Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and self-motivated digital project manager to work in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry to support the delivery of an ongoing programme of digital transformation in pathology services as part of the South 4 Pathology Partnership.
Applicants will need to demonstrate experience of the full life cycle of digital project management and delivery in an NHS setting and ideally be familiar with the deployment of new IT systems in a clinical laboratory environment.
Technical expertise and practical experience of software testing methods and quality assurance is essential. Knowledge of laboratory automation, clinical order communications systems and experience of working with primary care services from an IT systems perspective would also be an advantage.
The role will be hosted by and based at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, but the post-holder will be expected to work with primary care colleagues and may need to collaborate with other South 4 trusts, so the ability to travel locally would be an advantage.
The post is offered full-time (37.5 hours a week) until March 2026 in the first instance. Part-time hours and/or flexible working will be considered.
This post is only open to existing employees working at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust or Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be instrumental in the implementation of a sample tracking and automated receipting system operating between primary care locations and the OUH laboratories. This will entail working with suppliers to establish and test local connectivity and subsequent roll out to pilot GP practices, implementing run-through labelling, designing and delivering testing and training, and supporting early adopters.
Key responsibilities will include drawing up project plans and defining deliverables and technical solutions, engaging with primary care stakeholders and laboratory staff, managing risks and issues, and ensuring systems are fit for purpose and clinically safe.
The role has significant potential to expand into other areas as the need arises, including delivering improvements to a joint LIMS system, and involvement in a planned upgrade of the current primary care order communications system.
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles
Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.
If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Reporting to the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory IT Lead and Laboratory Manager, the digital projects manager will work alongside a team of systems analysts, laboratory scientists and clinicians to provide project management and support for the day-to-day delivery of digital transformation projects in the Blood Sciences laboratories at OUH. Specific responsibilities will include:
i) Technical project management
* Acting as the main point of contact for the sample tracking implementation project, guide all aspects of project delivery from a technical IT perspective, including scoping and defining deliverables, drawing up and owning project plans, monitoring progress, actively seeking feedback, and making recommendations in the best interest of the project.
* Lead and facilitate a range of meetings and other events as necessary to support project delivery from a technical perspective. Actively participate in meetings which require communication with a variety of audiences and mixtures of attendees. These groups may include laboratory and IT managers, third party suppliers, senior clinicians, senior and operational managers, service users, etc.
* Identify and manage technical risks, issues, and dependencies, ensuring that actions are taken to mitigate by reduction, containment or contingency, making complex decisions where more than one course of action is available and escalating where necessary.
* Display and maintain an advanced level of IT expertise including demonstrable knowledge and understanding of data flows for diagnostic test ordering and results reporting through clinical systems, with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues as they arise.
* Establish system testing acceptance criteria and develop and execute comprehensive UAT test plans and scripts to validate function, performance and safety. Log defects and issues and communicate testing progress and outcomes to relevant stakeholders
* Demonstrate an understanding of quality requirements for clinical laboratories relating to the use of automated equipment, and working with local quality managers, assist in the production and submission of documentation for accreditation of any new methodologies and instrumentation through UKAS.
* Support activities associated with project closure following implementation of the solution proposed, including benefits realisation, summarising lessons learned and ensuring communication as appropriate across other laboratories in the South 4 Pathology Partnership.
ii) Communications and stakeholder management:
* Build positive working relationships with key individuals in the Blood Sciences Laboratories, including clinical and laboratory leads, scientific staff and systems analysts, and with practice managers and clinical staff as relevant in primary care.
* Use influencing skills to secure appropriate commitment, support and understanding from all relevant stakeholders.
* Display excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing, including an ability to lead meetings, provide specialist advice, and deliver complex information to both internal and external stakeholders
* Manage the day-to-day relationship with third-party software and hardware suppliers, ensuring their services meet contractual obligations and escalating issues where necessary.
iii) User training:
* Work with laboratory and service leads to identify training needs across all relevant staff groups to support the safe implementation and operationalising of technology and associated systems.
* Lead in the development and delivery of training programmes for primary care users, including liaising with practice managers to understand requirements and ensuring methods are appropriate and effective, seeking feedback and amending approach as needed, and providing ongoing support.
iv) Change management:
* Ensure process change relevant to each stakeholder group is understood, identifying changes to ways of working required at key points in the project implementation plan.
* Act as a champion for change and innovation with all key stakeholders, demonstrating a sound understanding of barriers to change and working positively with individuals and staff groups to communicate the technical advantages of the solution proposed.
