Job summary

This is an exciting time to join one of the largest Pathology departments in the country, and in advance of moving to our new £30m Pathology building (on the St. Jamess University Hospital site) and new Acute Hospital Laboratory (on the Leeds General Infirmary site) early 2025. The Department of Blood Sciences is seeking to recruit experienced and innovative Specialist Biomedical Scientist in Haematology to help shape, deliver and improve the service we deliver to our patients.

We encourage all candidates to contact us to discuss the role(s) and we can offer informal visits to our laboratories for interested candidates.

Interview will be held in person, due to practical elements of the interview process.

Full/part time roles are available.

Please note: UK Government immigration and sponsorship criteria have changed. Please check your eligibility before applying.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will work within a large hub laboratory utilising cutting edge technology, serving both Leeds Teaching Hospitals and the wider community. This includes the regional Oncology centre and the Leeds Children's Hospital, which is a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to gain wide ranging experience within the discipline. In spring 2025, the successful candidate will be involved in the exciting transition to our new, purpose-built hub laboratory at St. Jamess University Hospital.

To be considered for this Specialist Biomedical Scientist (AFC Band 6) position in Haematology, you must be registered with the HCPC and have significant Haematology experience. If registering with the HCPC on or after 2006, a completed IBMS Specialist Portfolio is a requirement of this post. Competence in blood film morphology is essential.

Successful candidates should possess the leadership skills to supervise and support more junior members of staff within the laboratory. In addition, the candidate will support the department maintain its accreditation status to ISO15189. Relevant training and support will be provided for the successful candidate.

About us

Our Pathology services operate across two large university teaching hospitals in the Leeds Metropolitan area with a population of around million and provide services both regionally and nationally. In addition to the new laboratory projects, we are also working to deploy a West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) regional LIMS, and a new Managed Pathology Service Contract. Construction on the new Leeds Children's Hospital is also about to start, which will include all in-patient maternity and specialist neonatal services to become the largest single site maternity centre in the UK.

The successful candidate will be well supported by the wider scientific and clinical teams. The Blood Sciences Department is accredited to ISO15189 and by the IBMS as a training laboratory in both Clinical Biochemistry and Haematology.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a specialist biomedical scientist you will be a fully competent member of the department. Normally working as part of a team, you will be expected to perform a wide range of specialist clinical technical investigations. At other times you may be required to work alone and independently, for example when working on-call. Working in different sections of the department you will have the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute towards the provision of an accurate and timely service for patients. You will be expected to apply professional judgements and specialist skills to technically complex and sometimes difficult situations. Within the team you may be required to organize the tasks of support workers. You will be required to communicate highly complex information, often related to patient management and care, to colleagues, healthcare staff and other organizations.

You will be required to attend MDT and other user meetings where appropriate. Post holders will be involved in R&D and may lead projects, under supervision, where appropriate.

The post holder will assist in the day to day running of the laboratory or a particular section of the laboratory, under supervision/delegation of the advanced biomedical scientist. This will involve QC and EQA authorisation, training, risk and incident assessment and investigation and HR procedures. The post holder will be expected to have an awareness of budgets and resource responsibility.

In order to carry out the job sufficiently and effectively you will have successfully studied for an accredited degree in biomedical sciences, or other equivalent qualification acceptable to the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). You will have developed a range of competencies and specialist knowledge in all aspects of the discipline through extensive practical experience, in house training and structured study through the IBMS specialist portfolio programme and will continue to develop your skills and knowledge subject to the requirements of continuous professional development (CPD). In addition, basic computer skills and use of various laboratory and Trust based databases are essential to carry out your work.

The post holder will have undertaken all mandatory training required for their role and be willing to attend training to facilitate learning in areas such as basic HR functions, appraisal, incident investigation etc.

see job description for full details

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Competence in a wide range of complex laboratory procedures Post registration experience within Haematology Competence in Morphology LIMS/IT systems relevant to healthcare Proven ability to work unsupervised on-call or shift.

Desirable

Knowledge of pathology disciplines other than in own area. Line management experience and leadership skills Teaching, training and mentorship skills

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Excellent communication skills, oral and written. Able to work in a team. Able to work independently. Basic knowledge and computer literacy. Knowledge of conventional IT software Microsoft Office Independent Problem solving/ troubleshooting skills. Flexible approach to work

Qualifications

Essential

Degree suitable for HCPC registration/HCPC registration Specialist portfolio (2006 registration onwards) Participation in relevant CPD schemes

Additional Requirements

Essential

Good concentration Manual Dexterity Good hand/eye coordination Attention to detail. Physically able to move around and between sites