Principal Clinical Scientist

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 

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.

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

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

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.