Address
Form of work
SalaryContainment, Technical Facility OperationalDeputy (CL2, CL3 and CL4)
This is a permanent, full-time position on Crick Terms and Conditions of Employment.
Reports to Containment Technical and Facilities Operations Manager
The Francis Crick Institute (the Crick) is a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Wellcome Trust, University College London, Imperial College London and Kings College London. The Crick is a registered charity whose purpose is to conduct biomedical research into all aspects of human health and disease.
The Crick is a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation. It promotes connections between researchers across disciplines and between academic institutions, healthcare organisations and businesses. Dedicated to research excellence, the Crick has the scale, vision and expertise to tackle the most challenging scientific questions that underpin our understanding of human health and disease.
Organisation
The Francis Crick institute delivers world-leading research into fundamental biology, and accommodates biosafety containment facilities at CL2, CL3, and CL4 in order to support cutting edge research into higher risk biological agents such as avian flu. These containment facilities require considered management to ensure the safety of users via training, regular maintenance, risk assessments, and planning for emergencies; as well as compliance with relevant regulations.
In order to optimise the management of these facilities, a Containment Technical Facility Laboratory Manager is in post to oversee the facilities across the institute and act as a central point of liaison for stakeholders such as facility users, maintenance engineers, service delivery team, and health and safety.
Responsibilities
These include, but are not limited to:
Risk and Compliance
Supporting the input of the information to the Biosafety Team for the Code of Practice and suite / laboratory manuals for the CL2, CL3 and CL4 laboratories and suites.
Provide Safe systems of work and SOPs for Users to operate safely in the high containment suites.
Be responsible for delivering safety training for CL3 and CL4 suites including how to safely use safety equipment in the area.
Assisting with planning maintenance activities and effectively communicating with high containment users about planned maintenance activities to ensure this is a smooth process.
Support senior management to establish and coordinate the appropriate governance committees that ensures the facility meeting the needs and facilities meet the needs of users and is compliant with various regulatory bodies.
To ensure that the high containment suites are managed and maintained to ACDP Management and operation of Microbiological laboratories.
Manage actions arising from internal and external inspections for assurance and regulatory compliance.
Emergency response planning and training.
Operations and Maintenance
Day to day over sight of the high containment laboratories (CL2, CL3 and CL4)
Manage the safety consumables for the CL3 and CL4 facilities e.g., ensure there are adequate supplies of PPE, soap etc.
To effectively communicate between scientists and the Health and Safety team.
Support the CTFOM with communicating and coordinating with the Facilities and Infrastructure Team and High Containment Users to ensure that maintenance activities are managed to minimize the impact to research science.
Managing of regular equipment servicing, including scheduling, assessment of contractor risk and method statements, and hosting of service visits.
Ensuring permits to work are in place for contractors who enter the CL3 and CL4 suites.
Providing safety inductions and hosting engineers during services.
Ensure that issues in the high containment laboratories are raised to the CTFOM Manager and Lead of Biosafety to ensure these are dealt with in a timely manner.
Carrying out fumigations of Microbiological Safety Cabinets / room / suite for high containment shut downs for maintenance activities.
Supporting the monitoring of access to high containment facilities, conducting local inspections with users.
Respond to issues in a timely manner such as alarms and communicate with CTFOM and BST where there is a safety concern.
Raise any concerns to the Health and Safety Team.
Supporting the evaluation of new techniques and technology to assess risk and benefits, and implementing change projects, with input from the Biological Safety Team.
Management of consumables stock levels, and running of fumigations.
User Training and Liaison
Running user training sessions.
Support comms from CTFOM to users, answering queries.
Deputise for the chair of the CL3 Users and CL4 Users committees when required to gain feedback and continuous improvement
Reviewing and advising on user risk assessments
Experience and Competencies Required
Essential
BSc (or equivalent experience level) in relevant scientific discipline (e.g., Biology or Microbiology) and a strong track record in the biology sector.
Knowledge of biosafety or knowledge of biological agents, transmission routes and controls that prevent exposure.
Previous experience of working in a biological laboratory
Awareness of relevant legislative framework, which includes COSHH, and its associated Approved Code of Practice.
Awareness of how to deal with spills and emergencies in high containment
Good communication skills, with the ability to influence as well as relay straight forward and complex information to a broad range of stakeholders
Ability to trouble shoot
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn, understand and implement new technologies
Strong planning skills, the ability to prioritize in the face of competing demands, proven success in delivering work personally (and through others) to tight deadlines.
Desirable
PhD or equivalent in Biochemistry, Immunology/Biomedical or Life science related subject or equivalent practical experience.
NEBOSH Certificate.
ISTR Biosafety Practitioner level 1.
Experience of working in or managing containment level 3 research laboratories in compliance to ACDP Management and Operation of Microbiological Containment Laboratories.
Experience in training and teaching others.
Completed and passed the HSE -Concepts and working practices at Containment level 3 or equivalent.
Experience of CL4 laboratories.
Experience of writing SOPs, Risk Assessments and reports.
Experience of using database systems and working within Contained facilities.
Find out what benefits the Crick has to offer:
For more information on our great pay and benefits package please click here: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/pay-and-benefits
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:
We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.
Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our Institute’s success.
The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices.
Read more on our website: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/equality-diversity-and-inclusion
