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Biomedical Scientist

Employer
Synnovis Analytics
Location
London (Greater)
Salary
£42,470 to £50,364 annum depending on experience
Closing date
19 Feb 2024
View more categoriesView less categories
Sector
Immunology, Biochemistry
Job Function
Biomedical Scientist
Contract Type
Contract
Hours
Full Time

Applications are invited for a Biomedical Scientist, within a friendly, busy and supportive team based in the Scientific Research and Innovation Services at King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, operating between the hours of 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to develop unique and customized evaluations, validations and testing, designed specifically for the requirements of the research undertaken, supporting our NHS, clinical, academic and commercial sponsors. This varied workload makes for an interesting environment and a natural professional development platform, which includes assay design, assessing scientific validity, statistical analysis, methodology optimization and creation of Standard Operating Procedures.

Main duties of the job  

The Scientific Research and Innovation Department facilitates the setup, sample analysis and result generation of new research studies and trials from both academic and commercial entities.

Contractual and analytical laboratory services are delivered by two specialist teams.

The Contracts team provide contractual advice and services to clinical and academic research groups, particularly in Kings Health Partners who comprise of KCH, GSTT, SLAM and KCL, and other third party organisations.

The Scientific team provide pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical services for our clinical Cytokine service and contracted research studies.

The post holder will be responsible for the development and delivery of a broad range of complex, specialized manual and automated immunoassays, focusing largely on the biomarkers for the innate and adaptive immune pathways such as, Cytokines and Complement, in addition to study specific biomarker discovery.

Analyzers used within the department include the Protein Simple Ella, Werfen DS2, Randox Evidence Investigator and Siemens Immulite 2000 XPi.

The successful candidate will have Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration, significant and recent laboratory experience specializing in Immunology and Biochemistry, with an expertise in manual and automated immunoassay ELISA. Research and development experience working to ISO15189, GCP and HTA guidelines is essential.

About us  

Although unable to support the completion of an IBMS Specialist portfolio, there are a large number of development opportunities delivered through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the ViAcademy 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.

You can also apply for finance to drive innovation and service development for the benefit of patients through our Innovation Accelerator Fund.

Job description Job responsibilities  

At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London.

For now, the job you are applying for will be based at one of our hospital sites however, from 1 April 2024 our people and services will start to move to our Hub laboratory in Blackfriars, Southwark, SE1, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. This specific role will be remaining on the Kings College Hospital site and will not be moving to the Hub laboratory. Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical

  • To safely handle, use and dispose of blood, serum, plasma and other bodily fluids or hazardous chemicals.
  • To perform complex manual, semi-automated and fully automated laboratory investigations, particularly the more highly specialised tests of the department.
  • To perform all technical procedures pertaining to the Contract research and development department in a safe and competent way.
  • To ensure that preventative maintenance on laboratory instruments and equipment has been completed to agreed standard and timescales.
  • To ensure that quality control and quality assurance procedures are undertaken.
  • To undertake preliminary fault finding and corrective action when the quality control procedures indicate loss of performance.
  • Responsible for troubleshooting of analytical instruments, automated analysers and procedural failures; may be required to install replacement parts and/or upgrade software.
  • Responsible for the calibration of the automated analysers.
  • To follow the standard operating procedures and to participate in their regular review and update.
  • To ensure samples received for R&D studies are correctly received, logged onto appropriate spreadsheets/systems and stored under suitable conditions.
  • To ensure samples are labelled and numbered in accordance with laboratory procedures and specific procedures associated with research studies and clinical trials.
  • To prepare samples for analysis, including preparing relevant assay sheets and paperwork.
  • To enter all the relevant test requests into the LIMS system.
  • To prepare, process and pack samples for despatch to other laboratories, including complex sample processes for commercial clinical trials.
  • To ensure work is processed in a timely manner under the guidance of the operations manager and senior scientist.
  • To perform automated biochemical analysis.
  • To perform mass spectrometry analysis, when appropriate.
  • To perform molecular diagnostic techniques, when appropriate.
  • Undertake validation and verification testing of new equipment or examinations as and when required.
  • To perform statistical analysis for validation and verification data review.
  • Ensure that errors, quality failures and incidents are recorded according to laboratory protocol.
  • Ensure sample filing and discard is carried out in accordance with departmental protocols.
  • To prepare reagents required for laboratory investigations.
  • To report to the laboratory manager any instance or event which may cause a service delivery failure.

