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Job summary
We are seeking a motivated and experienced Advanced Biomedical Scientist to join the Cellular Pathology Department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
This senior BMS role sits within a busy, highly specialised diagnostic service and involves shared leadership of the main laboratory section. Responsibilities span the histology pathway from embedding through to H&E quality control and case sendout, ensuring the smooth delivery of diagnostic specimens throughout the laboratory process. Working closely with a second Advanced Biomedical Scientist, you will coordinate laboratory operations, lead staff within the section, manage workflow and resources, and ensure the delivery of a high-quality diagnostic service that supports safe and timely patient care. The postholder will also have shared responsibility for the management and operation of the department's training laboratory for embedding and microtomy, supporting the development of trainee staff and contributing to the department's education and workforce development agenda.
Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will join an established senior team comprising five other Advanced Biomedical Scientists, with leadership responsibilities across the main laboratory, reception and dissection, further work, and molecular diagnostics.
The team is further supported by dedicated full-time Training and Quality Managers, reflecting the department's strong commitment to professional development, quality management, and continuous service improvement.
The post is primarily based at St James's University Hospital, Leeds, and plays an important role within the Trust's wider Pathology service.
The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic, organised, and collaborative individual with extensive experience in Cellular Pathology. You will be confident in leading teams, managing competing priorities, and working both autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinary service. A strong commitment to quality, continuous service improvement, and professional standards is essential.
The department operates a six-day service between 7:30am and 7:30pm, with both standard and extended-day shift patterns. The successful applicant will be required to work 2 in 4 Saturdays as part of the established rota.
Applicants who have applied for this post within the previous three months need not apply.
About us
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do.
Details
- Date posted: 26 August 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 7
- Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Reference number: 001967
- Job locations: St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
Why you should join our Team
The Cellular Pathology Department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is a forwardthinking, innovative and continually improving service. We were the first laboratory in the UK to digitally scan 100% of surgical slides and also introduced the UK’s first automated tissue sectioners. We are a regional Cellular Pathology Genomics Centre and a pilot site for the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, supported by dedicated Transformation and Pathology Technology & Innovation Leads.
As a large teaching hospital, we offer a supportive and collaborative working environment with a strong emphasis on training, development and progression for staff at all levels. The department processes a wide range of specialist work and provides Histopathology, NonGynae Cytology, Andrology, Muscle, Nerve, Immunohistochemistry, Molecular and Mortuary services. There are excellent opportunities to contribute to innovation, quality improvement and service development while working alongside experienced and committed colleagues.
We have UKAS accreditation to ISO15189:2022 standards.
What you will bring to the role
- HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist with extensive postregistration experience in Cellular Pathology
- A relevant MSc, Higher Specialist Diploma or equivalent Level 7 qualification (or equivalent Level 7 experience)
- Experience of leading and coordinating technical activities within a specialist laboratory section
- Ability to undertake highly specialist clinical technical investigations requiring complex analysis and interpretation
- Experience of validating and authorising technical work to professional and regulatory standards
- Commitment to staff training, development and competency assessment
- Experience of contributing to quality activities such as UKAS accreditation, audit, EQA, validation and risk management
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex or sensitive information effectively
- Ability to deputise for senior staff and contribute to departmental management activities
- A proactive approach to service improvement and maintaining high standards of patient care
Please see the attached job description for further information about this vacancy.
About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:
Kind
Open and Honest
Responsible
One Team
All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values
We’re committed to recruiting exceptional people to deliver outstanding services across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and helping every colleague reach their full potential. We’re looking for a compassionate, inclusive, and collaborative leader who shares our values and can build strong partnerships. We warmly invite applications from people from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, and are especially keen to hear from individuals from a minority ethnic background. We’re dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and has a true sense of belonging, as we work together to deliver the best in healthcare to the people of Leeds and beyond.
To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.
Person specification
Training
Essential
- You will have developed a range of competencies and specialist knowledge within the discipline through extensive practical experience, in house training and structured study.
- You will continue to develop your skills and knowledge subject to the requirements of continuous professional development (CPD).
- You will be required to undergo appropriate HR training, for example, in supervisory management.
- The post holder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.
- The post holder is responsible for maintaining their competency for all relevant technical and managerial/leadership elements of the role.
