Senior Biomedical Scientist

at  Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the ever expanding Stem Cell Laboratory’s team at King’s College Hospital NHS Trust. It is expected that this service will move early in 2025 to a nearby state-of-the-art new facility. The successful candidate will help to maintain standards and staff competency in this challenging transition period.
The post holder will be required to assist in the provision of a comprehensive and appropriate Bone Marrow transplant service and will take a lead on facilitating clinical trials for patients from Haematology and other Trust departments.
Working in a clean-room environment to process bone marrow, stem cells and cord blood for patient transplant, this post holder will be an experienced senior scientist providing training, direction and leadership to junior team members.
The post holder is expected to be fully conversant with all the national and international regulations in place for stem cell processing and those likely to come into force from agencies such as MHRA, HTA and JACIE. The post holder will be expected not only to have scientific knowledge of stem cell biology, but also to have knowledge of other biological sciences such as immunology, microbiology, cell culture, cryopreservation and molecular biology to supplement their core knowledge base.
A degree of flexibility is required to process collections which run late or are emergency procedures which were not planned or expected. The laboratory is also looking to move to extended hours rota covering weekends, and participation in the rota will be expected by all members of staff.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Clinical

• Assess the clinical relevance and importance of diagnostic test requests, work in progress and test results
• Use highly specialist interpretative skills to determine clinical significance of complex laboratory results and take appropriate action including:

o Authorisation of laboratory investigations.
o Preparation, examination and reporting of flow cytometry results related cell enumeration (including but not limited to CD34+ cells and CD3+ cells)
o Ordering relevant follow-up laboratory procedures.
o Adding relevant technical and clinically relevant comments.
o Referring results for second opinion.

o Informing medical staff of clinically significant results.

• Efficient management of patients’ clinical material and maintenance of a safe ethical system of storage especially in liquid nitrogen vapour phase storage.
• Provide approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, and refer on to appropriate specialists requests for information.
• Verify unexpected results and to ensure that the correct pre-analytical procedures were performed and to request repeat collection where necessary.
• To bring urgent, markedly abnormal or unexpected results to the attention of the requesting clinician or other appropriate person as soon as possible.
• Ensure work is completed timely and to required standards: results are reported within the agreed turnaround times and in accordance with the relevant Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• To be aware of the clinical implications of the service provided and to assist in ensuring that the department is centred on patient care and the patient pathway.
• To be involved in the reporting of accidents and near misses via Q-pulse/Datix/HTA or any other appropriate platform and the subsequent investigation
• Initiate and contribute to audit and research and development activities and encourage and enable all staff to do the same.
• Facilitate and participate in research and development activity and ensure that all activity undertaken is within the Trust’s policy.
• To take responsibility for the receipt, storage and distribution of AT(I)MPs
• To maintain the emergency back-up systems for the ultra-low temperature storage facility containing cells for transplantation.
• To take responsibility for the issue of cells for transplantation to wards.
• Delegate work when appropriate and supervise the scientific and technical work of subordinate staff.

Please refer the Job description for details