Job responsibilities
To work as part of a team of
Healthcare Scientists and Assistants and/or Practitioners within the
Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS) based within The St James
Institute of Oncology, Bexley Wing.
To undertake research and
development work within the department as directed by the senior scientific
team.
To research scientific/medical
information including complex literature searches.
To co-ordinate, perform and report
results for clinical trial samples and liaise with the Clinical Trials
Management Group, clinical trials unit staff and trial
managers/co-ordinators.
To perform and interpret a range of
specialist tests, both routine and complex using standard operating
procedures (SOPs)
To plan workloads and troubleshoot
problems with assays and complex equipment.
Be responsible for the good order
of the laboratory and its equipment, stock control and for the maintenance of
any associated documentation.
Work within the Departmental and
Trusts policies and procedures.
Work to good clinical laboratory
practice (GCLP) and good clinical practice (GCP) guidance.
3. JOB DIMENSIONS
Haematological
Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS) has a committed focus to developing
novel laboratory assays to improve diagnosis and monitoring of haematological
malignancies and the clinical trials and associated translational research
supported by the department are a key part of the work within this role.
The
department currently provides central laboratory services for more than 50
national clinical trials and also provides laboratory support for clinical
trials offered to local patients within Clinical Haematology. Laboratory
investigations are becoming increasing important in randomisation and
monitoring of patients in clinical trials, with many trials now relying on
results from these investigations to make therapeutic decisions. Data from
the laboratory also still plays a vital role in examining trial outcome with
assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) and genomics both well
established as important factors when considering trial outcomes. Clinical
trials support is provided to four main academic trials units as well as many
commercial trial sponsors and the number of patients in a trial can range
from <10 to 2,000+.
The
post holder will develop technical and analytical skills to interpret and
discuss laboratory results with other scientists, clinicians, consultants and
clinical trial unit staff. They will work both as part of a team and
independently within the discipline working closely with scientific and
clinical colleagues. They will be expected to be able to plan their own
workload to ensure delivery of clinical trial results and progression of
research and development activities.
The
postholder will be required to work in a number of different sections of the
laboratory in order to full fill the required research work. Specific duties
will depend on the section to which the postholder is working and the type of
testing being undertaken. The postholder will be personally responsible for
his/her own training, subject to the supervision and direction of senior
staff.
5. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
REQUIRED
Qualifications
First degree in a Biological Subject with a genetics
component, or equivalent level of knowledge.
Masters level degree or equivalent
in a healthcare or technology related subject (desirable)
Recognised qualification in the
English language
Other relevant research training or
experience
Experience
Experience of working within a
healthcare laboratory
Experience of working as part of a
team
Experience of working independently
Experience of project work
Experience of working to milestones
Experience of delivering on
structured goals in short and intermediate timeframes
Experience of producing high
quality reports in a timely way
Experience in writing and updating
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Experience of dealing with highly
complex situations
Experience of providing and
receiving highly complex information
Experience of working to GCLP
(desirable)
Skills
Research skills
Leadership skills (desirable)
Presentation skills
Project management (desirable)
Advanced keyboard and information
technology skills
Ability to write for publication
Advanced communication skills, with
the ability to deal with highly complex situations
Ability to provide and receive
highly complex information
Problem solving approach where a
number of options are available.
Ability to plan workloads of team
for specialist area, ensuring cover and prioritising urgent work.
Good hand eye co-ordination for
fine manipulation of instrumentation.
Knowledge
Knowledge of the health service
agenda
Knowledge and awareness of local
and national trends in research
Knowledge of a range of routine and
more complex laboratory methods (manual and automated)
Knowledge of haematological
malignancy diagnosis
Understanding of clinical trials
Analysis and interpretation of
results using specialist software, quality assurance and problem solving
underpinned with both theoretical knowledge and experience.
Knowledge of standard software
packages including inventory, purchasing and laboratory computer analysis
systems
Knowledge of internal and external
audit activities and quality.
Understanding of Health and Safety
procedures / issues.
Understand the data protection
legislation and the need for confidentiality and security of results.
Personal
Attributes
Excellent interpersonal skills
Take personal responsibility for
own decisions and advice.
Maintain self-control in difficult
and challenging situations.
Ability to maintain concentration
on unpredictable activities despite frequent interruptions.
Good oral and written communication
skills with ability to explain complex technical concepts and issues.
Ability to maintain effective
communication networks with scientific, technical and managerial colleagues
within the department, within and outside the Trust.
Ability to provide leadership
within the context of quality and implementation of change.
Flexible, adaptable, capable of
lateral thinking.
CORE
BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
CORE
VALUES
Commitment to delivering high
quality evidence based research
Commitment to working in a
multi-disciplinary environment
Commitment to research, valuing the
contribution of all team members, encouraging a positive and creative working
environment
Commitment to own personal and
professional development and to the development of others
CORE
BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
Highly developed communication
skills
Leadership skills (desirable)
Research skills
Organisational and time management
skills
Understanding of research in a
healthcare setting research conscious
Team player
Conflict management
Personal resilience
Uses initiative to resolve issues
within their own control
Ability to act professionally at
all times
IT skills
Presentation skills
8. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Understanding of relevant National
Service Frameworks and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
(NICE) guidelines
Understanding of organisational
structures
Understanding of Leeds Teaching
Hospitals Trust guidelines and policies
Knowledge of the discipline and its
relationship to the clinical setting.
Understands the aetiology of
disorders within the discipline.
Knows the range of scientific
investigations available within the discipline.
Understands the importance of
validation, quality assurance and quality control.
Understands the importance of
clinical audit and the provision of effective services.
Knows and applies local Health and
Safety policy.
Knows and understands the relevant Acts
/ Regulations / Guidelines and organisational policies.
Knowledge of strategies and methods
used in the discipline
Understands
and effectively and safely uses relevant equipment.
9. PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
Laboratory
and Research
Receive, process and analyse
samples submitted to the department for analysis, employing relevant
procedures, maintaining accurate records and providing an accurate
interpretation of the results obtained.
Develop and conduct high-quality
research, under appropriate supervision and guidance
Take responsibility for the
day-to-day running of your research and clinical trial commitments
Maintain awareness of, and adhere
to, all relevant codes of practice, Health & Safety procedures and
operational policies, and inform the safety officer of any hazards or
potential risks encountered.
Lead on all aspects of developing
the study including but not limited to, the methods, data collection,
database entry and data analysis
Make and contribute to decisions on
day-to-day matters that affect your own work and that of the team
Maintain paper and computer records
of data including the entry of data in to the Patient Management system e.g.
test requirements, worksheets, test results, referral details for research
project samples.
When using expensive laboratory
equipment, be responsible for the safe use and maintenance.
Work according to Standard
Operating Procedures as required by laboratory accreditation (Clinical
Pathology Accreditation UK Ltd).
Present your research data
contribute fully to the activities of the multidisciplinary team
Keep abreast and maintain a good
working knowledge of the relevant literature and current developments in the
field of the project
Write up the results of your work,
leading to high quality publications in peer-reviewed journals, as
appropriate
Facilitate the dissemination of
study findings
Build internal and external
contacts and participate in networks for the exchange of information and for
future collaboration
