School Technical Manager
- Employer
- KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
- Location
- London (Greater)
- Salary
- £40,386 - £47,414 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance
- Closing date
- 25 Sep 2022
View more
- Academic Discipline
- Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health
- Job Type
- Professional Services
- Contract Type
- Fixed Term
- Hours
- Full Time
Job Details
Job description
The School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) consists of six academic departments: Cardiovascular Imaging, Cancer Imaging, Imaging Chemistry & Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Perinatal Imaging & Health and Surgical & Interventional Engineering. Staff and students comprise physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians and clinicians working together in a highly cross-disciplinary way.
The Technical Manager is part of a team that manages all aspects of the School’s laboratories and equipment at St Thomas’ Hospital, ensuring compliance with Health and Safety and other KCL policies. They will provide specialist advice on all aspects of Biological Safety, acting as the School’s Biological Safety Supervisor and representing the School on the Faculty Biological Safety Committee. The post holder will train staff, students and visitors in the safe use of specialist equipment and laboratory practices (e.g. Cell & Molecular Biology, Microscopy, Histology, Safe Handling of Radioactivity and/or Radio-analytical methods.) They will also support the team to ensure efficient purchasing and budget management.
This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract until 23 April 2024
This is a full-time post
Key responsibilities
For a list of example Laboratory Management duties please see Further Information (below)
Safety Duties: Training & Housekeeping Oversight
• Act as first point of contact for all School biological, chemical and radiochemical Health & Safety issues, providing advice and instruction to School staff & Laboratory Personnel at all levels.
• Act as a Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) and the School Biological Safety Supervisor, representing the School on the Faculty Biological Safety Committee
• Liaise with the College Safety Office to ensure safe day-to-day working practices within the School and auditable adherence to College Health and Safety policies.
• Provide training for researchers in the use of specialist equipment as needed and at times, assist researchers with experiments in areas where the post holder has specific and relevant expertise (e.g. tissue culture, molecular biology, FACS, microscopy, spectroscopy etc.)
• Provide induction and general Health and Safety guidance to all new School staff/Laboratory Personnel and deliver comprehensive training in Laboratory safety to all new laboratory users.
• Develop a detailed knowledge of the College systems, buildings, infrastructure and key contacts.
Equipment & Budget Management
• Liaise with Estates and Buildings regarding laboratory infrastructure and services to ensure prompt and efficient repair/maintenance.
• Provide oversight on day-to-day purchasing; obtain quotes and negotiate with suppliers to ensure value for money on consumables, equipment and maintenance contract purchases and to ensure timely & efficient installation with minimal disruption to laboratory users.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, performing or arranging regular essential checks and calibrations and keep up-to-date records and service histories (e.g. Biological Safety cabinets, Centrifuges, Incubators, low oxygen monitoring systems, pipettes, spectrometers, gas regulators, radiation monitors, temperature probes, chemical fume cabinets, gamma counter etc..).
• Plan and monitor the use of the laboratory facilities by research staff ensuring suitable and sufficient training & documentation (i.e. Appropriate SOP’s/User Manuals/Risk Assessments).
• Implement & maintain systems for equipment access/booking to enable fair and regular access for all users, using KCL sponsored software; ensure all capital/serviceable/maintenance equipment is “Asset Tagged” and fully registered in LabCup (or equivalent systems), in a timely manner.
• Assist the team to maintain a current inventory of all departmental Chemicals, ensuring new items and used/disposed items are captured in a timely manner and MSDS and safety details are current.
• Maintain oversight of the electronic temperature monitoring system for BMEIS refrigeration equipment (i.e. T-Scan); ensure new appliances are promptly registered and monitored and the user alarm database is current and supported.
• Assist the School Technical Manager (STM) to maximise efficient use of the limited space available to the School. Identify opportunities to create new space and use creative and imaginative solutions for storage of valuable and complex equipment.
Communication & Networking / Decision making, planning & problem solving
• Independently network and build productive relationships with a wide range of staff from across BMEIS, the wider College, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Trust and external contractors (e.g. researchers, collaborators and visitors, the campus manager, School Finance Officer, commercial suppliers, sales and estates personnel, engineers, inspectors and regulators.
• Provide clarity in development of safety documentation and SOPs, as well as interpersonal communication, both within and outside of the School.
• Act as the first line of contact and advice at shop-floor level and a key route of communication between the laboratory management team, academic staff and laboratory users. The efficient running of the laboratories depends critically on the incumbent.
• Oversee & support the work & development of junior members of the laboratory management team.
Team work, teaching & learning support
• The post holder will be a member of a team, and will flexibly contribute to the work of the team, under the leadership of the STM, providing back-up for other members of the team, to ensure an effective laboratory environment for research in the School.
• The post holder will also effectively be a key supporting member of research teams by training researchers to use specialist equipment and advise on and assist with experiments within their field of expertise
• The post holder will provide technical support to research work in-line with their own skills and experience
Physical Demands & Working Environment
• Moving and transporting equipment and supplies is a day-to-day part of the job; some of this activity may be supported by portering services
Pastoral care
• Given the close working with junior staff and students in the laboratory it is inevitable that situations will arise that will require pastoral support and advice.
Miscellaneous:
• Attend any training courses necessary to carry out the above duties, including training as a Radiation Protection Supervisor.
