Biosample Practitioner

Job overview

We are currently seeking a Biosample Practitioner to join our biosample team in the Cambridge Cancer Trials Centre (CCTC) as maternity cover. The CCTC is an exciting collaborative centre conducting research at all phases of clinical drug development and co-ordinates major multi-centre studies. Our goals are to improve outcomes for patients with cancer or at risk of developing cancer.

The CCTC accommodates around 100 research staff involved in the set-up, coordination and conduct of clinical and translational cancer research. The biosample team are a small team central to the work of CCTC who look after local aspects of sample management. This includes managing the processing, storage and shipment of biological samples for clinical trials, and working alongside trials nurses, practitioners, data managers and numerous teams around the hospital to ensure the delivery of a robust service.

Main duties of the job

This role will involve coordinating the sample related aspects of study set-up, production of SOPs, processing, storage and shipment of blood and other biological samples for research studies, ensuring that protocol requirements are followed.

There will be responsibility for all aspects of managing the oncology sample handling room and the laboratory equipment within it.

Other duties include liaising with couriers, external agencies, and clinical staff alongside research teams regarding all aspects of sample collection, storage and shipment for trials.

Management of sample kits and sample storage facilities and maintenance of logs.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Science degree or equivalent qualification
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Desirable criteria

• Postgraduate qualification in a biological science

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in laboratory work involving human biological samples
• Record of developing and implementing quality management systems and processes
• Working within a multi-disciplinary team
• Liaison with external agencies to plan and/or negotiate workload
• Experience of working autonomously within guidelines and deadlines
• Experience of prioritising, planning and organising own tasks
• Experience of working in the NHS or other similar biological or scientific discipline

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a cancer related field
• Experience of sample storage management
• Experience of working in clinical trials environment
• Experience of working to Standard Operating Procedures
• Project management
• Experience of working in a patient facing role

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Safe use and maintenance of laboratory equipment e.g. centrifuges, automatic pipettes and -80C freezers
• Use of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel & Powerpoint
• Awareness of Data Protection Act and Data Confidentiality
• Able to contribute to assessing and suggesting changes to laboratory operating procedures
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Sound understanding of ethical and quality standards applicable to clinical trials, including Good Clinical Practice and EU directive

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of UK Human Tissue biobanking legislation and guidelines
• Awareness of the requirements of Good Clinical Practice and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Well organised with ability to multi-task and able to plan and prioritise own workload
• Accuracy in practical laboratory operations, numeracy and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Ability to demonstrate a flexible approach to respond to the needs of the service
• Willingness to undertake further training to extend skill set
• Ability to concentrate for prolonged periods of time
• Well-developed physical skills, especially in the manipulation of pipettes and other laboratory equipment
• Demonstrable ability to be adept and precise when handling samples
• Able to organise, train and delegate to less qualified or less experienced colleagues.
• Ability to pay attention to detail with a high standard of accuracy and work to good documentation principles

Desirable criteria

• Phlebotomy skills
• Prior knowledge of EPIC
• Ability to use snap-freezing processes in handling of tissue samples.

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
• Able to attend patient biopsy procedures
• Commitment to high quality care, putting the patient first in everything that we do, integrating clinical research with service provision
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines where there are competing demands
• Has an awareness of the cancer treatment journey of a patient, and has a patient centred approach to the handling of biological samples.

Documents to download

• Applicant Information Pack (PDF, 176.7KB)