Job summary
We are seeking an experienced Virology Biomedical Scientist Team Manager to join the Infection Sciences Laboratory at Jersey General Hospital. The post holder is a key member of the senior Infection Sciences team, with a primary focus on Virology testing and Quality. You must be HCPC registered with at least 5 years post registration experience; MSc, Fellowship, IBMS Higher Specialist Diploma or equivalent in medical microbiology / virology. The post is full time and includes participation in the weekend and bank holiday rota. Experience in bacteriology would be an advantage.

This is a well-equipped laboratory with an extensive range of modern platforms, including the Abbott Alinity i, Abbott Alinity m, Cepheid GeneXpert, DiaSorin Liaison and QIAstat. The Department has UKAS accreditation and approved by the IBMS as a training laboratory. The Department has a proven track record in training and is committed to further education and personal development of staff.

In this role, the post holder will lead the Virology team, performing diagnostic testing along with the virological clearance of virology donation samples for the Jersey Blood Service.

Jersey is an ideal place to pursue your career, offering a unique environment with all the advantages and challenges of living on an island.

Main duties of the job
Lead a team of specialist virology biomedical scientists and support staff applying advanced scientific knowledge, methods and technology to the investigation of virology samples from patients and blood donors, to guide the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, the occupancy of hospital beds, protecting the blood supply and the health of islanders.

In addition, manage departmental documentation and non-conformances, conduct audits, complete verifications, implement quality improvements, and deliver training. They will also assist the Laboratory Manager with the operational running of the Infection Sciences, contributing to the implementation, monitoring, and review of contractual requirements while ensuring service continuity and effective risk mitigation.

About us
Jersey is just 14 miles (20km) from the west coast of France and 85 miles (137km) from the south coast of England. The Island is easy to het to from the UK and mainland Europe. There are numerous daily flights in and out of the island

Striking scenery, a safe and inclusive society, miles of sandy beaches, high performing schools, an enviable work-life balance, a heritage, political and economic stability, low personal taxes, warm summers and mild winters.

Jersey has been a Crown Dependency since 1290, which means its not part of the UK but a self-governing possession of The Crown. Jersey has its own democratically elected parliament, government, tax system, and laws. However, the island does have a close historic relationship with France and the UK and relies on the UK for defence and international relations. It is also part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) which allows British citizens to move freely between the UK, Republic of Ireland, and the Channel Islands without a passport.

Jersey offers extensive and quality healthcare services, with private and state supported options available. The NHS is not available in Jersey, healthcare services are delivered by Health and Community Services. For the first 6 months, health care services will be provided at an added cost.

Job responsibilities

• Lead the virology team performing a range of advanced infection and molecular laboratory analyses on a variety of samples, giving advice on appropriate techniques, to guide and contribute to clinical diagnoses, treatments and the evaluation of the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• Manage the work of a laboratory specialism, using personal knowledge, experience and interpersonal skills, to meet urgent clinical need and agreed turnaround times, aligned with evidence-based best practice, and contributing to the control of infection, preventive programmes, the safety of the blood supply, and hospital bed occupancy management.
• Support and mentor the team to take personal ownership of scientific decisions that impact on patient care by reporting viral serology and molecular testing results, viral loads and antibody levels, to enable prompt and appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
• Oversee instrumentation and procedures, researching and investigating latest techniques, verifying techniques, ensuring the laboratory repertoire remains current and that results of investigations meet quality acceptance criteria.
• As the lead specialist for a laboratory specialism, manage and delegate effectively to specialist biomedical scientists the lead roles for specific areas of responsibility, such as, audit, supplier management, or introduction and verification of new scientific techniques; and personally take the lead for management of IT.
• Network with other professionals at all levels, sometimes coordinating with off-island consultants, to give advice on guidelines and techniques, appropriate specimens and examinations, to manage users expectations and to collaborate on new service developments.
• Coordinate and manage internal and external quality assurance schemes, lead on internal audit and external accreditation, giving assurance to service users that the quality of laboratory work can be relied upon.
• Educate, train and assess the competence of less experienced employees in detailed laboratory processes and highly specialised scientific principles, take responsibility for their competency and continuing professional development so as to engender a culture of career-long learning.
• Supervise the writing and review of highly specialist documentation, the verification and control of procedural change, and accurate record keeping of scientific investigations to demonstrate commitment to quality and assurance.
• Assess and minimise clinical risk to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients.

Qualifications
Essential

• MSc in virology, accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)
• Or
• IBMS Higher Specialist Diploma in virology
• Or
• Fellowship of the IBMS by a route demonstrably relevant to virology
• And
• Registered with the HCPC and the Jersey Care Commission as a biomedical scientist.

Desirable

• IBMS certificate of expert practice in quality management.
• IBMS certificate of expert practice in training.
• Health and safety qualification or certificate.
• Relevant information technology qualification or certificate.
• Job-related mandatory training in health and safety, data security and safeguarding.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working as an autonomous specialist practitioner in a relevant setting, acquired over approximately six years.
• Evidence of continuing professional development that conforms to HCPC standards.

Desirable

• Experience of leading supervising and motivating a team.

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).