University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 6 Specialist Biomedical Scientist

The closing date is 08 June 2025

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for you to join University Hospitals Birmingham, one of the largest teaching hospitals in England with state-of-the-art facilities and employing over 20,000 colleagues across 4 sites (Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals).

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and experienced Biomedical Scientist with experience in all aspects of Microbiology, and who must be a HCPC registered. A learning agreement will be considered for those who have not completed their specialist portfolio.

This role is based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital but there may be future requirement to work across all sites that are part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Microbiology is part of the Clinical Pathology department, providing a patient focused quality service that is committed to the trust values of being Kind, Connected and Bold.

The Microbiology department provides a dynamic service that actively promotes innovation and service development. 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.

You will be part of a UKAS accredited service, made up of a specialist and experienced team of 50+ staff, all working towards a common goal. The department uses a range of state-of-the-art equipment including lab automation in bacteriology and the latest molecular technology in virology.

Main duties of the job

The candidate will be expected to have a good understanding of areas within Microbiology and Virology. They will be required to train and motivate their peers and take a lead role when the seniors are not present. We are looking for people who work well within a team and have a patient focused attitude with quality in mind.

In providing a 24/7 health service, there is requirement for working at weekends and on statutory and public holidays, in addition the participation of overnight shift, as well as late shifts would be necessary.

Main Duties

*To safely handle, use and dispose of biological samples including blood, urine, faeces, CSF and semen, body tissues and other body fluids/samples and hazardous and/or radioactive chemicals. Be aware these samples can isolate ACDP hazard group 2 and 3 organisms.

*To maintain compliance with good laboratory practice, quality assurance procedures in accordance with the standards of UKAS ISO 15189: 2022/23.

*To ensure that all results are reported within the agreed turnaround time and report to Duty Senior of any non-compliance.

*To be familiar with and ensure compliance to national, Trust and departmental Health and Safety policies e.g. risk assessments and COSHH assessments.

*Be proficient in automated equipment and instruments, such as the Kiestra/WaspLab, Vitek2, MaldiToff Mass Spec, BacTAlert Blood culture, Dynex DS2, Hologic Panther/Fusion, Abbott Alinity m, Cepheid GeneXpert. Maintenance and problem solving will be crucial.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Date posted

28 May 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

304-1092047PM

Job locations

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or
equivalent academic achievement that is
ratified by the Institute of Biomedical
Science (IBMS).
* State registration with Healthcare
Professions Council (HCPC).
* Post registration specialist competency
portfolio or equivalent
* Evidence of continuing professional
development and proficiency in
accordance with HCPC guidelines

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in clinical
laboratories commensurate with the
laboratory position.
* Experience of laboratory techniques and
automation.
* Experience of dealing with suppliers,
clinical and support staff, the public or
customer care.
A working knowledge of:
* Biomedical Science theory and practice
(Haematology, Transfusion, Biochemistry,
* Microbiology and Cellular Pathology).
* Quality control and assurance practices. )
* Laboratory health and safety.
* HCPC and IBMS professional standards,
ethics and proficiencies.

Desirable

Understanding of accreditation within labs (e.g.
ISO 15189, MHRA)

Additional Criteria

Essential

Honesty
* Reliability
* Resilience and adaptability
* Self-motivated.
* Positive attitude.
* Expected to participate in all out of hours
periods as required by service provision

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or
equivalent academic achievement that is
ratified by the Institute of Biomedical
Science (IBMS).
* State registration with Healthcare
Professions Council (HCPC).
* Post registration specialist competency
portfolio or equivalent
* Evidence of continuing professional
development and proficiency in
accordance with HCPC guidelines

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in clinical
laboratories commensurate with the
laboratory position.
* Experience of laboratory techniques and
automation.
* Experience of dealing with suppliers,
clinical and support staff, the public or
customer care.
A working knowledge of:
* Biomedical Science theory and practice
(Haematology, Transfusion, Biochemistry,
* Microbiology and Cellular Pathology).
* Quality control and assurance practices. )
* Laboratory health and safety.
* HCPC and IBMS professional standards,
ethics and proficiencies.

Desirable

Understanding of accreditation within labs (e.g.
ISO 15189, MHRA)

Additional Criteria

Essential

Honesty
* Reliability
* Resilience and adaptability
* Self-motivated.
* Positive attitude.
* Expected to participate in all out of hours
periods as required by service provision

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Certificate of Sponsorship

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Mindelsohn Way

Birmingham

West Midlands

B15 2TH

Employer's website

https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)