Scientific and Research

  • To keep up to date with current scientific and technical developments through participation in scientific meetings as appropriate.
  • Take part in the research, development and evaluation of new techniques presenting information in a clearly documented form for discussion with the senior team.
  • Present laboratory findings at local, national and international meetings and by publication through peer reviewed scientific journals.
  • To provide professional advice and guidance to trainee clinical and biomedical scientists.
  • To gain higher specialist training by attending and participating in departmental and external seminars or courses.
  • To undertake specific research and development projects, agreed by the laboratory manager and training committee, within the bounds of the required service provision and available resources, under the direction of a consultant clinical scientist and supervised by the operations manager or consultant chemical pathologist.
  • To assist in research projects for BSc, MSc and higher degrees.

Training and Development

  • To support and participate in staff training and development.
  • To lead tutorial groups and present at seminars or journal clubs on a regular basis.
  • To supervise the work of state registered biomedical scientists preparing and working towards the Health Care Professions Council specialist competency certificate.
  • To assist the senior staff and laboratory manager with training, development and competence assessment of junior and MLA staff.
  • To assist the senior staff and laboratory manager with the supervision of medical laboratory assistants, trainee biomedical scientists and Specialist Registrars.
  • To comply with the training and competence policy and procedure.
  • To undergo training in analytical techniques relevant to the position.
  • To undertake training courses related to techniques and tools relevant to the position.

Laboratory Informatics

  • To comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure, confidential processing and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
  • To use the Laboratory Information System according to the authorised protocols.
  • To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.

Administrative and Communication

  • To manage outstanding work to ensure that all results are reported within the agreed turnaround time.
  • To participate in the data collection for the operation performance managements system (OPMS).
  • To advise the senior staff or laboratory manager when stocks of reagents and consumables are approaching minimum stock levels.
  • Effective communication with laboratory and medical staff to ensure that specimens are dealt with appropriately and in a timely fashion.
  • Liaise with internal and external, medical and industry colleagues and other departments within Pathology.
  • To maintain good work relations with all members of staff, and to promote effective teamwork.
  • To treat everyone associated with Viapath and Kings College Hospital NHS Trust with courtesy and respect.
  • Advise service users on sample preservation and transportation to laboratory.

Governance

  • To ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of GCP, HTA, MHRA and other relevant authorities.
  • To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of GCP, HTA, MHRA and other relevant authorities.
  • To comply with the policies and procedures of Kings College Hospital NHS Trust and Viapath Pathology.
  • To observe and adhere to local and national health and safety policies.
  • To observe national and local guidance on patient and commercial confidentiality.
  • To create Validation reports for assays performed in Contract R&D.
  • To create Standard Operating Procedures for assays performed in Contract R&D.
  • Propose changes to Standard Operating Procedures to senior staff and aid in implementation of such changes, as and when required.
  • Undertake audits and participate in surveys when required.
  • To be aware of and understand the application of relevant health & safety regulations and guidelines.
  • To take appropriate action if there is a spillage of body fluids or hazardous chemicals to minimise the risk to staff and the public.
  • To report any instance where, for whatever reason, there is a risk to the clinical management or general welfare of a patient.

Other

  • To deputise for the senior clinical or biomedical scientist in their absence.
  • Maintain HCPC registration and undertake Continual Professional Development.
  • To maintain an awareness of developments in laboratory techniques and provide suggestions for implementation as appropriate.
  • To keep the workplace and work benches clean and tidy.
  • To maintain and promote the professional image of Contract Research and Development, Viapath Pathology and Kings College Hospital NHS Trust.
  • To treat everyone associated with Kings College Hospital NHS Trust and Viapath Pathology with courtesy and respect.
  • To assist operations manager and senior scientist as required.
  • To maintain good work relations with all members of staff, and to promote effective teamwork.
  • Keep appropriate records of all communications.
  • To participate in and contribute to the Performance Planning and Review (PPR) process.

 

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings 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.

KCH

Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UKs leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. Kings has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career.

Over the last 170 years, Kings has delivered nothing but world class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.

 

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

  • IBMS accredited BSc Degree in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent disciplines Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) State Registration Good clinical practice (GCP) training certificate Human Tissue Authority (HTA) training certificate

Desirable

  • MSc or equivalent in relevant biomedical sciences discipline

Experience Essential

  • Significant and recent laboratory experience specializing in Immunology and Biochemistry Expertise in manual and automated immunoassay and ELISA Troubleshooting specialized laboratory equipment and procedures Assay optimisation, validation and documentation Experience working to GCP and ISO 15189 Research and development experience Quality Management Systems (QMS) competence and experience, e.g. Q pulse, Document Control, Audit, CAPA, Assets

Skills and Knowledge Essential

  • Ability to undertake technical validation, interpretation and clinical authorisation of results Analytical and technical skills in laboratory techniques Theoretical knowledge of specialized techniques Knowledge of health and safety procedures

Desirable

  • Research ability as evidenced by scientific publications or presentations

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