Band 8B Head Biomedical Scientist

Job summary

Due to retirement University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) is seeking to recruit a Head Biomedical scientist to lead and develop our Chemistry, Immunology & Toxicology services across our Trust.

This is an exciting career defining opportunity to join one of the largest NHS Trusts with state-of-the-art facilities employing over 20,000 colleagues across 4 sites.

With a workforce of around 150 staff helping to provide Chemistry, Immunology, Toxicology services, you would be part of a UKAS accredited service, helping to process over 50 million tests across our 4 sites each year.

We are committed to staff health and well-being, training and development, enabling and equipping staff with the tools to embark on an exciting and fulfilling career.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

You as the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop and harmonise the service. The department consists of Automated Biochemistry, Specialist Biochemistry, Immunology and Toxicology. Currently there is a 24/7 service across three of the sites with plans for an extended service at the fourth site. The department processes over 8000 requests per day across the sites with requests originating from the Trust, GPs across Birmingham and external NHS and non-NHS organisations both in the UK and beyond.

You will be challenged to drive continuous quality, capacity, and performance improvements and to work closely with the Senior Management Team to develop a strategy to manage the competing demands and projects being undertaken.

There is a continual programme of modernisation and analyser replacement and the Head BMS will lead on these with the CSL, Senior Management Team, IT and Procurement Department. The Department is part of the BSOL Network and collaboration with colleagues at BWCH will be a requirement of the role. This includes the development and implementation of the new LIMS.

About us

We are recognised as one of the leading NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. Our vision is to Build Healthier Lives, and we recognise that we need incredible staff to do this.

Our commitment to our staff is to create the best place for them to work, and we are dedicated to:

Investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff, including a commitment of offering flexible working where we can;
Offer our staff a wide variety of training and development opportunities, to support their personal and career development objectives.

UHB is committed to ensuring that our staff are treated fairly and feel that they belong, by creating a kind and inclusive environment. This is about equity of opportunity; removing all barriers, including discrimination and ensuring each individual member of staff reach their true potential, achieve their ambitions and thrive in their work. This is more than words. We are taking action. Our commitment to an inclusive culture is embedded at all levels of the organisation where every voice is heard, driven by our diverse and active staff networks, and at Board level by the Fairness Taskforce led by our CEO. We nurture a culture which empowers staff to challenge discriminatory behaviours and to enable people to bring their 'whole self' to a kinder, more connected and bold place to work.

University Hospitals Birmingham is a Smoke-Free premises hospital.

Job description

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• HCPC Registered Biomedical Scientist (Health Care Professionals Council)
• MSc degree or equivalent
• Fellow of Institute of Biomedical Science (FIBMS)
• Higher Specialist Diploma or Equivalent
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Advanced specialist knowledge of discipline
• Excellent knowledge of current Employment Law, Health and Safety Legislation and requirements.
• Knowledge of NHS IT systems and their impact on laboratory medicine and clinical requirements.
• Knowledge of the UKAS and HCPC accreditation requirements and the ability to meet these.
• Knowledge of NHS HE, finance, corporate and clinical governance and purchasing systems.
• Evidence of formal NHS training commensurate with a senior NHS manager; for example, interview skills, discipline management, financial management etc.

Desirable

• Management qualification e.g. MBA, DMS, DMLM, MSc, IHSM Diploma
• Health and Safety qualification to at least IOSH standard

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience in a senior managerial role e.g. managing a department or a major section of a department, including HR, operational, finance, quality, and decision making experience.

Desirable

• Experience of laboratory aspects of clinical research.
• Substantial experience of the statistical process control.
• Substantial experience of the audit process.
• Proven experience in and teaching staff (including medical) at all levels up to MSc / Higher Specialist Diploma level.
• Substantial experience of developing and maintaining IT systems.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Be able to explain highly complex results to clinicians.
• Be able to discuss issues that may be contentious and requiring persuasive and reassurance skills.
• Have the ability to present complex information to staff a various levels within the department.
• Good presentation skills required to convey information.
• Ability to influence clinicians over the appropriate tests to use and the interpretation of results.
• Must be able to handle sensitive information when dealing with patients.
• Deal with staff issues that require sensitivity and empathy.
• Ability to handle telephone complaints in a calm, logical and professional manner and contain potential areas of conflict.
• Have excellent financial and negotiating skills for complex procurements e.g. single contracts of 0.5 million over 5 years.
• Demonstrate understanding of confidentiality.
• Must be capable of planning workload within the department using staff in the most efficient manner possible.
• Proven project management skills.
• Ability to perform a number of concurrent complex activities.
• Ability to formulate strategy and action points into Departmental business plans.
• Ability to improve service quality within limited resources.
• Driving license and own transport available.
• Keyboard and IT skills.
• Ability to perform role under pressure of challenging time scales and multiple demands.
• Resilient, numerate and articulate.
• Flexible and responsive to change.
• Demonstrates initiative and is well motivated.
• Commitments to the provision of high quality laboratory services that support improvement in patient care.
• Able to safely handle hazardous biological materials.
• Willing to learn new skills / laboratory techniques by undertaking training and development as necessary.
• Willing and able to follow written policies and procedures.

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 Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.