Deputy Operations Lead

The place to work in pathology

We are looking for top talent to join the UK’s leading and fastest growing pathology company – a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose.

Working in partnership with our service partners, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated HCPC registered Clinical Scientist to join the Synnovis Cancer Genetics Service at Guy’s Hospital as a Deputy Operations Lead.

Continual service improvement and transformation of the service is ongoing to ensure the service is fit for the future, enabling equity of access to the NHSE National Genomic Test Directory for Cancer.

The ideal deal candidate will be able to demonstrate a willingness to work towards FRCPath part 2 or will currently be enrolled on the HSST program.

Main duties of the job

You will be accountable for ensuring the performances of the service section and generate monthly performance management reports. You will provide the operational lead with regular process reports on the delivery of the service.

Excellent communication skills are necessary to work effectively with other staff both within Cancer Genetics and the wider SEGLH team.

Working for our organisation

A weekly team-led seminar series and a monthly GLH wide journal club are available for all staff in order to facilitate learning and continual professional development (CPD).

Your development and learning

You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.

Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please do ask your recruiting manager if you wish to find out more.

• Responsible for the day to day running of a sub section of the Cancer Genetics service.
• Monitor the performance of the service section and generate weekly operational performance management (OPMS) reports.
• Provide the Operational Lead with regular progress reports on the delivery of an accurate, modern and efficient diagnostic service.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of relevant operating procedures and management policies ensuring that standards are met and are compliant with ISO 15189 standards.
• Responsible for the quality and efficiency of the service section through internal quality control, clinical audit, and local/national audit activities including participation in relevant External Quality Assurance schemes (UK-NEQAS/CEQAS).
• Responsible for maintaining and if necessary, improving turnaround times. Responsible for troubleshooting analyser/assay failures within the service section.
• Responsible for ensuring that equipment is maintained to the standards required by the department and by relevant legislation.
• Implementation of measures for cost improvement and cost effectiveness. Proactive escalation of issues which have the potential to impact on service delivery to the Operational Lead.
• Responsible for risk and COSHH assessments relating to all aspects of the service section.
• Responsible for the development and delivery of a clear operational plan for the service section, achieving relevant quality and safety standards and activity levels within budget
• Participation in the development and delivery of the operational plan for the Genetics Service Delivery Unit.

• Lead work within your discipline requiring a very high level of clinical and scientific expertise, providing advice and guidance to clinicians on the correct investigations to perform and interpret complex results. Also perform complex and specialised scientific work that demands high levels of clinical and analytical expertise
• Provide a high level of expertise for the analysis of samples from patients referred for cancer genetic testing.
• Report and authorise complex abnormal patient reports produced by the service section.
• Authorise patient reports produced by the laboratory from other operational service lines if appropriate to training and experience.
• In conjunction with Clinical Leads and Operational Leads, advise on best practice, patient diagnosis and prognosis relating to cancer genetic tests.

• Lead in the strategic development of the analytical service. Manage the introduction and implementation of new techniques, equipment and tests to realise patient and corporate benefits.
• Initiate and oversee the implementation of new techniques, equipment, and tests including all verification and validation work. Where necessary, including analysing clinical trial samples.
• Provide accurate costing for laboratory processes, business cases and contracts.
• Produce business cases necessary for development of the service.
• Work with relevant clinical leads on service development in line with local, national and international needs, and the requirements of speciality networks.
• Participate in departmental audit programmes.
• Participate in academic seminars, group learning sessions and journal clubs.
• Participate in the dissemination of research findings through presentations at local, national and international meetings and through publications in scientific journals, as appropriate.

• Supervise and monitor, EQA and IQC reports and ensure any required corrective action is taken.
• Ensure compliance with all legislative and quality requirements of regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including:
• Care Quality Commission
• UKAS
• Synnovis policies and SOPs
• Any other body in area of responsibility

The Cancer Genetics team is committed to the National School of Healthcare Scientist (NSHCS) Scientific Training Program (STP) and Higher Specialist Training Program (HSST) and staff are encouraged to participate in the Royal College of Pathology examination programs (FRCPath part 1 and part 2).

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching Trust which has all the specialties associated with a fascinating and career defining case load including: Women’s Services, Fetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Transplantation, and is also home to the Evelina Children’s Hospital and the Cancer Centre on the Guy’s site.

You will be close to the vibrant Borough Market and the South Bank, which are exceptional London locations; perfect places to work and relax next to such iconic venues as Big Ben, The London Eye and The Shard!

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSc in an appropriate biological science
• HCPC State registration as a Clinical Scientist in genetics / cancer genetics / molecular pathology
• PhD or equivalent in a discipline related to cancer genetics/molecular pathology or FRCPath Part 1 in Molecular Pathology of Acquired Disease (MPAD)/Genetics
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)

• Quality or Management qualification

Experience

• Experience as a HCPC registered clinical scientist with a detailed working knowledge of cancer genomics
• Significant expert practical laboratory experience within genetics/cancer genetics
• Research and development experience in cancer genetics or genetics with evidence of publications and presentations
• Evidence of providing education relating to molecular genetics/pathology of cancer at an expert level
• Significant experience in and ability to cascade training in analysis, interpretation and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist cancer genetic results
• Evidence of successful troubleshooting activities for highly technical and precision equipment and assays

• Project management
• Experience of assay design, evaluation and validation; and translation into diagnostic service
• Experience authorising clinical diagnostic reports for patients referred for cancer genetic testing.

Skills & Knowledge

• Experience of day-to-day management of a scientific team
• Knowledge of the correct policies and procedures to implement in relation to quality systems, with reference to ISO15189 standards
• Knowledge of the management of laboratory procedures, including following Health and Safety legislation and procedures

• Audit training
• Evidence of writing and reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Equality of opportunity is our policy.

Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.

For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.

All employees are entitled to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Ground breaking development

opportunities

Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Please apply for this post on-line. If you have problems with using the online process, or need any assistance, please email [email protected]

Your e-mail address is important to us. We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

If you decide to apply for this post but do not hear back from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been short-listed on this occasion.

Thank you for your interest in Synnovis.