Operational Lead- Immunology

Job summary Expected Shortlisting Date 26/11/2024 Planned Interview Date 06/12/2024 This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated individual to further develop and lead the Clinical Immunology laboratory service.
The successful candidate will provide operational and strategic oversight of a busy laboratory service.
We would invite applications from enthusiastic individuals who can demonstrate the confidence and capabilities required of this role.
The Immunology Department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is a regional, consultant led diagnostic and clinical immunology service.
The diagnostic laboratory is currently based at the Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary and will be moving to our new purpose designed laboratory on the St James site in 2025.
This move is in conjunction with the implementation of a new Managed Service Contract and a new LIMS.
An important part of the role is the continual service development of the Immunology Laboratories through evaluation of processes, services and technologies to meet the requirement of our current and future users.
The candidate ideally will have some experience of change management and, or service transformation.
To enquire about this post please contact: Chloe Chadwick, Service Manager, Specialist Laboratory Medicine, Interviews are provisionally scheduled for the 6th December 2024 Main duties of the job Candidates will be well organised and able to manage and prioritise their workload successfully.
Excellent communication skills are essential, as well as the ability to cultivate and maintain good working relationships with service users, colleagues and senior managers.
The successful candidate must have HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist and possess an MSc or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Biomedical Science.
Experience of leading a team, quality management and/ or service improvement would be advantageous for this role.
About us THE LEEDS WAY VALUES Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength as well as a responsibility.
They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work.
Our five values are to be: Patient-centred Collaborative Fair Accountable Empowered All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values Additionally the following are core values which relate specifically to this post: As a healthcare worker dealing with sensitive (patient related) information the importance and value of personal honesty and integrity as a commitment to patient service and confidentiality will be recognised.
The jobholder will maintain registration with the HCPC as a biomedical scientist and abide by their standards of proficiency, assuring the quality of work for patients.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles.
As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed.
If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.
Job description Job responsibilities JOB PURPOSE To manage an integrated and co-ordinated Immunology service to Leeds and networked hospitals and their associates for which the Trust, through this post holder, is required, via a contractual commitment, to ensure that services provided meet the necessary standards for accreditation of the service.
To participate in general departmental management and people governance procedures such as staff recruitment, induction and appraisal To undertake highly specialist clinical technical investigations for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease To communicate highly complex and/or sensitive information relating to the provision of the clinical service To contribute towards the training of support, technical, scientific and medical staff.
JOB DIMENSIONS As the Operational Lead for the Immunology service, the jobholder will manage the Immunology laboratory service comprising the Clinical Immunology.
The post holder is required to perform a range of highly specialist healthcare science clinical, technical and scientific activities.
Provide expert advice, opinions and training to own and other professions.
The post holder will manage a delegated budget for Immunology within the financial structures established by the Pathology CSU including budget review meetings with finance officers/unit accountants.
The jobholder will contribute towards overall service development by active participation in a range of people governance procedures consistent with Trust policies and will be required to participate in the training of support, technical, scientific and medical staff as is necessary for the service.
The job will require the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to undertake specialist technical clinical investigations that contribute towards the departments provision of an accurate and timely service for patients.
The jobholder will be responsible for the planning and organisation of a broad range of complex activities or programmes some of which are ongoing, which require the formulation and adjustment of plans or strategies.
In this regard the post-holder will have key responsibilities for the transfer of work to the automated track under the MSC and will co-ordinate re-validation of transferred assay systems.
The post holder will be heavily involved in ongoing projects in clinical audit, clinical governance, the formulation, negotiation and approval of inter-trust agreements.
The principal tool to measure the success of these initiatives is audit and thus the post-holder is regularly (ie more frequently than once a month) involved in the design and execution of complex multi factorial audits.
The jobholder will be responsible for planning and organizing the workforce and workload of the section(s) managed and will be expected to apply professional judgements and specialist skills to technically highly complex and sometimes difficult situations.
The jobholder will be required to communicate highly complex or sensitive information relating to the provision of the clinical service to other healthcare practitioners and organizations and be involved in the writing of numerous trust and inter-trust policies and consultation on other policies and job descriptions.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY - To manage and develop the Regional Immunology Service - To manage the staff who work in the section(s).
This will include development of staff rotas and will involve participation in such people governance procedures as recruitment, staff induction, staff development, disciplinary procedures and absence management.
- To communicate information, both clinical and non-clinical, to staff who work in the section(s).
