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The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

About

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Contact

Address: Royal Victoria Infirmary; Queen Victoria Road; Newcastle upon Tyne; Tyne and Wear; NE1 4LP
Contact Number: 0191 282 0999 option 2

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Open

Ref: 317-2025-21-044 Vacancy ID: 7294061

Laboratory Assistant / Laboratory Technician

Accepting applications until: 03-Jul-2025 23:59

Vacancy status: Open

Accepting applications until: 03-Jul-2025 23:59

Location

Gwefan: Trustwide
Tref: 317 Trustwide
Cod post: NE1 4LP
Major / Minor Region: Tyne and Wear

Contract type & working pattern

Contract: Permanent
Oriau: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary

Cyflog: £24,625 - £29,114 per annum
Cyfnod cyflog: Yearly
Gradd: (3/4)

Specialty

Prif leoliad: 317 Newcastle Advanced Therapies

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.

We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl

Job Purpose - Band 3

• A Laboratory Technician is part of a clinical support team whose purpose is to provide support to Healthcare Scientists, Clinical teams and other service users from the hospital and community, in the provision of highly specialist treatment using cellular products and transplants.
• The post holder will use extended technical skills to carry out a variety of laboratory duties including registration and data entry of requests, under the direct or indirect supervision and guidance of a senior staff member.
• The post holder will use their scientific knowledge to perform maintenance and calibration checks of essential equipment and perform quality control testing of the cleanroom and related environment.

Job Purpose - Band 4

To undertake a full range of technical activities within cleanroom and laboratory environments.
To carry out preparation and / or cryopreservation of cells and tissues from donations, having successfully completed the in-house competency based training programme that encompasses the concepts of Quality Assurance, Regulatory Compliance with HTA & JACIE, GMP and Quality Control.
To carry out the manufacture of advanced therapeutic investigational medicinal products, from cells or tissue, having successfully completed the in-house competency based training programme that encompasses the concepts of Quality Assurance, Regulatory compliance with MHRA, GMP and Quality Control.
Provides technical support to production services by carrying out routine
procedures, facility maintenance, calibration checks, patient record collation and product receipt, distribution, storage and disposal.
Provides support to external user groups by orchestrating and delivering clinically based patient product reinfusions.
Undertakes the safe supply of prepared or manufactured sterile cellular or tissue based medicinal treatments in accordance with defined regulatory guidelines.
Contributes to stock control and reduction in wastage of consumables and reagents.
Contributes to training and supervision of Laboratory Assistants and external clinical staff undertaking reinfusion competencies.
Leads laboratory assistants in facility maintenance, environmental monitoring, stock management and routine cleaning procedures.
Leads laboratory assistants in technical transplant reinfusions and provides reinfusion competency assessments to laboratory assistants and external clinical staff.
Assists production staff of all levels in the maintenance of the critical environments and departmental equipment.
Supports seniors and scientific staff in coordination of specific area workload on a day-to-day basis. Assesses priorities and ensures effective utilisation of assistant staff.
Collates all materials and reagents in preparation for routine and complex processing procedures.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Person specification

All criteria for Band 3

Meini prawf hanfodol

NVQ/BTEC level 3 in healthcare science, Pharmaceutical Science or related subject
High standard of computer skills including Outlook, Excel and Word.
High level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
Good interpersonal skills
An ability to interact professionally with staff from all disciplines.
Demonstrates an understanding of issues relating to confidentiality and adheres to Trust policy.
Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently
Ability to show initiative when required and a willingness to share ideas with others.
An ability to work as part of a team and maintain good relationships with colleagues.
Ability to recognise limits of own expertise and to seek advice/support when necessary.
Ability to cope with and maintain professionalism in potentially upsetting circumstances around serious illness of a patient.

Meini prawf dymunol

Experience of working in an NHS or clinical environment.
A desire to explore a career in stem cell science
Previous experience working across multiple sites or sections of a department.

All Criteria Band 4

Meini prawf hanfodol

S/NVQ Level 3 in scientific / health care discipline or equivalent
BTEC in scientific / health care discipline or equivalent
Experience of working in a patient centric, health care or laboratory environment.
Good organisational skills
Good oral communication
Good written communication
Ability to maintain high level of accuracy in a busy environment
Ability to work under pressure
Able to work as part of a team
Ability to work unsupervised

Meini prawf dymunol

Registered with relevant professional body
Working knowledge of NHS & laboratory computer systems
Practical experience of a range of aseptic preparation and manufacturing activities
Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice
Practical experience of Isolator Technology and Laminar Flow Cabinets
Knowledge of Quality Control and Assurance Systems