Job summary
The Blood Sciences Clinical Chemistry department is based at Birmingham Children's hospital with a satellite laboratory at Birmingham Women's hospital that provides Fetal Anomaly Screening services to a large number of Trusts across NHSE and the British Isles. There are close links with Newborn Screening and Biochemical Genetics Department. Our laboratories are well equipped (Roche and Beckman analysers) and provide UKAS accredited services. There is a requirement to work within laboratories at both hospital sites.

There is close liaison within the Trust with the hepatology, endocrinology, renal, gastroenterology and antenatal screening teams with respect to patient management and laboratory service development. This is an exciting opportunity for biochemists with interest and experience in neonatal/paediatric/obstetric biochemistry and foetal anomaly screening to take a greater leadership role.

You should be a HCPC registered clinical scientist (Biochemistry) with FRCPath Part 1. The Department is accredited for NSHCS STP Biochemistry training

Main duties of the job
To assist in providing a comprehensive scientific service to nationally accepted standards and provide senior oversight and leadership in key areas of service provision, for example, expansion of trisomy 18 screening.

The post holder will participate in both the duty biochemist rota and FAS authorisation rota.

You will be expected to communicate highly complex information with a variety of people such as laboratory staff, trainees and students, midwives, consultants and industry representatives regarding FAS and clinical chemistry testing.

The post holder will be involved in the research, evaluation, verification and implementation of new methods and instruments as directed by the Head of Clinical Chemistry Department and Director of Antenatal screening.

You will manage day to day workload in order to fulfill requirements of service provision.

About us
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 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-centered 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.

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.

Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Womens and Childrens NHS Foundation Trust.

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable).

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Qualifications
Essential

• Honours degree in relevant science (Chemistry/Biochemistry).
• MSc in Clinical Biochemistry or equivalent
• Part 1 FRCPath
• Registered with HCPC as a Clinical scientist in Biochemistry

Desirable

• Full FRCPath
• PhD

Knowledge and Nature of Experience
Essential

• Experience as a registered clinical scientist or equivalent experience in a relevant specialist area.
• Experience of paediatric clinical chemistry, maternity/gynaecological biochemistry and inherited metabolic disorders.
• Knowledge and experience of UKAS accreditation standards.
• Expertise in IT including creation of databases, spreadsheets and presentations. Working knowledge of lab information systems.
• Expert knowledge of scientific aspects of paediatric clinical chemistry
• Knowledge of managerial processes within the Trust and NHS and Basic knowledge of business planning and procurement.
• Experience of a wide range of specialised analytical techniques relevant to Clinical Chemistry and Foetal Anomaly Screening
• Able to advise senior medical staff, nursing staff and other health professionals on investigations and interpretation of biochemical and metabolic and screening processes in complex situations, also utilising data from other specialties
• Able to advise on aspects of service provision and development
• Able and confident to challenge established views
• Able to recognise patterns of abnormality and relate them to clinical situations and assess differential diagnoses
• Able to organise, prioritise and manage complex activities
• Ability to pass on skills and knowledge to others

Desirable

• Experience of membership of committees
• Experience of leadership of small groups
• Experience of preparing complex scientific papers for publication

Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential

• Well-developed analytical and deductive skills
• Able to conduct audit of services and take corrective action
• Able to advise senior medical staff, nursing staff and other health professionals on investigations and interpretation of biochemical and metabolic processes in complex situations, also utilising data from other specialties
• Able to advise on aspects of service provision and development
• Able and confident to challenge established views

Desirable

• Ability to initiate and co-ordinate R&D activity
• Ability to prepare and present complex scientific information at local, national and international meetings to large audiences

Personal skills - Abilities and attibutes
Essential

• Able to work on own initiative. Self motivated.
• Able to work as part of a team (laboratory and/or clinical)
• Flexible attitude. Good communicator.
• Interest in Paediatric and maternal biochemistry and Foetal Anomaly Screening
• Able to travel to 'off site' meetings as required in the UK
• Able to maintain intense concentration on important tasks despite interruption.
• Good hand eye co-ordination for fine manipulation of delicate instrumentation

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).