Job summary
Are you looking for an exciting new challenge in a place to take your career to the next level? Would you like to join a friendly, progressive, innovative team and play a part in the transformation of pathology services across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw? Do you want to work in a fully UKAS-accredited, modern laboratory environment where you can make a difference?
We have an exciting opportunity for a HCPC registered Clinical Chemistry Subject Specialist to play a key role in the implementation of the new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Pathology. The LIMS is first of type in the UK and provides the chance for the post holder to be involved in the decision-making processes for the design and workflow within the Blood Sciences workstream.
The role is advertised as fixed term to May 2026, however this is likely to be extended as a project replan is underway.
Subject Specialists have already been appointed for each of the following disciplines:
- Haematology
- Immunology
- Blood Transfusion
- Histopathology
- Bacteriology and Virology
The experienced Subject Specialist will be a champion in their own field and must carry credibility with colleagues. They will play a vital role in enabling successful service transition and therefore must have an aptitude for understanding digital and its enablers in healthcare. The post holder will be expected to attend all the workflow and content events related to their expertise for the project.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will play a key role in the development and implementation of the new LIMS. You will be working closely with the Pathology Senior Management Team, supplier product specialists and other key stakeholders. You will be monitoring compliance, achievement of key targets and the development of robust systems and processes which will ensure timely delivery of information. The post holder will work proactively with staff to analyse and plan the developing needs of the service to promote the achievement of the Pathology Network.
The post holder will be required to analyse data to monitor performance trends and targets utilising the pathology annual business plan as a framework to achieve improvement in processes and patient outcomes. There is a requirement to work collaboratively across all 5 trust sites and the wider network to ensure that service priorities are met.
About us
You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
STHFT operates with a budget of £1.2 bn, has a workforce of over 18,500 employees, covers five hospital sites, provides care from over forty community settings, and has an excellent reputation for research.
As an organisation we value and respect our staff and the community we serve. We provide excellent staff benefits; this includes commitment to professional development but also many initiatives to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
The post holder will be required to undertake duties at any of the sites within the SYB Pathology Network, these include:
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT)
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTHFT)
- The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (TRFT)
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT)
- Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (STHFT)
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria and give specific information about your qualifications/experience in Clinical Chemistry as this is the area that this role will focus on.
This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period of 10 months due to the post being recruited as part of a limited term project within the Trust. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts taking into consideration the requirement for the post to be maintained as a part of the projects implementation and the timescales associated with this.
Please also note any secondment must first be agreed with your current line manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria and give specific information about your qualifications/experience in Clinical Chemistry as this is the area that this role will focus on.
This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period of 10 months due to the post being recruited as part of a limited term project within the Trust. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts taking into consideration the requirement for the post to be maintained as a part of the projects implementation and the timescales associated with this.
Please also note any secondment must first be agreed with your current line manager.
Person Specification
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent attention to detail
- Resilient: adaptable to change, creative and innovative
- Excellent mediator
- Flexible with the ability to look beyond current practices and structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations, to help produce more innovative and effective service delivery and partnerships.
- Willingness to develop new skills including completing appropriate training as required.
- Self-aware and self-motivated: able to delivery work to a high quality with little or no supervision.
