Automated Chemistry Section Lead

Overview

Are you a suitably qualified and motivated individual looking to further your career within the University Hospitals Plymouth Blood Sciences service?

We currently have an exciting opportunity to join and lead our Automated Chemistry Service. Reporting to the Blood Sciences Laboratory Manager, you will lead on the day to day operations within Automated Chemistry to deliver a high quality and timely service. This is an opportunity to utilise your existing experience and develop your knowledge and skills working within a progressive Peninsula Pathology Network.

This is an exciting time for Pathology in Plymouth where we are in the process of upgrading our current laboratory information management system to an electronic patient record and preparing a full Pathology transition to a newly designed and purpose‑built laboratory facility.

University Hospitals Plymouth is the largest hospital in the South West Peninsula, a Cancer Care Centre, a tertiary referral site for many subspecialisms and a Major Trauma Centre. Our laboratories are UKAS accredited, have full HCPC/IBMS training accreditation status and support a range of educational pathways to professional success.

You will hold a postgraduate qualification and will be State Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You will be self‑motivated with excellent communication skills and have the relevant experience to lead a busy Blood Sciences, Automated Chemistry department.

We are a people business where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment.

We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team.

We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams.

It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

• Jointly lead the day‑to‑day operation of the Automated Chemistry section with the co‑Section Lead, ensuring clear communication and coordinated decision‑making.
• Plan, prioritise and allocate workload to ensure achievement of turnaround times and service standards.
• Ensure appropriate deployment of staff to meet service demand.
• Monitor performance indicators and take corrective action where required.
• Escalate operational pressures, risks or performance concerns to the 8a Operational Lead.
• Contribute to business continuity and contingency planning within the section.

• Perform and oversee complex automated and specialist analytical techniques.
• Authorise and interpret patient results within scope of practice.
• Identify abnormal or unexpected results and ensure appropriate clinical escalation.
• Provide advanced troubleshooting of automated analysers and associated systems.
• Support evaluation, validation and implementation of new equipment and test methods.
• Maintain advanced specialist knowledge in Automated Chemistry.

• Implement and maintain the Quality Management System within the…