Team Manager

Synnovis; City Of London; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Flexible contract assignments

Job summary

Synnovis, the UK's leading pathology partner, invites applications for the role of Team Manager based in our Blackfriars hub. You will lead the Central Specimen Reception team, shaping day-to-day delivery, staffing plans, and training initiatives to meet ISO 15189 standards.

Ideal candidates will have demonstrable management experience, strong communication and IT skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, shift-based environment including weekends and public holidays.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising and managing staff in a busy laboratory or similar setting.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with cross-team collaboration.
• Ability to plan, schedule and manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor CSR team to deliver accurate pre-analytical tasks.
• Organise day-to-day tasks and manage workloads and rotas.
• Oversee recruitment and staff development.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs and ISO 15189 standards.
• Maintain high-quality customer service and professional communication.
• Support training and competency development through Synnovis Academy.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Time management

Adaptability

Problem solving

Education

GCSEs incl English & Maths

A Levels / Level 3-4 healthcare training

Tools

Microsoft Office

LIMS

Google Docs

Job description

Employer Synnovis Employer type Private Sector Site Synnovis Hub, Blackfriars Road Town London Salary £34,186 to £37,388 per annum depending on experience Closing 22/11/2026 23:59

Team Manager

Synnovis Pay Band 4

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

The place to work in pathology!

Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Our organisation brings together the very best in clinical, scientific and operational expertise, and displays in action the core values at the heart of our brand: science for life, collaboration for the benefit of everyone, and innovation and quality.

We aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.

As Team Manager you will have a key role in providing support and guidance to Central Specimen Reception (CSR) team for the successful delivery of day‑to‑day tasks.

Main duties of the job

You will be working closely alongside other managers for CSR and will be based at the Synnovis Blackfriars Hub.

There will also be an expectation to support the recruitment of staff and candidates must have demonstrable managerial skills and experience in both staff and change management.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is looking to further develop managerial skills.

The role is very fast paced and therefore requires someone who has excellent time management skills and the ability to manage other workloads as well as their own. Candidates must be flexible, have excellent communication & IT skills, and be able to adapt under pressure. A positive professional attitude and being committed to improving pre and post analytical processes are key.

Candidates must demonstrate flexibility in their availability, as this role operates on a 24/7 basis. Shift patterns will include day, evening and night shifts, as well as weekend and public holiday working, in line with operational requirements.

Working for our organisation

Central Specimen Reception (CSR) team are expected to regularly and effectively communicate to colleagues within the department and also various other Synnovis colleagues across Services, Analytics & Group.

You will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management of a team of pre‑analytical assistants known as Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLA), within the Central Specimen Reception (CSR) service.

Duties will include supporting the administration and operational management of the CSR service, managing the CSR team to ensure that staff carry out their duties in accordance with established policies and procedures, delivering training to staff in all reception processes, and line managing staff including annual performance reviews.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

• Handle and manage samples, in line with SOPs and assessed competencies
• Organise day‑to‑day tasks, identifying and prioritising urgent work to ensure that deadlines are met, and to the highest standards possible. Escalate to senior member of staff, as necessary
• Ensure rota is covered and implement plans to reassign work or cover gaps as required
• Perform and supervise cleaning activities, prepare pre‑analytical equipment, perform daily checks, environmental monitoring and waste management activities, and complete all required paperwork
• Prepare specimens and perform manual, semi‑automated and fully automated processes within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision
• Work with Training Lead and ensure appropriate competency training is delivered
• Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining technical issues, in particular when communicating with people who do not share the same level of knowledge or understanding
• Undertake preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on pre‑analytical instruments and equipment
• Safely handle, use and dispose of biological specimens including infectious material or hazardous chemicals according to laboratory and health and safety protocols
• Understand hazards and risks of working in a laboratory and use adequate precautions and personal protective equipment at all times
• Ensure all laboratory samples, consumables and equipment are appropriately stored and maintained in line with SOPs, health and safety guidelines and recording protocols
• Use departmental resources efficiently and apply good stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery. Receipt and unpack new deliveries and advise/order when approaching minimum stock levels
• Supervise MLAs by mentoring and ensuring performance is in line with laboratory standards
• Report and record all incidents and adverse events under the direction of the senior members of staff
• Participate in quality management activities including inspections, audits and maintaining ISO 15189 accreditation, as required
• Answer the telephone, deal with calls politely and professionally, escalating requests when necessary to appropriate senior staff or departments
• Adhere to the SOPs and work with the team to review working practice to maintain a high quality and safe service
• Perform specimen reception duties including checking details, receiving and logging patient requests on to the LIMS
• Process referral specimens, receive samples dispatched from other laboratories and prepare samples for despatch to other laboratories or hospitals
• Seek practical advice from more experienced colleagues, including alignment with requirements of accreditation bodies and local management processes
• Use LIMS to accurately record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent, long periods of concentration, whilst always maintaining patient confidentiality and following Information Governance (IG) guidelines
• Complete any assigned laboratory administrative tasks including but not limited to: stock monitoring and ordering, logging of operational performance data

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

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.

Qualifications

• Good all‑round education to GCSE standard including English and Maths at grade 4/C or equivalent or L2 Healthcare Science apprenticeship
• A Levels or Level 3/4 vocational qualification, City & Guilds or L4 Healthcare Science Apprenticeship or equivalent experience Willingness to attend relevant courses and undertake training as required such as Management qualification or relevant degree

Experience

• Supervising, training or inducting junior employees Working as part of a team
• Working in a busy environment
• Working with computer applications such as Microsoft Office / Google docs, data entry
• Working accurately with an attention to detail
• Supporting rota management, recruitment and selection
• Working with Laboratory Information Management Systems

Skills

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Numeracy and literacy
• Organised and methodical
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to accurately follow written procedures
• Competent at problem solving and prioritising
• Willingness and ability to learn complex operating procedures and follow guidelines
• Basic knowledge of laboratory Health & Safety regulation
• Sound knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)

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 SYNLAB.