Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title:

Technical Programme Manager, Senior Genetic Technologist

Directorate:

Genetics

Department:

Laboratory Genetics

Professionally accountable for:

N/A

Responsible to:

Heads of Technical Programme

Accountable to:

Director of West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory

Pay band:

Agenda for Change Band 7

Location:

Birmingham Women’s Hospital,

Regional Genetics Laboratory

Hours of Work:

37.5 per week

Contract:

Permanent

On call requirement:

No

Disclosure required:

Standard

Professional Registration:

Optional – With the AHCS or appropriate healthcare scientist scheme.

Job outline:

The post holder has shared responsibility for the delivery of the technical workflows and associated laboratory functions to maintain a high quality diagnostic genomics laboratory service.

· Overall responsibility for a technical sub section, leading a team of senior Genetic Technologists within a major area of the laboratory; with the sub section being appropriate to the expertise and experience of the post-holder.

· To be part of a team responsible for the management, supervision and training of technical and analytical support staff across the whole Technical Programme, ensuring suitable rotation plans and training documentation are in place.

· Shared responsibility for the management of laboratory resources including the procurement and control of consumables and equipment, to ensure the laboratory delivers testing within stated reporting times.

· To technically lead the implementation, training and maintenance of new technology; particularly Laboratory Information Management Systems, robotics and image analysis systems geared towards increasing throughput and reducing turnaround times.

The post holder will have a considerable degree of autonomy and will be individually responsible for the quality of their own work and that of the staff responsible to them, but with the ultimate responsibility for the quality of diagnostic work being with a more senior staff.

At all times the post holder is expected to implement and maintain a high standard for health, safety and risk management procedures within the department and comply with recognised UKAS standards.

Key Result Areas:

Management

· Liaise with the Heads of Technical Programme, Programme Managers and other Senior Genetic Technologists on the organisation of staff across the Technical Programme.

· Liaise with Clinical Scientist leads on operational management of workflows.

· Liaise with the Heads of Technical Programme on all aspects of technical service provision and coordination of any research and service development.

· Liaise with the Senior Genetic Technologists to ensure effective day-to-day management of staff and workflows within the Technical Programme, prioritising workloads and ensuring all required resources are in place to deliver the service in stated turnaround times.

· Line manage senior Genetic Technologist hub managers and participate in their recruitment, induction, appraisal and performance management/monitoring as appropriate, in direct liaison with the Heads of the Technical Programme or the Directorate Manager where necessary.

· Support Senior Genetic Technologists with their line management of other Genetic Technologists and Healthcare Science Assistants where required.

· Oversee senior Genetic Technologists implementation of training procedures, to include co-ordination of training materials, seminars, documentation and competence review.

· Lead recruitment and induction of new technical and support staff.

· Lead in a specified function(s) of the Technical Programme, for example:

· Equipment: development, procurement, validation, service, repair, negotiating contracts, troubleshooting

· Procurement: consumables, contracts, budget management, stock control, authorisation of orders, negotiating with company representatives

· Training: development, planning

· Quality: health & safety, waste management, risk assessment, incident management

· Coordinate, lead and actively participate in technical group meetings.

· Attend and actively participate in senior management and other departmental meetings as Technical Programme representative.

· Contribute to budget projections and budget setting for section.

· Responsible for ensuring continuity of service for planned workflows enforcing appropriate stock control procedures.

· Provide the team accurate and reliable information, contribute to technical and scientific protocols at a high standard and generate costing information for service requirements as requested.

· Ensure compliance of direct reports in record keeping, following lab procedures and standard operating protocols and maintaining a high standard of service delivery.

· Support and motivate staff within the team to improve efficiency of the workforce.

· Work together with other staff members to deliver a high standard of service.

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNCAL

· To ensure achievement of and adherence to the standards required of a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) laboratory accredited to ISO15189:2012

· To contribute as appropriate to the analytical and technical work of the department.

· Manage, run and perform advanced fault finding and maintenance of equipment.

· To keep abreast with genomic technologies and applications relating to clinical diagnostic testing and perform literature searches as required.

· Update relevant reagents, software and hardware solutions for workflows.

· Act as a role model and promote efficient, highly motivated and capable workforce and smooth service delivery.

· Represent the laboratory at national and international meetings.

QUALITY

· To contribute to the creation and modification of appropriate standard operating procedures and other departmental policies.

· To ensure that at all times there are adequate staff, supplies and well-functioning equipment for the efficient provision of the clinical service.

· Ensure a high standard of professional competence in the performance of all tests and investigations carried out in the department and adherence to laboratory procedures.

· To participate in internal and external laboratory audit and internal and external quality assessment schemes in accordance with the department’s quality manual.

· Support the Quality Manager at all times.

· To monitor and review the quality of the service provided by the Technical Programme, as directed by the Heads of the Technical Programme, in order to maintain a high standard of service.

· To follow and ensure compliance with good laboratory practices in the Technical Programme.

· Participate in service-related quality initiatives and instigate appropriate corrective action in instances of reduced performance.

