Laboratory Quality Lead

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Job Title: Laboratory Quality Lead

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Fixed Term Contract End Date: November 2027

Purpose for Fixed Term: Career break or covering a secondment backfill

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as the Quality Lead for the Wessex Genomics Laboratory Service (WGLS) on a 12-month fixed-term basis. Working across our laboratory sites in Southampton and Salisbury, you will lead quality, governance, risk management, and compliance activities, supporting the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality genomic laboratory services.

Reporting jointly to the WGLS Operations Manager and the Pathology Risk and Governance Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining and overseeing the quality management systems operating across both sites, ensuring ongoing compliance with ISO 15189:2022 and other regulatory requirements. You will lead the service through UKAS assessments and accreditation activities, providing expert guidance on quality assurance, governance, and regulatory compliance across both laboratories, while supporting alignment and consistency of quality processes across the service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In this role, your key responsibilities will include - Leading and overseeing the quality management systems across the Southampton and Salisbury laboratory sites, ensuring compliance with ISO 15189:2022, UKAS requirements and other relevant regulatory standards. - Coordinating and leading UKAS assessments, accreditation activities and regulatory inspections, ensuring effective management of non-conformances, corrective actions and quality improvement plans. - Leading and overseeing the internal audit programme, delivering audits against ISO 15189 and other applicable standards, and driving continual improvement across the service. - Supporting risk management activities across WGLS, including the identification, assessment and management of organisational and operational risks, while promoting a culture of quality, safety and continuous improvement.

What experience/skills are needed - Significant experience working within a clinical laboratory environment, with a thorough understanding of ISO 15189, laboratory accreditation and regulatory requirements. - Experience of maintaining and developing a Quality Management System (QMS), including audit, incident management, change control and quality improvement processes. - A relevant MSc, Higher Specialist Certificate (IBMS) or equivalent qualification, together with registration with an appropriate professional body such as HCPC or AHCS. - Excellent organisational, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to work autonomously, build effective working relationships across multidisciplinary teams and influence positive change. - A flexible and proactive approach, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and support a rapidly evolving service through a period of significant transformational change.

A key aspect of the role will be leading risk management processes, supporting the identification, assessment, and management of organisational and operational risks. Working closely with scientific, clinical, operational, and governance colleagues, you will drive the quality agenda across WGLS, ensuring robust quality and risk management systems are embedded throughout the service and promoting a culture of continuous improvement, patient safety, and compliance.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual with excellent organisational and communication skills, a flexible and proactive approach, and the ability to work effectively across multiple sites and multi-disciplinary teams. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to quality excellence within a rapidly evolving service during a period of significant transformational change.

Additional information This role requires regular travel and cross-site working between the Wessex Genomics Laboratory Service laboratories in Southampton and Salisbury.