Behaviours
Essential
- To be a leading member of a team providing a clinical technical service.
- To work independently when and as required by the service, for instance when working alone in the provision of the emergency on-call service.
- To take account of changes in service delivery by demonstrating a flexible approach to work.
- Responsible for ensuring continuous individual and team development and a collaborative approach.
- Empowering all staff to actively contribute to continuous improvement.
- The Leeds Way values: Patient-centred; Collaborative; Fair; Accountable; Empowered.
Experience
Essential
- You will have extensive experience within the speciality or related discipline.
- Extensive practical experience... within the discipline.
- Experience of carrying out highly specialist clinical technical investigations.
- Experience of co-ordinating, validating and authorizing the day to day technical activities of a section of the laboratory.
- Experience of training technical, scientific and medical staff within area of specialist responsibility.
- Experience of quality activities such as audit, EQA review, validation, change and risk management.
- Experience of people governance procedures such as staff recruitment and appraisal.
- Experience of general management activities, for example, basic HR functions, appraisal and incident investigation.
Qualifications
Essential
- In order to carry out the job sufficiently and effectively you will have successfully studied for a [qualification not specified in the document].
Practical skills
Essential
- Perform a wide range of complex clinical technical procedures.
- Safe and effective use of highly complex laboratory equipment.
- Use of the LIMS to report, retrieve and manage technical information.
- To communicate, explain complex information and results to clinicians & other service users clearly and effectively whether orally, graphically or electronically.
- Oversight responsibility for co-ordinating effective workload management with prioritisation of samples received within specialist area.
- Responsible for the development and validation of in house quality control material & reagents.
- To validate the work of other sections when circumstances require.
- To work with precision and follow accurately the documented laboratory standard operating procedures.
- To input, manage, extract and interpret complex patient data using the laboratory computer system.
- To demonstrate relevant tasks to others as appropriate.
- To plan and implement changes to the clinical technical service offered by the section.
- Responsible for carrying out appraisal scheme for direct reports.
- Level 2 investigations.
- Roster approval level 1.
- Produces informative management reports and contributes to business cases which inform strategic decision making.
- Effective stock management.
- Oversight of creation and authorisation of Standard Operating Procedures, risk assessments and training records within area of specialist responsibility.
- Leads on service improvement initiatives for the area of specialist responsibility.
- Leads on the implementation of new or updated technologies/instrumentation/tests within specialist area.
- Responsibility for the management of analytical result quality within area of specialist responsibility.
- To operate highly complex laboratory equipment safely and efficiently.
- In addition, computer skills are essential to carry out your work.
- This job requires a high degree of dexterity and precision when manipulating small tools such as pipettes, handling very small volumes of clinical material or when preparing microscope slides for examination. Working with both speed and accuracy is required.
Special knowledge
Essential
- Have knowledge and understanding of current national legislation and guidelines relevant to the speciality.
- Understand the need to report adverse events in the event of errors and failures.
- Maintain patient confidentiality. You will recognise the absolute requirement to protect sensitive information that is related to patient care.
- Knowledge of quality management systems, including quality assurance records, audit, EQA, IQC, uncertainty, data trending and quality investigations.
- Knowledge of health and safety hazards associated with laboratory work and suitable actions to take in the event of breaches in health and safety.
- Knowledge of departmental policies relating to service provision and Trust policies relating to clinical and people governance.
- Knowledge of infection control requirements, including Universal Infection Control Precautions and hand hygiene.
Other requirements
Essential
- The job holder will be required to work in a clinical laboratory environment where chemical and biohazardous materials are handled.
- The service is delivered from a number of different sites and you may be required, subject to consultation, to travel between sites.
- The job holder will be required to work with chemical and biological materials such as blood, other body fluids, body tissue and faeces on every shift.
- Ability to undertake specialist clinical technical investigations where concentration is required.
- Ability to work under controlled laboratory conditions and comply with health and safety, security and safer working procedures.
- Ability to communicate and work directly or indirectly with a diverse range of other staff and service users.
- Commitment to Continuous Professional Development and mandatory training.
- Compliance with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies.
- Compliance with policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Advanced Biomedical Scientist - Cellular Pathology with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom, United Kingdom. It is listed as a Band 7 Health science services role. The advertised salary is £49387.00 to £56515.00. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 09 Sep 2026.
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