Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant practitioner

The closing date is 15 February 2026

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated individual with lab experience and strong data entry skills to support the Synergia Breast Cancer Project. This role is based within the Human Research Tissue Bank housed in a new, state-of-the-art Histopathology facility at 1000 Discovery Drive.

You will play a key part in supporting high-quality research by ensuring that digital images of tissue sections, tissue samples, and associated data are processed and recorded accurately and efficiently.

Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities are required to ensure the project receives correct and timely information. The postholder will have clear and confident communication skills to work collaboratively with Tissue Bank, Histopathology and Synergia project team members.

Main duties of the job

The primary role of this post is to support the Synergia Breast Cancer Project research activities. The postholder will access archived histology slides and scan them digitally, collating these images alongside those retrieved from the current diagnostic histopathology imaging system. The images must be accurately catalogued for the Synergia digital pathology collection. The project also requires access to tissue samples, requiring the postholder to interrogate and update the laboratory research information management system (LIMS), currently Achiever Medical.

About us

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Details

Date posted

07 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year p.a. pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

180-R&D-264035

Job locations

Addenbrookes Hospital-Division R&D

Dame Mary Archer Way

Cambridge

CB2 0AX


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Please note:- Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments, you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract, you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employmentThis vacancy will close at midnight on 15th February 2026

Interviews are due to be held in 23rd February 2026

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Please note:- Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments, you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract, you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employmentThis vacancy will close at midnight on 15th February 2026

Interviews are due to be held in 23rd February 2026

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education at GCSE level or equivalent including Maths, English and Science
  • A levels or NVQ level 3 or equivalent sufficient for acceptance onto a relevant foundation degree

Desirable

  • Science A level or equivalent
  • Foundation degree/diploma or equivalent in IT or a scientific subject
  • ECDL

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of prioritising, planning, and organising own tasks
  • Ability to work within guidelines
  • Data entry experience
  • Experience of data collection and working with information management systems / databases
  • Experience of using IT programmes e.g. Microsoft Office especially Excel, Word and Outlook

Desirable

  • Previous experience of working in a scientific or healthcare environment e.g. NHS, university or pharmaceutical
  • Experience in handling data (entry into databases, generation of queries, cleaning of data, generation of data reports, tracking of data collection forms)

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of confidentiality and data protection
  • Understanding of medical terminology and basic anatomy

Desirable

  • Understanding of the principles of the Human Tissue Act
  • Knowledge of quality management systems

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Excellent communication skills including telephone, email and face to face
  • Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail
  • Able to concentrate for long periods of time and manage this against interruptions
  • Ability to extract and present data in spreadsheets and reports
  • Ability to organise and manage own time keeping to schedule and deadlines
  • Ability to adapt to change
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Ability to store and safeguard confidential documents

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • l Requirements The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education at GCSE level or equivalent including Maths, English and Science
  • A levels or NVQ level 3 or equivalent sufficient for acceptance onto a relevant foundation degree

Desirable

  • Science A level or equivalent
  • Foundation degree/diploma or equivalent in IT or a scientific subject
  • ECDL

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of prioritising, planning, and organising own tasks
  • Ability to work within guidelines
  • Data entry experience
  • Experience of data collection and working with information management systems / databases
  • Experience of using IT programmes e.g. Microsoft Office especially Excel, Word and Outlook

Desirable

  • Previous experience of working in a scientific or healthcare environment e.g. NHS, university or pharmaceutical
  • Experience in handling data (entry into databases, generation of queries, cleaning of data, generation of data reports, tracking of data collection forms)

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of confidentiality and data protection
  • Understanding of medical terminology and basic anatomy

Desirable

  • Understanding of the principles of the Human Tissue Act
  • Knowledge of quality management systems

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Excellent communication skills including telephone, email and face to face
  • Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail
  • Able to concentrate for long periods of time and manage this against interruptions
  • Ability to extract and present data in spreadsheets and reports
  • Ability to organise and manage own time keeping to schedule and deadlines
  • Ability to adapt to change
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Ability to store and safeguard confidential documents

Additional Requirements

Essential

  • l Requirements The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent

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).

Additional information

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Addenbrookes Hospital-Division R&D

Dame Mary Archer Way

Cambridge

CB2 0AX


Employer's website

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Addenbrookes Hospital-Division R&D

Dame Mary Archer Way

Cambridge

CB2 0AX


Employer's website

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Tissue Bank Operations Manager

Maggie Luff

maggieluff@nhs.net

01223596099

Details

Date posted

07 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year p.a. pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

180-R&D-264035

Job locations

Addenbrookes Hospital-Division R&D

Dame Mary Archer Way

Cambridge

CB2 0AX


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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