Job summary
- Main area
- Microbiology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This post is required to undertake all shift patterns for a 24/7 service.)
- Job ref
- 321-CSS-7192142-B7
- Employer
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- John Radcliffe Hospital
- Town
- Headington, Oxford
- Salary
- £46,148 - £52,809 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist
NHS AfC: Band 7
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.
The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
Many of our recruitment programmes use Value Based Interviewing to identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values
Job overview
The Microbiology Department is based at the John Radcliffe Hospital and is part of the South Four Pathology Partnership Network. The department provide services to the Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT, ICS BOB Primary Care, Oxford Health NHS, South 4 Pathology Partnership, other NHS providers, private care, UKHSA, Oxford University and research trials.
The department undertakes bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, serology, and molecular microbiology. Combining manual and automated methodology, as well as highly specialised tasks that require a high level of concentration, knowledge, experience, and skills.
The laboratory holds UKAS accreditation (ISO 15189:2022) and is accredited with the IBMS for pre and post HCPC registration training.
The laboratory is a 24/7 service and successful applicants will participate in all shifts required to deliver service and patient care pathways. The shifts include working core day, evenings, night, weekend & bank holiday sessions. The post is full time, average working hours over the shift pattern 37.5 hours.
The department is equipped with numerous automated platforms, including (list not exhaustive) BD BACTEC FX, BD MGIT, BD MAX, BD COR, BD Kiestra, BD Phoenix, BD Auto-preps, Bruker MALDI-TOF, Menarini SediMAX, Abbott Architect i2000SR / Alinity i, DiaSorin Liaison XL, Abbott Alinity m, ELITe InGenius, ELITe BeGenius, BioFire TORCH and Cepheid GeneXpert.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will act as a Specialist HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist in relevant sections of the microbiology department (bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, serology, and molecular microbiology). You will undertake manual and automated processes, interpretation, and report generation to aid clinicians in patient care pathways. You will demonstrate a high standard of quality in your work, as well as maintaining up to date knowledge of current working practices within diagnostic microbiology. In addition, you will supervise sections and have additional managerial responsibilities to ensure the department runs and works effectively.
The successful applicant will support teaching and development of all staff groups, as well as participate in all aspects of quality management to assist UKAS accreditation. You will need to demonstrate the ability to lead and supervise teams and the daily responsibilities associated with staffing, workflow, innovation, change management.
Applicants must be HCPC registered, experienced Specialist Biomedical Scientist.
Successful candidates must be highly motivated with excellent organizational skills to support, maintain and improve service, as well as good supervisory and communication skills, presentation skills, team working, leadership skills and demonstrable OUH values of behaviour / conduct.
Working for our organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk
The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities - please refer to job description for a full overview.
Person specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- HCPC Registered
- IBMS Certificate of Competence / CPSM Logbook
- IBMS Specialist Diploma in Microbiology / Virology
- FIBMS / MSc in Medical Microbiology / Virology or equivalent
- Evidence of CPD
Experience & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Broad experience in most areas of clinical, diagnostic NHS microbiology
- Evidence of practical analytical and technical skills associated with highly complex laboratory work.
- Experience of molecular techniques as used in a clinical microbiology department
- Knowledge of managing and implementing change.
- Knowledge and understanding of IT aspects of complex analytical equipment and Laboratory Information Systems
- Experience of training of others, internal and external to the organisation, both in a formal and informal setting
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills (no grammatical errors in application)
- Excellent inter-personal and time management skills
- Ability to make decisions and solve problems under pressure
- Project planning, implementation and monitoring skills
- Timely accurate working with ability to prioritise and manage staff and resources for day to day service delivery
Other
Essential criteria
- Prepared to work with biological materials and a variety of sample types
- Flexible approach to hours of work, including night working, extended day working, weekends and Bank Holidays
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Oakley
- Job title
- Microbiology Laboratory Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01865 220858
- Additional information
Microbiology: 01865 220889 or [email protected]
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