Laboratory and Quality Manager

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The Role
What you'll do
Who you are - Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
How to apply
Benefits
Employment Visa
The Role
To make an informal enquiry, please contact Dr Amanda Gibson at amg39@aber.ac.uk or Jackie Sayce jqs@aber.ac.uk

Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check, medical surveillance and (where applicable) government security clearance.

Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.
What you'll do
This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.

VetHub 1 is a £4.2m Innovation Cluster providing secure facilities to research Animal and Human Pathogens. The Facility is set in the heart of the Aberystwyth University campus with access to world leading academic expertise and state of the art laboratory equipment. VetHub 1 has some of the best Containment Level 3 and Containment Level 2 facilities in the UK. As part of a new initiative, VetHub 1 has exciting opportunities available in a new animal disease testing facility. VetHub 1 works closely with the Sêr Cymru Centre of Excellence for Bovine TB, together these facilities enable cutting edge research in microbiology, immunology and microbial genetics and facilitate in-depth studies of host-pathogen interactions.

The Laboratory and Quality Manager will act as an integral part of developing and running a new Centre to deliver a service to provide animal disease diagnostic testing from VetHub 1 . The role holder will work as part of a team within the laboratories to develop tests to meet regional and national demand for a fast, reliable, and high-quality diagnostic service. The Centre will ultimately support animal health surveillance, enhance teaching and research, and provide a public service through early detection and monitoring of emerging diseases. The role holder will support the development, implementation, and maintenance of quality management systems such as ISO17025.

A secondment opportunity is particularly welcomed.

This job description is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role.

The role holder will be required to:

Planning:

• Contribute to the planning of the diagnostic service from conception to delivery, including achieving and maintaining UKAS accreditation, working with internal and external collaborators to meet project milestones.
• Review the current laboratory infrastructure (CL2 and CL3) and overseeing procurement of new equipment and infrastructure changes.
• Develop and oversee the implementation and maintenance systems for ISO17025 (and other) to ensure compliance within the laboratory, including data validation.
• Develop and implement quality policies, SOPS, risk assessments, and procedures to embed laboratory processes.
• Recruit and line manage staff as and when required.

Operational:

• Manage the effective operation of the veterinary research facilities on a day-to-day basis.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, training and promote a culture of quality and safety within the laboratories.
• Train or facilitate the training of staff, new and experienced, in new techniques and ensure staff maintenance of competence.
• Undertake laboratory work, including classical virology, molecular (PCR and sequencing) and serological (virus neutralisation and ELISA) within high containment (ACDP3/SAPO3/Schedule 5) facilities and in ACDP 2 containment laboratories when necessary.
• Take responsibility for managing a UKAS accredited diagnostic service to deliver testing for animal diseases.
• Plan and conduct regular internal audits to assess the effectiveness of the quality management system and implement corrective actions as necessary to maintain UKAS accreditation.
• Be responsible for document control relating to UKAS accreditation
• Coordinate external audits by accreditation and legislative bodies (i.e. UKAS and HSE) and ensure the laboratories are prepared for assessments and inspections.
• Ensure supplier and subcontractor compliance in line with UKAS requirements with assistance from the Technician.
• Planning and conducting ISO 17025 (and other associated) management reviews.
• Establish and monitor quality control charts
• Participate in Proficiency Testing schemes
• Provide guidance on biosafety, good laboratory practice, and quality standards.
• Identify risks, improvements and opportunities, to present to Facility senior management with an aim to improve laboratory and management processes.
• Take responsibility for reviewing and maintaining risk assessments related to accredited tests.
• Reviewing and writing Standard Operating Procedures.
• Analyse and prepare data for accreditation.
• Deliver presentations at meetings (internal and external).
• Investigating non-conformances and identifying effective corrective actions in collaboration with the laboratory staff.
• Supporting investigations and complaint handling.
• Preparing and hosting regular meetings with laboratory staff.
• To support the university strategy and underlining plans, engage in continuous personal and professional development in line with the demands of the role, including undertaking relevant training and development activities to develop yourself and support the development of others.
• Ensure and promote the personal health, safety and wellbeing of staff and students as well as working to support the University's environmental sustainability agenda and practices.
• Perform duties in a manner that promotes fairness, fosters trust, and reflects and upholds the University's values.
• Commitment to advancing equality of opportunity and support diversity and inclusion.
• To undertake such other duties which may be reasonably requested and are commensurate with the nature and grade of the post.
• Flexibility for evening and weekend events, national and international travel and activity as required.
• This role requires satisfactory DBS (The Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance.

The above does not represent an exhaustive list of duties associated with this role.
Who you are - Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
Candidates are required to demonstrate how they meet the essential and desirable requirements in their application form.

Essential

Desirable

*More information on Welsh Language Levels can be found at:

https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/policy-and-procedure/welsh-standards/
How to apply
To promote a flexible workforce, the University will consider applications from individuals seeking full time, part time, job share, or term time only working arrangements.

Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Benefits

• Flexible working policy
• 36.5 - hour week for full-time roles
• Generous leave entitlements - 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
• Commitment to Professional Development
• Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
• Staff recognition and reward schemes
• Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
• Staff relocation bursary
• Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
• Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus.

Please keep reading
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and, those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.

We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.
Employment Visa
We welcome international applicants who are eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route.

Under the points-based system, this role meets the criteria to be sponsored by AU for an SWR application. Please be advised that AU will only support the Certificate of Sponsorship for any employment visas and will not support the payment of the employment visa for the offered candidate and/or dependants.

Any prospective candidates coming to work for AU under the SWR will require a minimum of 70 points, made up of the following:

Skilled Worker Route Points-Based System

Points

Meets (Yes / No)

Mandatory / Non-tradeable Criteria (50 points)

A job offer from a UK licensed sponsor

20 points

Yes

Job is above the minimum sponsorable skill level

20 points

Yes

Appointed candidate to have appropriate knowledge of the English language*

10 points

Yes

Total = 50 points

Tradeable Criteria (dependent on candidate appointed)

Salary meets minimum threshold

20 points

The candidate holds a PhD in a subject relevant to the job

10 points

The candidate holds a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job

20 points

The advertised role is on the UK Shortage Occupation List (SOL)

20 points

*Appropriate knowledge is classed as the following:

• A national of a majority English speaking country
• Having an academic degree taught in English (if an overseas degree, must be verified by NARIC)
• Completing and passing an English language test at Level B1 or above.

For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa