Employer: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Guy's Cancer Centre, Guy's Hospital
Town: London
Salary: £35,964 - £43,780 per annum incl. HCA
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 19/01/2025 23:59
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Job overview
We are looking for an experienced, committed and enthusiastic technician or Biomedical Scientist to join a large team of dedicated Biobank personnel who coordinate collection, processing and distribution of biological samples and clinical data for research purposes. Material and data are collected from patients attending Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals who have a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of cancer.
The post holder will be responsible for monitoring and adapting pathways to further expand the Cancer Biobank, which will include collection of samples from patients undergoing surgery at both Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals.
The ideal candidate should have previous experience of working in a biobank or a histology environment, including sample handling and processing of a range of sample types with minimal supervision. Experience of immunohistochemical techniques, specialist microtomy for spatial transcriptomics and TMA creation is desirable.
The post holder will be based in the Innovation Hub, Guy’s Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital but will need to travel to St Thomas’s Hospital site to support biobanking activities.
Main duties of the job
* The post holder will have technical expertise in tissue sample handling and processing to contribute to providing a professional biobanking service.
* Keep specialist knowledge and expertise current, through engagement with relevant professional activities and training opportunities.
* Provide advice to researchers on the specialist area, identifying technical approaches that directly meet their needs.
* Monitor and maintain technical equipment, systems and software, with control over stocks/stores equipment and supplies.
* Ensure efficient use of resources and monitor adherence to quality and other performance standards.
* Take timely and considered decisions within defined parameters and offer advice to colleagues to help them make decisions.
* Able to communicate complex, specialist concepts and information, both orally and in writing.
* Attend and contribute to regular team meetings.
Working for our organisation
King’s Health Partners Cancer Biobank has supported translational cancer research at a national level since the 1970s. During that time, the Biobank has accrued samples from more than 46,000 patients and supplied significant numbers of samples to researchers worldwide.
We are looking for an experienced and committed Technician or BMS to join our team of 15 full-time Cancer Biobank staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced technician or Biomedical Scientist with demonstrable competencies in tissue handling and histological techniques.
The post holder will be responsible for monitoring and adapting pathways to further expand the Cancer Biobank, which will include collection of samples from patients undergoing surgery at both Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals. The post holder will need to liaise with the surgical teams, diagnostic histopathology service, operating theatres and Biobank Advanced Practitioners to identify and access suitable specimens.
A significant number of fresh tissues collected will be used for the Biobank’s organoid generation programme. There will be opportunity to work with the organoid team and support research projects.
The ideal candidate should have previous experience of working in a biobank or a histology environment, including sample handling and processing of a range of sample types with minimal supervision. Experience of immunohistochemical techniques, specialist microtomy for spatial transcriptomics and TMA creation is desirable. Candidates should also have prior experience of training and/or supervising staff or students.
The post holder will be based in the Innovation Hub, Guy’s Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital but will need to travel to St Thomas’s Hospital site to support biobanking activities. All tasks must be carried out to the highest quality and within the guidelines set out by current legislation, including Human Tissue Act 2004.
The post holder is expected to help facilitate and participate in Guy’s Cancer and KCL School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences research and development programmes.
Person specification
Qualifications/ Education
* Degree in life sciences or related field or equivalent theoretical knowledge.
* Academic/Industry/NHS laboratory experience demonstrated by either previous employment or HPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist.
* Experience in processing human biological samples including tissue, blood, sputum, urine, and stool.
* Experience managing projects.
* Experience of training others in laboratory techniques.
* Experience within speciality (microtomy, immunohistochemistry, TMA creation).
Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability
* Have in-depth knowledge of specialist technical or scientific practices, methods and procedures applicable to work area and to share best practice.
* Full working knowledge of Health & Safety regulations relating to laboratories.
* Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills and ability to communicate clearly (verbal and written).
* Histology knowledge.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitably according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or studies at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
As an organisation, we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.
We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking into account the individual’s personal circumstances as well as the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the onboarding process.
Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.
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Employer certification / accreditation badges
The post holder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Our dedicated and talented staff make it their mission to provide outstanding care for our patients.
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