Job overview
Head of Cellular Therapy Laboratory – Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Join our Cellular Therapy Team!
Are you an experienced leader in cellular therapies, ready to drive excellence in one of the busiest tertiary referral transplant and cellular therapy centres in the UK? The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Head of Cellular Therapy Laboratory to lead our high performing Cellular Therapy Laboratory team.
About the Role:
As the Head of Cellular Therapy Laboratory, you will be responsible for the strategic, operational, and developmental management of our pioneering laboratory. You will work closely with clinical, research, and quality teams to ensure regulatory compliance, deliver high-quality services, and contribute to the advancement of stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.
1. Strategic Leadership: Drive medium- and long-term service development, ensuring compliance with Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and JACIE accreditation standards.
2. Quality Management: Oversee a robust Quality Management System (QMS), aligning with clinical and regulatory requirements.
3. Team Empowerment: Lead a highly skilled team, fostering development through education, mentorship, and training.
4. Service Excellence: Manage resources, optimise budgets, and future-proof laboratory operations for emerging cellular therapies.
5. Research and Collaboration: Partner with clinicians, researchers, and external stakeholders to support cutting-edge research and clinical excellence.
Main duties of the job
6. To be responsible and accountable for the strategic, operational and developmental management of one of the busiest tertiary referral transplant and cellular therapy centres in the UK.
7. The post holder is responsible for developing, implementing and updating plans and policies such that medium and long-term service goals and objectives can be met.
8. The role requires close and effective liaison in a consultative capacity with clinicians, nursing teams, transplant co-ordinators and other pathology laboratories and Trust departments. By taking overall responsibility for the laboratory quality management, the post holder will be responsible for ensuring that the laboratory requirements of the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) are met and that the transplant and cellular therapy units remain compliant with the regulations.
9. The post holder will lead the department on the retention of JACIE accreditation and will ensure the delivery of a high-quality service through quality improvement.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more information, please refer to the job description and person specification
10. Thepostholderwillbedirectlyresponsibleandaccountableforthestrategicand managerial direction ofthe Cellular Therapy Laboratory including setting appropriate goals and standards in the contextoftheHaematology/OncologyClinicalCellular Therapy and Transplantprogrammes.
11. Topropose,developandmanagetheintroduction ofstrategiestomeetmedium and long-term service goals.
12. Haveexpertunderstanding ofcurrentandemergingregulatory requirements to ensurecompliance and to interpretpotentialconsequences toservicedelivery.To develop and implement policies and strategies to accommodate changing regulatory requirements imposed by JACIEandHTA.
13. Beresponsibleforensuringtheprovisionofafuture-proofedGMPservicethatis compliant with relevant regulations to support the production and use of therapeuticstem cells in transplantation.
14. Identify cost pressures, be responsible for resource management and preparation ofbusiness casesinsupport ofcapitalbids.
15. Developarobust QualityManagement programmeembracingaudit,validation, training, and governance both within the laboratory and in association with Clinical and Quality teams.
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
16. MSc or PhD in a relevant scientific field (e.g., Biomedical Science, Cellular Therapy, Haematology)
17. HCPC registration or equivalent professional registration
18. Evidence of Continued Professional Development (CPD) in Cellular Therapy
Desirable criteria
19. Recognised management qualification (e.g., MBA, ILM, NHS Leadership Academy) or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential criteria
20. Significant experience in managing a Cellular Therapy or Stem Cell Processing Laboratory
21. Experience in managing compliance with JACIE and HTA regulations
22. Experience of leading teams, including recruitment, training, and performance management
23. Experience in financial and budgetary management, including business case development
24. Experience of preparing and presenting to senior management groups
25. Experience of conducting audits, quality assurance, and risk assessments
Desirable criteria
26. Experience of working within an NHS or healthcare regulatory environment
Skills
Essential criteria
27. In-depth knowledge of Cellular Therapy processes, GMP, and regulatory requirements (JACIE, HTA, MHRA)
28. Ability to lead and manage a multidisciplinary team effectively
29. Strong strategic and operational planning skills
30. Ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve complex laboratory issues
31. Advanced IT skills, including laboratory information management systems (LIMS), data analysis, and report writing
32. Ability to develop and implement quality management systems and policies
33. Excellent communication and presentation skills for internal and external stakeholders
34. Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with clinical teams, regulatory bodies, and external partners
Other requirements
Essential criteria
35. Ability to travel between sites and represent the Trust at external meetings and conferences
The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.
Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff
At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.
The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder 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.