Job Description

The Immunisation and Diagnosis Unit (IDU) is a WHO Global Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella and provides additional reference and surveillance services for Mumps, Parvovirus B19, Polyomavirus JC, Varicella Zoster Virus, Human Herpes Virus 6&7 and Intrathecal antibody investigations .



The post holder will be required to participate and support the delivery of reference and surveillance activities performed in IDU and /or other areas as deemed appropriate by the IDU Unit Head via the IDU Technical Manager in accordance with UKHSA policies and procedures.



Technical/Scientific Reference Services/Research and Development



technical validation of laboratory results

leading/managing a section of work in consultation with senior staff.

analyse genotypic data with relevant software

contribute to the development of new protocols/procedures for test/reagents/metho ds (molecu lar, serological, cell culture) as required

evaluate test procedures/equipment relevant to the work of the unit, and produce report(s) for publishing/dissemination

prepare documents and draft SOPs relevant to the work performed/developed

perform, interpret and record test results according to given protocol

contribute to the laboratory's diagnostic and surveillance work carrying out molecular, serological and culture testing of samples as required

contribute to incident or outbreak investigations

contribute to the booking in, storage and management of laboratory samples

p articipate in tissue culture and virus isolation

assist in the maintenance of the measles and rubella WHO strain bank



We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.



UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.



Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers



Continued Main Duties



carry out routine qua lity contro l procedures to ensure that samples are being prepared, recorded and archived to a high standard.

maintain equipment, includ ing routi ne monitoring, calibration and safety checks and maintain records of these.

facilitate the day to day running of the laboratory by en surin g t he availability of consumables, reagents and kits .

assist in th e instru ction and training of other staff and visitors, and to ensure compliance with safety and quality systems.

undertake other duties commensurate with the grade, as agreed with the line manager and the Unit Head



Quality



Maintain a high st andard of work, and to contribute to developing the service of the laboratory so that work is safe, effective and economical and follows protocol



Contribute to internal and external quality assurance programmes



Take every effort to suggest quality improvements



Information Technology



Use appropriate IT systems for the recording and archiving of clinical samples , results transferring as well as technical validation o f labora tory results



Import and export data via spreadsheets, u se word processing and PowerPoint presentation software



Staff Management and Training



Assist with the organisation of, and participation in, suitable training programmes for visitors



Ensure junior staff and trainees are competent to carry out the tasks given to them, ens uring th at appropriate levels of supervision are in place



A ssist i n the appointment selection of junior staff when required .



D evelop and maintain good working relatio nships w ith staff.



Support Services and Equipment



Take responsibility for the maintenance and acquisition of stock in order to ensure adequate service provision and continuity



O versee laboratory maintenance, engineering and similar services.



Financial management



E nsure best use of resources



Other



The above is only an outline of th e tasks, responsib ilities and outcomes required of the role . You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager and/or Unit Head.



The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the division and UKHSA .



It should be noted that the work of the division is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other per sons exce pt where required for authorised purposes.



P rofessional D evelopment



Ide ntify , disc uss and act ion own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan . Attend internal / external training events



P art ic ipate in all mandatory training as required , i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.



K ey W orking R elationships



The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of i ndividuals, clinic al and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA . This will include.



Internal



M edical, scientific and other staff throughout the unit, VRD and UKHSA as required

External



Hospitals, laboratories, and medical institutions , o ther s as required

Role Criteria and Other Requirements

Essent ial role criteria :

BSc in Biomedical Science or equivalent



MSc in Biomedical Science or Clinical Science



HCPC registration (Biomedical Scientist/ Clinical Scientist)



Experience of working in a microbiology/virology/molecular in diagnostic laboratory



Experience with manual/automated serology and molecular techniques in diagnostic lab



Experience and understanding of quality management systems and health and safety regulations



Experience in handling clinical specimens and working with infectious material al CL2



Excellent time management skills with the ability to re-prioritise



Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales



Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands



Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to work individually and as part of a team



An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable role criteria :

Experience/ understanding of growth and maintenance of mammalian cell culture lines.



Experience/ understanding of growth, amplification, and characterization of clinical virus isolates.



Selection Process Details



T his vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your q ualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.



You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential and desirable criteria, and this will be in the form of a:



Application form ( ' Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)



Up to 1000 word supporting statement .



This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge , provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.



Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000



The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together .

Longlisting :

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:



Meets all essential criteria



Meets some essential criteria



Meets no essential criteria

The following will be taken through to the next stage:

Meets all essential criteria

Shortlisting :

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following:



MSc in Biomedical Science or Clinical Science



HCPC registration



If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.



Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.



Feedback will not be provided at this stage.



Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Stage 2:

Interview ( competency based)



You will be invited to a face to face.?If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote?interview .



Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities in relation to the essential and desirable criteria will be tested at interview



Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.



Eligibility Criteria - Across government



This vacancy is open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules. Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.



Security Clearance Level Requirement



All successful candidates must meet the basic security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is:



Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

For this role you will also need to meet:

Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

DBS Requirement:

Basic DBS



Location



This role is being offered as office/lab based at our site in Colindale, London.



Please note that this role is not being offered as hybrid working.



Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. If based at one of our labs, you will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.