Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Biological Specimen Coordinator within the Breast Research Team at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will have oversight at Sutton location. We are looking for enthusiastic and self-motivated team members to work on our new and existing tissue studies contributing to the ground-breaking research run out of this unit.
The Royal Marsden is a world leader in cancer research, treatment, and education. Together with our academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), we are the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe and the only National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) specialising in cancer in the UK.
Continuous professional development is encouraged. Working as a highly valued member of the MDT, we support further study opportunities.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work within the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) Tissue Collection Facility and be responsible, in conjunction with the other Biological Specimen Coordinator(s) within the Breast Unit for collecting, logging, and processing clinical samples (usually tumour and blood specimens) belonging to the Breast Clinical Trials Unit.
The post will be responsible for developing, implementing, and reviewing tracking systems for all tissue samples coming through the unit and will ensure all procedures meet with Human Tissue Act (HTA) requirements and Good Clinical Practice UK Regulations for hosted commercial/academic studies as well as all tissue retrieved for central review from all participating centres in the UK and globally for the Trusts sponsored studies running through the Breast Unit.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:
The BSC will be required to liaise with internal and external customers: these will be patients, researchers, commercial and academic organizations. Specifically, the post holder will:
- To ensure the timely and efficient collection of tissue and fluid samples
- To send and retrieve samples from external Biobank facilities
- Distribute samples to research groups, laboratories, commercial and academic sponsors
- To ensure samples are packed, labelled and handled appropriately, according to IATA specification.
- Ensure the dispatch and retrieval of samples ambient or frozen (using dry ice) as requested via external courier services
- Retrieval of samples nationally and internationally and coordinating the receipt of these samples in a timely fashion to meet research study time points for central interim and final analysis as well as treatment decisions and diagnostic purposes.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Biological Specimen Coordinator, Breast Research with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 4 Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £33,262 - £36,027 Per Annum. The contract type is 11 months (Fixed Term). The application deadline is 18 Jun 2026.
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