Deputy Manager and Technical Lead
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated Biomedical Scientist to join our Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) Laboratory as a Band 8a Technical Lead and Deputy Laboratory Manager on a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover contract.
This is a key leadership role within a specialist clinical laboratory service, providing technical expertise, operational management support, and professional leadership to the TDM team. The successful candidate will work closely with the Laboratory Manager to ensure the delivery of a high-quality, responsive and patient-focused service, supporting the monitoring of immunosuppressants, and other therapeutic drugs.
The post holder will provide day-to-day technical leadership, lead service development initiatives and contribute to strategic planning to ensure the laboratory continues to meet accreditation standards and evolving clinical needs.
Main duties of the job
- Communicate service issues, incidents, risks, and potential service failures to the Laboratory Manager and/or Laboratory Director.
- Liaise with laboratory staff, clinicians, service users, educational bodies, professional organisations, and NHS partners to support service delivery, training, and workforce development.
- Participate in departmental, laboratory, clinical, and management meetings, providing specialist advice, feedback, updates, and recommendations.
- Possess specialist knowledge of therapeutic monitoring of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, renal disease, and transplantation, supported by MSc-level education and advanced specialist training.
- Ensure the accuracy, quality, and authorisation of laboratory results.
- Exercise professional judgement regarding assay performance, quality assurance, IQC failures, equipment faults, maintenance activities, and service continuity.
- Coordinate the day-to-day operation of the laboratory, including staff allocation, workload prioritisation, and rota management to meet turnaround times.
About us
At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.
Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.
We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.
Environmental sustainabilityClimate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people's health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.
For both overviews, please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.
Person Specification
Education/ qualifications
- BMS accredited honours degree in Biomedical Sciences or IBMS equivalent.
- HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist or Clinical Scientist.
- MSc or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, Analytical Science, Pharmacology or related discipline.
- Evidence of significant Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- Specialist post-registration training in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and/or LC/MS.
- Fellowship or higher professional membership of IBMS or equivalent.
- Management qualification or leadership programme
Experience
- Significant post-registration experience in a clinical diagnostic laboratory.
- Extensive experience of LC/MS operation, troubleshooting, maintenance and assay optimisation.
- Experience of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring services.
- Experience of staff supervision, training and competency assessment.
- Experience of quality management systems within an accredited laboratory.
- Experience of audit, quality improvement and service development.
- Experience participating in recruitment and performance management processes.
- Experience of assay development, validation/verification and implementation.
- Ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and apply findings to practice.
- Experience participating in research, audit or quality improvement projects.
- Experience within a specialist renal/transplant laboratory or equivalent
- Experience of introducing new technologies into clinical service.
- Experience of chairing meetings
- Experience of presenting at departmental meetings
Skills/knowledge/ abilities
- Expert knowledge of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring principles and practice.
- Advanced knowledge of LC/MS theory and application in clinical diagnostics.
- Knowledge of pharmacokinetics and pharmacology of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs.
- Detailed understanding of quality assurance, IQC, EQA and laboratory accreditation requirements.
- Knowledge of UKAS ISO 15189 standards.
- Knowledge of laboratory health and safety, COSHH and risk management requirements.
- Thorough understanding of NHS governance and clinical risk management.
- Ability to provide technical leadership within a specialist LC/MS laboratory.
- Ability to develop, validate and implement complex analytical methods.
- Expert interpretation of complex analytical, pharmacokinetic and clinical data.
- Advanced problem-solving and troubleshooting skills in LC/MS and TDM services.
- Competent in laboratory information systems, statistical software and data analysis tools.
- Ability to manage laboratory workflow and prioritise workload to maintain service delivery.
- Specialist knowledge of transplantation medicine and immunosuppression management.
- Knowledge of laboratory information system development and integration.
- Experience using specialist statistical software.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Address
Hammersmith Hospital
London
W12 0HS
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/