Specialist APT

Cambridge University Hospitals; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site facilities

Bus travel subsidies

Parking

Job summary

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 5 Specialist Anatomical Pathology Technologist for the Mortuary Team in Cambridge. You will lead day-to-day operations, supervise staff, coordinate workloads and support high-risk post-mortem work, including on-call shifts.

The role requires RSPH Level 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology or equivalent, and RSciTech registration. AfC Band 4 on progress may apply during qualification completion.

Qualifications

• Lead day-to-day operation of the mortuary service with tight safety and quality standards.
• Supervise and line-manage technical and support staff; support training and development.
• Engage in high-risk, paediatric and forensic post-mortem work and participate in on-call rota.
• Ensure HTA PM standards are implemented and service meets quality requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage, supervise, motivate and lead staff to maintain efficient mortuary service.
• Oversee compliance with HTA PM standards and relevant legislation.
• Train and support junior staff, students and colleagues; contribute to competency assessments.
• Contribute to quality management, audits and SOP development.
• Undertake mortuary duties including routine, paediatric, high-risk and specialist PMs.
• Support pathologists during PMs and assist with specimen collection and reconstruction.
• Provide compassionate support to bereaved families and handle viewings with cultural sensitivity.
• Maintain accurate documentation and liaise with coroner, police and other stakeholders.

Skills

Staff supervision

Training & development

On-call experience

Attention to detail

Communication

Education

RSPH Level 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology

RSciTech registration with the Science Council

Job description

Main area Division B - Mortuary Grade Band 5* Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (With on-call. Full Time or Part Time / Flexible working hours may be considered.) Job ref 180-B-264224

Employer Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Addenbrookes Hopsital-Division B Town Cambridge Salary £32,073 - £39,043 p.a. pro rata *subject to agenda for change panel Salary period Yearly Closing 28/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 06/10/2026

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Mortuary Team at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Band 5 Specialist Anatomical Pathology Technologist.

Working closely with the Mortuary Management Team, you will lead the day-to-day operation of the service. You will coordinate and allocate daily work, supervise and line manage staff, support training and development, and help ensure that the service operates safely, efficiently and to a consistently high standard. You will continue to undertake specialist technical work across a wide range of post-mortem activities, including high-risk, paediatric and forensic cases. The role includes participation in the mortuary’s 24-hour rotational on-call service.

Applicants should hold the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Level 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology (or equivalent) and hold RSciTech registration with the Science Council. Applications may be accepted from Anatomical Pathology Technicians who hold the RSPH Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology who are currently progressing through the RSPH Level 4 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology (or equivalent). Successful candidates that have not yet finished the Diploma will be paid on AfC Band 4 based on their experience at that grade, until completion and successful assessment and award of their qualification by the RSPH and RSciTech registration with the Science Council.

Main duties of the job

Manage, supervise, motivate and lead the technical and support staff to ensure an efficient and safe mortuary service is maintained.

Ensure all mortuary activities are carried out in accordance with Human Tissue Authority (HTA) standards, legislation, departmental procedures and quality requirements.

Supervise, train and support junior staff, students and colleagues, contributing to competency assessment and professional development.

Assist with service improvement, audits, incident investigations, quality management activities and the development of policies, procedures and SOPs.

Undertake a wide range of mortuary duties, including routine, paediatric, high-risk and specialist post-mortem examinations.

Support pathologists during post-mortem examinations, including advanced techniques, specimen collection, and body reconstruction.

Provide compassionate support to bereaved families and facilitate viewings, ensuring individual cultural, religious and personal wishes are respected.

Maintain accurate documentation, traceability and records relating to deceased patients, samples, retained tissues and personal effects.

Liaise effectively with HM Coroner, pathologists, police, funeral directors, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to ensure a high-quality service.

Participate in the 24-hour on-call rota, providing specialist mortuary support outside normal working hours.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 28th September 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on 6th October 2026.

All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.

Equal opportunities / DEI / inclusion

We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Right to Work

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full-time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full-time permanent contract unless you have:

- applied for a Graduate visa

- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification

Qualifications

• RSPH Level 4 Diploma Anatomical Pathology Technology – or equivalent. (applicants working towards this may still be considered)
• Registered with the Science Council (applicants working towards this may still be considered)

Experience

• Extensive mortuary experience including High Risk PMs, Specialist techniques and on-call
• Experience of leading / supervising
• Experience of teaching / training
• Experience of line management
• Experience in a histology laboratory
• Experience of Quality Management Systems
• Experience of forensic cases

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of practical and safety elements of mortuary work
• Knowledge of the HTA PM standards and implementing these in a working mortuary
• Demonstrable knowledge of the HTA PM standards and technical understanding of these in a working mortuary equivalent to that covered by the RSPH Level 4 Diploma Anatomical Pathology Technology
• Knowledge of staff appraisals
• Knowledge of performance management

Skills

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• High level of manual dexterity
• Effective verbal and written communication / telephone skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to prioritise workload to meet needs of service
• Ability to supervise and train less experienced members of staff
• Organisational skills

Additional Requirements

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
• Willingness to undertake training to extend their skill set to deliver role as well as train others
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Integrity and personal credibility.
• Strives for excellence
• Self-motivated and able to motivate others
• Ability to be flexible, adaptable and respond to the needs of the service
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines where there are competing demands
• Puts the patient first in everything that is undertaken
• Awareness of self and impact on others
• Ability to identify inaccuracies and troubleshoot problems
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Actively participate in Continual Professional Development (CPD)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.