tests, as directed including all verification and validation work. Where necessary this will include analysing clinical trial samples.
• Ensure all incidents and events are correctly reported by junior staff in Q-Pulse quality management database and other relevant software and support them in quality learning procedures and investigations.
• In conjunction with the Quality team, monitor, report and action errors, hazards, and incidents logged in the CAPA module of Q-Pulse. This may include taking part in investigations of incidents and providing expert insight into making improvements based on outcomes.
• Participate in appropriate clinical audits as required and directed.
• Monitor, and report on EQA and IQC procedures and be responsible for correcting problems that have been identified.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including:

• Care Quality Commission
• UKAS
• Synnovis policies and SOPs
• Any other body in area of responsibility

• Provide supervision for all employees, including participating in early, late, night and weekend and Bank Holiday shifts as required.
• Line manage employees as required. This includes delivering all aspects of people management, such as recruitment, performance management, absence management, learning and development, employee health and wellbeing.
• Encourage junior employees in their scientific expertise, knowledge and professional development, including the safe use of highly complex and sensitive equipment.
• Develop, prepare, write, and review relevant documents, including SOPs, COSHH and risk assessments in line with ISO 15189 2022 standards.
• Demonstrate ongoing laboratory-based competency against training plans.
• Ensure that all Synnovis policies and procedures are implemented and maintained.
• Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects, and in particular when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding.
• Attend, and where required, chair regular departmental meetings and contribute to effective communication within the department.
• Work closely with Operations Managers to ensure stock inventory compliance.
• Deputise for the Operations Manager including attendance at meetings, as required.
• Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always relevant and up to date to your specific area.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South Eeast London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors.

Synnovis’ corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.

Based in Blackfriars, it’s less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSC (Hons) IBMS accredited degree or equivalent
• HCPC State registration as a Biomedical Scientist
• Specialist portfolio in Microbiology or equivalent experience (if HCPC Registration via IBMS Portfolio route) or FIBMS
• MSc, FIBMS or equivalent experience in a similar role.
• Evidence of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
• Quality or Management qualification
• Willing to work towards higher levels of professional practice
• IBMS membership

Experience

• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and managing a team
• Experience of supervising junior employees
• Lead in area of special interest and expertise in one or more areas of the laboratory, for example Quality, Health & Safety, Training or IT
• Cultivating junior colleagues with skills in areas of interest or expertise such as Quality, Healthy & Safety, Training or IT.
• Cultivating Specialist BMS with skills in research, clinical or analytical areas.
• Acting as owner for escalation and communication to internal and external users in the event of quality/analyser/assay failures.
• Worked as part of a 24/7 shift pattern.

Skills & Knowledge

• Demonstrates a high degree of skill, knowledge and judgement where interpretation of results can be highly subjective
• Well developed physical skills, demonstrable ability to use precision equipment and consumables.
• Manage the resolution of troubleshooting activity for highly technical and precision equipment and assays
• Ability to troubleshoot and train those who use the Laboratory Information Management System
• Ability to manage effectively in a changing dynamic environment with multiple conflicting priorities
• Knowledge of effective line management techniques including all aspects of people management, for example recruitment and rota management
• Ability to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time.
• Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS.
• Knowledge of the management of laboratory procedures in your own area, including following Health & Safety legislation and procedures.
• Good awareness of current issues within pathology, both locally and nationally.

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. All applicants are welcome to apply regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.

For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.

All employees are entitled to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement

Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

Thank you for your interest in Synnovis.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.