Job overview

The Department of Newborn Screening & Biochemical Genetics (NSBG) at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust are seeking applications from enthusiastic and dedicated Biomedical Scientists for a full time, permanent position to join our friendly team. The successful applicant will be permanently based in the NSBG department and there is no mandatory requirement for overnight or out of hours working for this role. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for a unique role offering experience of working within a specialist NSBG department consisting of the West Midlands’ regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NBS) and Inherited Metabolic Disorder (IMD) laboratories. The NBS & IMD sections are amongst the largest in the UK and carry out a range of specialist testing regionally, nationally and internationally. 

Applications are invited from both newly qualified and experienced HCPC Registered Biomedical Scientists. Banding (Band 5 or 6) will be subject to experience & qualifications. A newly qualified BMS will be fully supported through the IBMS Specialist Portfolio by our highly established training programme. Experience of working in a specialist biochemistry laboratory including techniques such as HPLC, LC-MS/MS, GCMS, chromatography enzymology and cell culture is desirable but not essential.

For further discussion please contact Alexa Normandale (NSBG Manager) on 0121 333 9938 or [email protected]

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will be expected to fully contribute to all aspects of running, maintaining and developing the laboratory service. In addition to performance of analytical work and reporting results they will be expected to actively support quality management, IT, health and safety management, training and supervision of all grades of staff permanent and trainees on secondment. 

Within NSBG main duties include, but are by no means limited to, performing specialist manual analytical techniques including Thin Layer Chromatography, Organic Extractions, Electrophoresis, Spectrophotometric Analysis, Microscopic Analysis, Molecular Biology Techniques and Tissue Cultures. Preparing complex reagents for automated and manual analytical methods using various equipment and processes. This is a highly specialist section that requires a great deal of manual dexterity and attention to detail.

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.