Cord Blood Bank Technician

Job summary

Are you looking to work in a unique field? An exciting new opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated person to join our friendly team as a Laboratory Technician, based at Colindale. You will be working five days a week Monday to Friday. The NHS Cord Blood Bank, as part of the NHS Blood and Transplant, collects and stores placental/umbilical cord blood as an alternative source of stem cells for the treatment of patients with leukaemia and other life-threatening haematological diseases requiring Bone Marrow transplants. Our bank provides cord blood donations for transplants worldwide. This is an ideal opportunity to work in a unique and innovative field. In return, we offer a dynamic working environment, exciting opportunities for personal development, modern laboratories, competitive salary and excellent pension.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will work as part of a team assisting the Cord Blood Bank. Your day to day responsibilities will include:

• An experienced multi-skilled worker to process stem cells for clinical banking and research purposes under supervision, performing a wide range of tasks.
• Performs the processing, cryopreservation, storage and quality monitoring of stem cell donations to the required quality standards, using laboratory equipment.
• Requirement to update processing records and to take receipt of, and account for, incoming donations and materials.
• Contribute to a clinical/technical service leading to the release of reports and therapeutic products.
• Assists in developing the service in anticipation of future clinical needs.

Working Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9-5pm. Tuesday and Thursday 8-4pm. Requirement to participate in a shift working rota and an on-call out of hours rota which may include evening, weekend or public holiday working. Please note that you may be required to work shift patterns.

About us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Job description

Job responsibilities

What we offer you:

A starting salary of £26,530 - £29,114 per annum in accordance with Agenda for Change (AfC).

A full time, permanent opportunity to join as a Band 4, and progress with NHSBT.

NHSBT promotes flexible working opportunities where the role allows.

27 days per year plus 8 bank/public holiday. Pro rata if part-time. Leave increases to 29 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years’ service.

An NHS career pathway- we’ve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. It’s open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.

NHS pension scheme. The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns) Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions ‎

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BTEC or HNC or 16 modules of the NHSBT Foundation degree or similar qualifications. OR Equivalent knowledge of a wide range of non routine duties demanding intermediate level theoretical knowledge acquired through both formal training and extensive experience of working to GMP standards in the NHSBT or other healthcare environment.
• Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working to standards and protocols in a healthcare laboratory or regulated environment e.g. meeting Good Manufacturing Practice requirements.
• Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint) and basic programs.
• Willing and able to work with blood samples and blood products.
• Experience of the use of computers and basic IT programs
• Experience of handling blood / blood products / tissue.