To provide and receive highly complex information, for which tact and persuasive skills are required - To communicate accurately sensitive and/or highly complex information to users of the service in a manner that is in accordance with departmental procedures for which tact and persuasive skills will be required.
This will be demonstrated in negotiating policy and procedure with areas external to the department.
The post also requires the presentation of highly complex information to large groups of healthcare professionals - To maintain registered status as a biomedical scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council - To be conversant with contemporary methods including any analytical equipment used in the service and to manage the procurement of such equipment as is deemed necessary for the service.
- To lead the evaluation, recommendation and procurement of new and emerging automated technologies which will involve equipment testing and the co-ordination of specialist R&D activities - To perform appropriate technical laboratory procedures and tasks that are consistent with the jobholders advanced levels of specialist knowledge, skills and experience.
The post-holder would be expected to interpret the available information and make expert judgment on the available courses of action - To remain competent in other sections of the department subject to requirements and to perform tasks accurately and in accordance with departmental standard operating procedures.
- To provide training to support, technical, scientific and medical staff up to and including registrar level, some of which are external to the department and employing Trust - To actively participate in the laboratory quality assurance and risk management programmes - To participate in laboratory audit processes - To support clinical trials that are relevant to the section(s) This list is not exhaustive and the changing needs of the service may, from time to time, require the development of other appropriate duties, tasks and skills.
These will be fully discussed with the jobholder in advance of their implementation.
The Pathology Department of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is located on several sites.
Subject to appropriate consultation, the jobholder may be required to work in a laboratory based at an alternative site as required by the Laboratory Service Manager.
In addition the Trust requires compliance with a number of corporate policies and procedures.
These policies will be discussed with your line manager during your period of induction and further information is available from the Trusts intranet site.
Health and Safety/Risk Management All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users.
This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system.
Infection Control The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions.
Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.
Equality of employment The jobholder must co-operate with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment.
Co-workers, patients and visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.
Training and Personal Development Continuous Professional Development The jobholder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority.
The jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.
Respect for Patient Confidentiality The jobholder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS The jobholder will communicate and work directly or indirectly with a diverse range of other staff including senior management.
Those shown below are examples: Internal - Junior staff, supervisory staff, colleagues, doctors and other managers within and external to the speciality.
This will require the presentation of highly complex information to large groups of healthcare professionals - Senior pathology staff working in other specialities - Members of clinical teams, principally doctors, senior nurses and other practitioners - Administrative and secretarial staff - Estates and facilities staff External - Staff in primary care facilities - Staff in other hospitals especially Mid Yorkshire, Huddersfield, Harrogate and York Trusts - Staff in Independent Sector Treatment Centres - Staff in charitable organizations - Staff in private healthcare organizations - Staff in non NHS organizations (for example suppliers of consumables, equipment engineers, commercial representatives) - Patients SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS Physical effort: This job requires a high degree of dexterity and precision when manipulating small tools such as pipettes.
Turnaround times may require rapid results.
This work is unpredictable and working with both speed and accuracy is required.
These tasks may involve the jobholder standing at equipment or sitting at the laboratory bench for extended periods.
This job may require the holder to participate in stock control, including movement of goods from the point of delivery to the point of storage.
This will require frequent movement of light and moderate loads up to 15kg.
Mental effort: Daily and prolonged concentration is required to carry out a number of specialist clinical technical investigations eg microscopy techniques or processing clinical samples.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential Biomedical Sciences (or equivalent) first degree BSc Biomedical Sciences (or equivalent) Masters degree MSc or equivalent experience.
State Registration with HPC.
Desirable Supervisory or managerial training.
Management qualification.
Experience Essential Extensive experience within the speciality.
Successful working as a member of a team.
Supervisory or management experience.
Desirable Experience of working with staff from other directorates.
Experience of contributing specialist advice Health and Safety.
Skills & behaviours Essential Evidence of on-going and relevant training within the speciality / discipline.
Evidence of continuing professional development.
Advanced knowledge relevant to the discipline.
Knowledge of conventional IT software Microsoft Office Proactive problem solving skills.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Good interpersonal skills.
Good leadership skills.
Able to work independently or as part of a team as required.
Willing to work flexibly.
Willing and able to learn new skills.
Desirable Evidence of Supervisory or management training.
Successful delivery of training to others - either individuals or groups.
Additional Requirements Essential Knowledge of service improvement / redesign tools and techniques.
Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary), including clearance on blood borne viruses in compliance with Trust Policy.