· Investigate all incidents and participate in any investigations in accordance with Trust policy as appropriate.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

· To lead on ensuring the Technical Programme at all times maintains the standards required of a UKAS laboratory accredited to ISO15189:2012.

· To ensure that all members of staff based in the Technical Programme abide by all statutory requirements, codes of practice, safety regulations and operational policies of the department and to be aware of these measures as applied to other areas.

· To report to the Heads of Technical Programme any governance, safety and risk issues and identification of any issues impacting on service standards and delivery and staff safety.

· To assist the Quality Manager in ensuring risk management and risk reporting strategy within the Technical Programme is administered appropriately.

Education and TRAINING

· Responsible for identifying training needs of individuals and groups of staff within the Technical Programme and promote a culture of continued professional development.

· Ensure all staff within the Technical Programme maintain their competency and fulfil all mandatory training requirements.

· Responsible for compilation of staff rotation plans with the Heads of the Technical Programme.

· Identify your own professional needs and take steps to further your professional development.

Research and Development

· Assess the suitability, implementation and training of new technologies in conjunction with appropriate Clinical Scientists, and the Heads of the Technical Programme.

· Trouble-shoot technical problems and contribute to implementation of new test strategies.

· Liaise with the Heads of the Technical Programme and Clinical Scientists on future developments and integration into the laboratory.

· Identify your own professional needs and take steps to further your professional development.

· Contribute to articles for publication where appropriate.

HUMAN RESOURCES

· To adhere to and perpetuate Trust policies and procedures e.g. Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety and No Smoking.

· To perform individual personal reviews as part of the Trust staff appraisal scheme within own section or to other relevant staff as necessary.

· To manage internal grievance and disciplinary incidents/situations in accordance with the Trust policy and procedures.

· To manage and monitor absence within the Technical Programme, following appropriate procedures and policies.

· To maintain good working relations with other departments and personnel to promote effective teamwork and collaborations.

Other

· The post holder will provide technologist support out of hours as deemed necessary by the Director. They will participate in weekend and bank holiday rotas in a managerial and technical capacity.

Occasional Duties:

To carry out any other reasonable duties as may be required, which are commensurate with the grade and nature of the post, to meet the needs of these service. This will include cover of appropriate duties during the absences of colleagues.

This job description outlines the current and main duties and responsibilities of the post. Owing to the changing nature of the service, the duties and responsibilities within posts and the obligations placed upon post holders will inevitably vary and develop. In view of this, the job description will need to be reviewed and subsequently may be altered. Any resulting changes will be subject to consultation with the post holder. There will be a regular review of this job description, which as a minimum will be carried out annually, by the responsible manager and the post holder.

Position in the Organisation & Key relationships

The responsibilities of the post will be discharged by working closely with the Heads of the Technical Programme, senior Clinical Scientists, Genetic Technologists and Healthcare Science Assistants across the department.

Supplementary Duties and Responsibilities

Health and Safety

You have a legal responsibility not to endanger yourself, your fellow employees and others by your individual acts or omissions. The postholder is required to comply with the requirements of any policy or procedure issued in respect of minimising the risk of injury or disease.

Confidentiality

Attention is drawn to the confidential nature of the information collected within the NHS. The unauthorized use or disclosure of patient or other personal information is a dismissible offence and in the case of computerised information, could result in prosecution or action for civic damage under the Data Protection Act 1998.

It is a condition of your employment that, should you come into possession of information relating to the treatment of patients or the personal details of an employee, you should regard this information as confidential and not divulge it to anyone who does not have the right to such information.

The Trust fully upholds the Caldicott Report principles and you are expected within your day to day work to respect the confidentiality of patient identifiable information.

Infection Prevention and Control

The Trust is committed to minimising any risks of healthcare associated infection to patients, visitors and staff. All employees are required to be familiar with and comply with Infection Prevention and Control policies relevant to their area of work and must attend Infection Control training commensurate to their role.

Major Incidents

In the event of a Major Incident or Pandemic you may be asked to carry out other duties as requested. Such requests would be in your scope of competence, reasonable and with staff side agreement. You would also be reasonably expected to participate in training for these infrequent events.

Risk Management

The post-holder should be aware of the process for reviewing systems and improving them, in order to increase patient safety and improve the service provided by BCH.  All staff (on permanent, temporary or honorary contracts) should have an awareness of the risk management processes and an understanding of risk management as part of the Governance agenda.  This includes assessing, monitoring and managing all aspects of risk, including the planning and undertaking of any remedial action.

All staff should ensure they are aware of the Trust Risk Manual.  All staff must be aware of their responsibility for reporting any adverse incidents, including “near miss” events, in accordance with the Trust’s Policy and guidance from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).

Equality and Dignity

The postholder will be expected to adhere strictly to principles of fairness and equality in carrying out the role. At all times the postholder will be required to show respect for and maintain the dignity of patients, the public and work colleagues.

The Trust will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment, violence or aggression against its employees.

