Senior Biomedical Scientist Microbiology (Training Officer)
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Worcester, WR5 1DD
Salary
£49,387 to £56,515
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
18 September 2026
13 days left
Job description
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our busy, friendly team to work in our Microbiology laboratory. Applications are invit...
Daily supervise
routine and specialised diagnostic investigations on potentially infectious
patient and environmental samples using manual and automated techniques.
Daily
supervises and co-ordinates the day-to-day operations of a section or sections
of the laboratory, solving complex analytical problems to ensure a high
standard of work that is completed in a safe and timely manner.
Knows
how to proceed in the event of a technical / analytical non-conformance and
when to inform the Quality Manager and Laboratory Manager
Completes
non-conformance record forms and submits to the Senior BMS/Quality Lead and /
or Quality Manager.
To
co-operate with the Laboratory Manager and Quality Manager in the evaluation
and implementation of new equipment and Standard Operating Procedures as
required.
Develop,
maintain, and review Standard Operating Procedures in collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager and the Quality Manager
JOB
SUMMARY
To practice as a Healthcare Professions Council
(HCPC) Registered BMS in accordance with Statutory Regulations, Professional
Standards, WAH NHS Trust and local Policies & Procedures including Health
& Safety.
To maintain high
professional standards by continual professional development and be competent
in the performance of tests and investigations undertaken.
Supervise and
co-ordinate the day-to-day operations of a component section or sections of the
laboratory including General Bacteriology, specialist Containment Level 3
Facility, Environmental, Mycology and Parasitology on a rotational basis.
JOB PURPOSE
Daily supervise
routine and specialised diagnostic investigations on potentially infectious
patient and environmental samples using manual and automated techniques.
Frequently
handles potentially highly infectious and known highly infectious material in
order to perform subjective interpretation of diagnostic investigations and be
responsible for the validity of results.
Daily
supervises and co-ordinates the day-to-day operations of a section or sections
of the laboratory, solving complex analytical problems to ensure a high
standard of work that is completed in a safe and timely manner.
Knows
how to proceed in the event of a technical / analytical non-conformance and
when to inform the Quality Manager and Laboratory Manager
Completes
non-conformance record forms and submits to the Senior BMS/Quality Lead and /
or Quality Manager.
Daily
record and report results, in electronic form and / or verbally, to persons
authorized to receive them. Informs Medical staff of significant / urgent
results.
Daily
perform technical validation of electronic reports using DSE prior to release
to Medical Microbiologists
Frequently
perform tasks that include accuracy, precision and the use and maintenance of
specialist equipment.
Maintain
equipment logs, for the General Bacteriology Section, including maintenance and
repair.
Participate
in the maintenance and revision of Equipment Standard Operating Procedures.
Frequently
offer specialist technical advice to Medical staff, patients and other service
users on validity of results including reference ranges, appropriate specimens
/ sampling and turnaround times.
To
participate in induction, training and supervision of AP, MLA, Trainee BMS,
Band 5 BMS, Band 6 BMS and other staff and visitors in all relevant aspects of
laboratory work including Health & Safety as directed by the Laboratory
Manager
To
develop and maintain the Departmental Competency Assessment schemes for Trainee
BMS, Band 5 BMS, Band 6 & 7 BMS, AP, MLA & DEC staff in collaboration
with the Laboratory Manager.
To
participate in own competency assessment scheme.
Participate
in personally and perform Trust Personal Development Review (PDR) for AP, MLA,
Trainee BMS, Band 5 BMS and Band 6 BMS staff and inform the Laboratory Manager of
any training and development needs.
To
participate in the sickness management and return to work for all staff
sickness
Monitor
stocks of kits, reagents and consumables and report supply deficiencies to the
appropriate AP and / or Senior BMS.
To
participate in the maintenance of the Quality Management System including,
internal and external quality control and assurance in accordance with UKAS, HCPC,
and other Accreditation bodies.
To
be a nominated Microbiology Audit Officer and conduct audit of vertical,
horizontal and examination audits in accordance with the Laboratory Audit Programme.
To
co-operate with the Laboratory Manager and Quality Manager in the evaluation
and implementation of new equipment and Standard Operating Procedures as
required.
Develop,
maintain, and review Standard Operating Procedures in collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager and the Quality Manager
To
participate in Clinical Trials / Research and Development as directed by a
Consultant Microbiologist.
Present
scientific, technical data and audit data at staff meetings using appropriate
communication tools.
To
assist in the recruitment, selection and induction of staff within line
management responsibility.
Knows
how to respond to a major incident in accordance with Trust Policy.
ADDITIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES: Departmental Training Officer To liaise with the BMSs responsible for
IQA in order to determine training needs of staff within the department and
organise training workshops as required.
To co-ordinate the external assessment
process for the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Certificate of
Competence Portfolio for Trainee Biomedical Scientists (BMSs)
In collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager, develop and maintain training programmes for Trainee BMSs, MLAs and
co-ordinate the delivery of training.
Named Department contact for the IBMS
Participate in the departmental
induction process for newly appointed BMS, MLA, Trainee BMS, clerical staff and
work experience students.
Co-ordinate requests for internal training
and ensure that the correct application procedures are followed prior to
authorisation by the Laboratory Manager. Liaise with the Education &
Training Department and other pathology Training Officers regarding the
co-ordination of work experience requests and placements.
Liaise with the Trust Training Department and external Training Providers
In collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager and Quality Manager organise technical workshops.
In collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager, develop and maintain the continuing professional development (CPD)
programme within the department.
Apply for IBMS CPD accreditation for
training activities (where appropriate) and issue certificates for accredited
activitie
In collaboration with the Laboratory
Manager, develop, implement and maintain the staff competency assessment
programmes and identify training needs as required.
Maintains records for all training,
competency assessment and CPD activities including, internal, external and
Trust activities.
Ensure that all staff are issued with a
Personal Development Portfolio and assist staff with the use of the Portfolio.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Qualifications
Essential
- Registration with HCPC
- IBMS approved Masters [MSc] degree
- Member of the IBMS
- Certificate of Expert practice: Training (or equivalent knowledge acquired through experience and CPD)
Desirable
- IBMS Higher Specialist Examination
- ILM Level 3 or above (or equivalent)
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of current training requirements of Healthcare Scientists
- Evidence of ongoing participation in CPD
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Good organizational skills
- Produce accurate and timely work including record keeping
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Must be able to work as part of a team.
- Good leadership and motivational qualities
- Able to work with competing deadlines and manage conflicting demands.
- Good attention to detail
- Ability to organise the section/s work on a day-to-day basis.
- Good interpersonal skills.
Experience
Essential
- At least 5 years experience in an NHS Microbiology Laboratory post Specialist Portfolio
- Supervisory experience.
- Training, mentoring and staff development experience
Desirable
- Experience in the recruitment of staff.
- Evidence of formal NHS training (e.g.interview/appraisal training, equipment training courses, IT training etc.)
- Understanding of Health and Safety issues within a microbiology laboratory setting
- Experience of working at a senior level within Microbiology.
- Awareness of accreditation requirements and quality management systems.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Can work as part of a team
- Good leadership and motivational qualities
- Able to work with competing deadlines and manage conflicting demands.
- Good attention to detail
- Ability to organise the section/s work on a day-to-day basis.
- Good interpersonal skills.
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
4 September 2026
Last checked
5 September 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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