* Ensure internal laboratory policies and standard operating procedures are updated to meet new process requirements as necessary in compliance with UKAS, HSC and other regulatory bodies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Reporting to the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory IT Lead and Laboratory Manager, the digital projects manager will work alongside a team of systems analysts, laboratory scientists and clinicians to provide project management and support for the day-to-day delivery of digital transformation projects in the Blood Sciences laboratories at OUH. Specific responsibilities will include:
i) Technical project management
* Acting as the main point of contact for the sample tracking implementation project, guide all aspects of project delivery from a technical IT perspective, including scoping and defining deliverables, drawing up and owning project plans, monitoring progress, actively seeking feedback, and making recommendations in the best interest of the project.
* Lead and facilitate a range of meetings and other events as necessary to support project delivery from a technical perspective. Actively participate in meetings which require communication with a variety of audiences and mixtures of attendees. These groups may include laboratory and IT managers, third party suppliers, senior clinicians, senior and operational managers, service users, etc.
* Identify and manage technical risks, issues, and dependencies, ensuring that actions are taken to mitigate by reduction, containment or contingency, making complex decisions where more than one course of action is available and escalating where necessary.
* Display and maintain an advanced level of IT expertise including demonstrable knowledge and understanding of data flows for diagnostic test ordering and results reporting through clinical systems, with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues as they arise.
* Establish system testing acceptance criteria and develop and execute comprehensive UAT test plans and scripts to validate function, performance and safety. Log defects and issues and communicate testing progress and outcomes to relevant stakeholders
* Demonstrate an understanding of quality requirements for clinical laboratories relating to the use of automated equipment, and working with local quality managers, assist in the production and submission of documentation for accreditation of any new methodologies and instrumentation through UKAS.
* Support activities associated with project closure following implementation of the solution proposed, including benefits realisation, summarising lessons learned and ensuring communication as appropriate across other laboratories in the South 4 Pathology Partnership.
ii) Communications and stakeholder management:
* Build positive working relationships with key individuals in the Blood Sciences Laboratories, including clinical and laboratory leads, scientific staff and systems analysts, and with practice managers and clinical staff as relevant in primary care.
* Use influencing skills to secure appropriate commitment, support and understanding from all relevant stakeholders.
* Display excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing, including an ability to lead meetings, provide specialist advice, and deliver complex information to both internal and external stakeholders
* Manage the day-to-day relationship with third-party software and hardware suppliers, ensuring their services meet contractual obligations and escalating issues where necessary.
iii) User training:
* Work with laboratory and service leads to identify training needs across all relevant staff groups to support the safe implementation and operationalising of technology and associated systems.
* Lead in the development and delivery of training programmes for primary care users, including liaising with practice managers to understand requirements and ensuring methods are appropriate and effective, seeking feedback and amending approach as needed, and providing ongoing support.
iv) Change management:
* Ensure process change relevant to each stakeholder group is understood, identifying changes to ways of working required at key points in the project implementation plan.
* Act as a champion for change and innovation with all key stakeholders, demonstrating a sound understanding of barriers to change and working positively with individuals and staff groups to communicate the technical advantages of the solution proposed.
* Ensure internal laboratory policies and standard operating procedures are updated to meet new process requirements as necessary in compliance with UKAS, HSC and other regulatory bodies.
Person Specification
Qualifications / Education
Essential
- Educated to degree level or significant experience as a digital project manager or Biomedical Scientist in a relevant discipline in the NHS at Band 6 or above
- Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development
Desirable
- Qualification in project or programme management (e.g. PRINCE2 practitioner, AgilePM)
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of NHS pathology services or large-scale IT implementation projects
- Experience of working with and influencing clinicians and technical or other professional staff.
Desirable
- Leadership and management experience
- Expert level working knowledge of pathology services at a post honours degree level.
Person Specification
Qualifications / Education
Essential
- Educated to degree level or significant experience as a digital project manager or Biomedical Scientist in a relevant discipline in the NHS at Band 6 or above
- Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development
Desirable
- Qualification in project or programme management (e.g. PRINCE2 practitioner, AgilePM)
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of NHS pathology services or large-scale IT implementation projects
- Experience of working with and influencing clinicians and technical or other professional staff.
Desirable
- Leadership and management experience
- Expert level working knowledge of pathology services at a post honours degree level.
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).
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).