Safeguarding

As a Trust employee you are required to comply with all legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding children and promoting their health and welfare. If you are being investigated regarding child protection concerns, or become subject to such investigations, appropriate steps may have to be taken such as redeployment, increased supervision etc. and, depending on the outcome of the investigation, there may be implications for your continued employment. You are required to inform the Head of Child Protection Support Service if your own children are/become subject to child protection procedures. This information will be treated in a confidential manner.

Communication (Staff with supervisory/managerial/leadership responsibility)

An integral part of the role of any manager or person with leadership responsibilities is to communicate effectively with their staff and colleagues. It is an expectation of this role that resources and time will be allocated to communicate fully with staff and involve them in the decisions affecting them.

Arrangements should be made to ensure that local and Trust wide matters are communicated and discussed via appropriate means i.e., team meetings, written briefings etc.

Induction

It is the responsibility of every employee to participate fully in induction.

A Trust wide induction course is held on the first and third Monday of each month and local induction will be provided within your own place of work.

Appraisal and Performance Management

All staff will be expected to fully participate in the Appraisal/ Performance Management process. This obligation will include the preparation for and attendance at appraisal/performance management interviews and completion of the associated documentation.

For Consultant Medical Staff an annual appraisal and review of the Job Plan is a contractual requirement.

Failure to participate in any stage of the process will render the process ‘incomplete’.

Working Time Directive

The working Time Regulations 1998 require that you should not work more than an average of 48 hours each week, i.e. in a 17 week period no more than 816 hours or 1248 hours in a 26 week period. To work more you must have the authorisation of your manager and you must sign an opt-out agreement that you choose to work more.

Should you have more than one job with the Trust or have a job with another employer, then the total hours worked in all your jobs should not exceed the average of 48 hours as above. You are therefore required to inform your manager if you continue to work elsewhere and the number of hours you work, or if you take up work elsewhere during your employment with the Trust.

Trust Values

· Ambitious

· Brave

· Compassionate

Trust Goals

· Contribute to developing and maintaining equality of opportunity in working practices by complying with legislation and organisational policies. Advise colleagues about equality, diversity and human rights policies and procedures and ensure they are followed.

· Ensure that colleagues are treated fairly. Behave in a non-discriminatory way and challenge the discriminatory behaviour of others. Be supportive of colleagues or service users who wish to raise issues about discriminatory practice or experience.

Person Specification

Job Title:

Technical Programme Manager

Essential

Desirable

Evidenced by

A – Qualifications

BSc. Biological Science degree (first or second class with Honours) or equivalent

·

A / C

Relevant postgraduate qualification e.g MBA; MRes; PGDip

A / C

Evidence of significant personal development through formal courses and/or experience

A / C / I

Registration with the Academy for Healthcare Science or equivalent

A / C

Commitment to work towards registration with the appropriate body

A/I

Completed appropriate personnel management training e.g. recruitment and appraisal training

A / C / I

Leadership qualifications

A / C

Management qualifications

A / C

Project management qualifications

A / C

B – Knowledge/Experience

At least 5 years practical laboratory experience

·

A

At least 3 years’ experience of laboratory management

A

Experienced in optimising protocols for implementation into service

A / I / T

Experience in training technical and/or other staff

A / I / T

Experience of managing a large team/roles

A / I / T

Experience of managing reagent and consumables supplies to appropriate levels and within financial control

A / I / T

Sound knowledge of the principles of human diagnostic genetic testing

A / I / T

Sound knowledge of laboratory quality systems, UKAS

A / I / T

Sound knowledge of Health & Safety

A / I / T

Understanding of workflows in a clinical laboratory

A / I / T

C – Skills

Ability to lead on service development and evaluation

A / I / T

Excellent organisational and supervisory skills in particular ability to lead team of senior technical staff

A / I / T

Ability to meet deadlines through effective organisational and planning skills

A / I / T

Ability to work within strict timelines and within budget is required

A / I / T

Evidence of good interpersonal skills, able to establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels of the organisation

A / I / T

Ability to maintain high professional integrity in all aspects

A / I / T

Ability to deal with difficult situations

A / I / T

Computer literate with word processing, Microsoft Excel and presentation skills (e.g. Power Point)

A / I / T

Effective verbal and written communication skills

A / I / T

Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team environment

A / I / T

Ability to adapt and deliver in a rapidly changing, time constrained environment

A / I / T

Ability to manage personal workload and that of others

A / I / T

Ability to follow instructions and take direction

A / I / T

Ability to maintain records, work in an organised manner and to meticulously high standard

A / I / T

Able to manage time effectively

A / I / T

D – Approach/Values

Able to demonstrate initiative and leadership

I

Flexible approach to work

I

Enthusiasm

I

Highly motivated

I

Commitment to service delivery and patient care

To be evidenced by key: A – Application C – Certificate I – Interview T – Test R - Reference

I

Approved by:

Name

Marcus Allen

Post holder

Head of Technical Programme

Approved

Manager

Date

Technical Programme Managers

Pre-processing Hubs (Sample Receipt, Extraction, Culture, Export)

Pre-processing Hubs (Array, PCR, Sequencing)

Analytical Hub

Heads of Technical Programme

Director of West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory