Senior Tissue Handling Technician – Lab Team Lead

**Location:** Level 4, John Radcliffe Hospital and Old Road Campus,
Headington, Oxford



**Contract type:** Fixed term for 36 months



**Hours:** Part-time (0.8 FTE)





**About the role**





We are looking for a Senior Tissue Handling Technician – Lab Team Lead to join
the NDS Bioresource and lead the OCHRe laboratory team providing end-to-end
histopathology services. This role offers an exciting opportunity to use your
advanced microtomy expertise and excellent leadership skills to make a real
difference to the functionality and efficiency of clinical research biobanks
and to the delivery of research results.





As part of this highly dynamic and varied role, you will be overseeing and
providing services for consent checking, sample acquisition, embedding,
processing, cutting, and allocation of histopathological material. In addition
to your technical role, you will be responsible for the management of a team
of tissue handling technicians, providing training and professional
development support for the team, and for ensuring the smooth running of the
laboratory.





You will work closely with the Governance Manager and Biobank Coordinator to
lead technical team meetings and allocate work within your team. You will be
based at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust sites;
specifically, the John Radcliffe Hospital, with regular travel to the
Churchill Hospital. While there will be some opportunity for remote working,
it is expected that you would be on site a minimum of 3 days per week.





Your responsibilities will include ensuring the smooth running of the
laboratory, coordinating equipment maintenance and resource provision, in
addition to maintaining clear oversight of HTA-governed sample storage areas.
This will also involve close coordination with the Biobank coordinator and
biobanking (fresh tissue acquisition) team. You will be carrying out a variety
of histological techniques, including cassetting, tissue embedding, microtomy
and cryotomy, block punches and TMA building, and maintain competency
according relevant SOP’s and research protocols. You will also be expected to
supervise and line manage a team of tissue handling technicians in order to
facilitate the delivery of samples in a timely manner.





**About you**



An experienced tissue handling technician, you are expected to have advanced
microtomy skills and experience training and supervising junior members of
staff. The successful candidate will hold an undergraduate degree in
biomedical science (BMS) or equivalent experience. You will have exceptional
data entry skills and experience of developing and implementing Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) and performing Risk Assessments. As the Lab Team
Lead it is essential that you have proven work experience in a laboratory
performing histological techniques and practical ability in basic molecular
laboratory skills. You will also require the ability to plan and manage your
own work schedule and those of a team, and remain adaptable to changing
priorities.





This part-time post (0.8FTE) is available immediately and is fixed-term for 36
months in the first instance. For a full list of responsibilities and
selection criteria please refer to the attached Job Description.





**Application Process**



If you would like to discuss this role please contact Danielle Fairbrass at
danielle.fairbrass@nds.ox.ac.uk.





Applications for this vacancy are to be made online. You will be required to
upload a supporting statement, setting out how you meet the selection
criteria, curriculum vitae and the names and contact details of two referees
as part of your online application. Please quote reference NDSA960 on all
correspondence.





Only applications received before noon Tuesday 20 May 2025 can be considered.
Interviews will be held Thursday 29 May 2025.





**Committed to equality and valuing diversity**