- Excellent time management skills
- A team player, but able to work alone
- A professional approach which inspires confidence
- Demonstrable leadership qualities with the willingness to challenge and be challenged
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent planning, organisational, interpersonal and communication skills
- Good leadership and supervisory skills
- Experience of managing challenging situations
- Excellent numerical and analytical skills
- Ability to develop and implement training programmes
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and negotiate where necessary
- Ability to prioritise a wide range of competing priorities and deal with a range of competing and changing demands, tight deadlines and a pressurised environment
- Ability to work under pressure and to exercise political judgement and astuteness when working with stakeholders with differing complex agendas
- Awareness of the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw ICS priorities and work streams
- Ability to analyse highly complex information from multiple sources where judgements/interpretation is required to produce reports or make recommendations of actions to senior management
Desirable
- Practical knowledge of risk management
- In-depth understanding of the NHS, including organisation and policy changes
Experience
Essential
- Experience with Laboratory Information Systems and Microsoft Office
- Knowledge of operational Pathology services and in-depth understanding of Pathology IT requirements
- Specialist knowledge, experience and expertise of information analysis and the use of information across the discipline
- Experience of analysing data and information and presenting this to a range of users
- A proven ability to work effectively and sensitively in multi-disciplinary teams
- Experience of managing relationships with other organisations, departments, disciplines
Desirable
- Demonstrable experience of IT system implementations or practical experience of being involved with projects
- Experience of working with management teams to influence and guide the implementation of change
- Worked in the NHS or another large healthcare service provider organisation
- Effective management of stakeholders at all levels, including executive stakeholders
- Change management experience
- Experience of facilitating group discussions to achieve a desired outcome
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Higher degree or equivalent OR relevant experience
- HCPC Registration or qualification in advanced IT use (e.g. Microsoft Office Specialist, ISEB Certificate in Data, Management Essentials or equivalent experience
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Desirable
- Post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist training to masters equivalent level
- Formal qualification in LEAN management and change techniques
- Formal qualification in Project management (PRINCE 2 practitioner) or equivalent experience
- Relevant digital work experience within the NHS or other large organisations
Person Specification
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Excellent attention to detail
- Resilient: adaptable to change, creative and innovative
- Excellent mediator
- Flexible with the ability to look beyond current practices and structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations, to help produce more innovative and effective service delivery and partnerships.
- Willingness to develop new skills including completing appropriate training as required.
- Self-aware and self-motivated: able to delivery work to a high quality with little or no supervision.
- Excellent time management skills
- A team player, but able to work alone
- A professional approach which inspires confidence
- Demonstrable leadership qualities with the willingness to challenge and be challenged
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent planning, organisational, interpersonal and communication skills
- Good leadership and supervisory skills
- Experience of managing challenging situations
- Excellent numerical and analytical skills
- Ability to develop and implement training programmes
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and negotiate where necessary
- Ability to prioritise a wide range of competing priorities and deal with a range of competing and changing demands, tight deadlines and a pressurised environment
- Ability to work under pressure and to exercise political judgement and astuteness when working with stakeholders with differing complex agendas
- Awareness of the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw ICS priorities and work streams
- Ability to analyse highly complex information from multiple sources where judgements/interpretation is required to produce reports or make recommendations of actions to senior management
Desirable
- Practical knowledge of risk management
- In-depth understanding of the NHS, including organisation and policy changes
Experience
Essential
- Experience with Laboratory Information Systems and Microsoft Office
- Knowledge of operational Pathology services and in-depth understanding of Pathology IT requirements
- Specialist knowledge, experience and expertise of information analysis and the use of information across the discipline
- Experience of analysing data and information and presenting this to a range of users
- A proven ability to work effectively and sensitively in multi-disciplinary teams
- Experience of managing relationships with other organisations, departments, disciplines
Desirable
- Demonstrable experience of IT system implementations or practical experience of being involved with projects
- Experience of working with management teams to influence and guide the implementation of change
- Worked in the NHS or another large healthcare service provider organisation
- Effective management of stakeholders at all levels, including executive stakeholders
- Change management experience
- Experience of facilitating group discussions to achieve a desired outcome
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Higher degree or equivalent OR relevant experience
- HCPC Registration or qualification in advanced IT use (e.g. Microsoft Office Specialist, ISEB Certificate in Data, Management Essentials or equivalent experience
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Desirable
- Post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist training to masters equivalent level
- Formal qualification in LEAN management and change techniques
- Formal qualification in Project management (PRINCE 2 practitioner) or equivalent experience
- Relevant digital work experience within the NHS or other large organisations
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.
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
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.
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).