• To undertake other laboratory maintenance and research support duties, which are consistent with the nature and grade of the post
The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.
Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential criteria
1. BSc (2:2 or above) Biology/Chemistry/Biochemistry/Biomedical science or similar.
2. Significant experience of working in and managing laboratories for biological OR chemical research.
3. Excellent Knowledge of Regulations and Safe Methods for handling hazardous chemicals and biological materials including cells, GMOs and human/ animals tissue samples.
4. Excellent Knowledge of Regulations and Auditing and Inspection procedures in relation to laboratory safety and radioactivity.
5. Experience of writing and implementing Health & Safety procedures, SOP’s and protocols and Risk assessments.
6. Experience of ensuring compliance with H&S legislation in the context of the laboratory environment.
7. Good communication skills for effective negotiation with users, suppliers and contractors.
8. Good Oral and Written Presentation skills to support preparation of training activities and materials.
9. The ability to prioritise and organise work independently and within a team.
10. Team player, patient and constructive (“can do”) approach to supporting and training colleagues/students and supporting routine activities i.e. purchasing & lab management.
Desirable criteria
1. PhD Awarded in Radiopharmaceutical Science or related Biological or Chemical Science.
2. RPS and/or IOSH Biological Safety qualification.
3. Significant experience working with a wide range of radionuclides and unsealed sources in the laboratory.
4. Experience of carrying out laboratory Health and Safety Audits.
5. Experience in radiation techniques (i.e. synthesis, handling, storage and disposal of radioactive chemical and biological materials including gamma, alpha, beta and positron emitters) would be a distinct advantage.
Further information
Laboratory Management Duties
Examples of specific day-to-day laboratory management activities, a sub-set of which the post holder may be expected to perform, are listed below. Others may arise in the future.
• Assist the STM to update Induction & training materials to ensure that safe and effective working practices are adopted.
• Advise and assist in the writing of Biological CoBRA Risk Assessments and SOP’s.
• Act as deputy School appointed Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Assessor, responsible for helping the STM with The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (as amended by the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002).
• Liaise with KCL Health & Safety Services to ensure implementation of relevant training programmes; (i.e. Cryogenic, pressured gas system etc.); liaise with the Occupational Health Department to assist with health education and continual surveillance of staff; ensure specific recommendations (i.e. precautions/restrictions) are implemented locally.
• Maintain auditable Training records for personnel.
• Represent the team and attend School safety meetings and any other related committees (e.g. RPS, Rayne User, Technical Forums).
• Ensure that chemical/biological/radiochemical response personnel are suitably trained and readily available to tackle spillages using the emergency respiratory PPE equipment.
• Assist the STM to investigate the causes of accidents, the circumstances leading to them, compiling the necessary reports and giving advice to prevent recurrence.
• Liaise with suppliers and GSTT Trust to ensure the safe supply and movement of radionuclides for users; devise/implement and maintain suitable SOPs for the ordering, movement, stock monitoring, and user records relating to radioisotopes (currently DORIS online system).
• To join the School Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPS) team.
• Assist the lead-RPS in periodic review of processes, and adapt them to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
• Assist STM to investigate incidents of radiation exposure and modify protocols if necessary as a result.
• Ensure the use of designated personal protective equipment (i.e. lead syringes/lead safe/shields/bricks/work stations) and regularly examine safety features and warning devices.
• Act on behalf of academic supervisors/STM to maintain the necessary discipline and ensure the highest standards of laboratory practice among researchers.
• Keep current inventory of storage areas for emergency services records where requested and assist STM with business continuity planning as required.
• Ensure (directly/indirectly) the routine filling of NMR/DNP system and Dewars with liquid nitrogen.
• Liaise with Floor Manager and/or directly with (GSTT) Estates and Building Maintenance or with KCL-Estates to ensure the prompt reporting and resolution of building and infrastructure issues (i.e. Lab Lighting/heating & Ventilation/lab fabric maintenance).
NOTE: Interviews are scheduled to be held on Thursday 6th / Friday 7th October and will include a written test (general laboratory and H&S knowledge) and a tour of the facilities.
Company
King's College London is one of the top 20 universities in the world and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 27,600 students (of whom nearly 10,500 are graduate students) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 6,800 staff.
King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) King’s was ranked 6th nationally in the ‘power’ ranking, which takes into account both the quality and quantity of research activity, and 7th for quality according to Times Higher Education rankings. Eighty-four per cent of research at King’s was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (3* and 4*). The university is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of more than £684 million.
King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar.
King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.
King’s £600 million campaign, World questions|KING’s answers, has delivered huge global impact in areas where King’s has particular expertise. Philanthropic support has funded new research to save young lives at Evelina London Children’s Hospital; established the King’s Dickson Poon School of Law as a worldwide leader in transnational law; built a new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital; allowed unique collaboration between leading neuroscientists to fast-track new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, depression and schizophrenia at the new Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute; created the Cicely Saunders Institute: the first academic institution in the world dedicated to palliative care, and supported the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership in the Ebola crisis. Donations provide over 300 of the most promising students with scholarships and bursaries each year. More information about the campaign is available at www.kcl.ac.uk/kingsanswers.
- Mini-site
- KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
- Telephone
- +(44)02078365454
- Location
-
STRAND
LONDON
WC2R 2LS
United Kingdom
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