The microbiology department at Maidstone Hospital are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist who has a passion for bacteriology and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This is a newly created role to focus on the increasing demands on the service in this area.

You will play an integral part in the senior management team of the department and will have responsibility for the support, maintenance and development of the Microbiology department. You will be expected to participate in the day-to-day organisation of work in the bacteriology section, and also perform duty senior tasks, when rotated. You will work with the senior management team to maintain ISO 15189:2022 accreditation and achieve efficient and effective patient care.

This post is predominantly laboratory section-focused and you will be expected to spend a proportion of your time performing/ reviewing diagnostic work in order to support the service and to maintain your laboratory competencies and to be able to participate in the on call and weekend/bank holiday rotas.

Leadership responsibilities include:

1)Supervision and training of B3 - 6 staff.

2)Acting as a 'super user' for various instruments within the bacteriology section.

3) Mentoring B5/6 BMS staff and conducting annual performance reviews

4) Deputising for the bacteriology SBMS when required

5) Reviewing, updating and writing new SOPs

6) audit and verification

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for delivering the Antimicrobial susceptibility testing section of the department. and all documentation and training required.

You will work closely with the bacteriology SBMS and have responsibility for acting as a 'super user' for various instruments within bacteriology including recording all documentation on Qpulse.

You will deputise for the bacteriology lead when required.

Rotations through molecular and serology sections will be required.

About us

MTW is a large acute hospital trust in the south-east of England.

We provide a full range of general hospital services and some aspects of specialist and complex care to around 600,000 people living in west Kent and East Sussex. We have a team of over 8,000 full and part-time staff. We also provide specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex via the Kent Oncology Centre.

In the 2024 NHS staff survey, our employees ranked MTW among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and the second-best Trust to work for in the South East.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.

Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).

At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.

We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Interview Date: 20th September 2024.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or equivalent
• MSc Biomedical Science (or related subject) or FIBMS examinations
• IBMS Specialist portfolio Microbiology
• Current State Registration (Healthcare Professions Council) as Biomedical Scientist

Desirable

• Evidence of managerial training/ qualification
• Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in NHS, or equivalent, Microbiology laboratory (minimum 2 years post specialist portfolio completion).
• Evidence of experience of accreditation process against ISO15189:2022 standards/relevant accreditation body
• Expert knowledge and experience of bacterial and mycological culture interpretation and identification techniques, and faecal parasitology morphology.
• Expert knowledge and experience of antimicrobial susceptibility testing
• Experience of writing/ reviewing SOPs in line with local or national guidelines

Desirable

• Human Resource management experience
• Full participation in out-of-hours service (including lone working) in an NHS laboratory
• QPulse

Skills

Essential

• Methodical with effective organisational skills in the workplace. Able to prioritise workload to work effectively under pressure.
• Command of written and verbal English
• Ability to interpret diagnostic results and to authorise results for clinical use
• Report writing skills
• Intermediate to advanced use of Microsoft Word and Excel
• Ability to supervise and train junior staff

Desirable

• Project management skills
• Human Resource management skills

Employer details

Employer name

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Address

Maidstone Hospital

Hermitage Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9QQ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

359-6560054-T1