North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.
Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.
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Job Overview
Bristol Genetics Laboratory - South West Genomic Laboratory Hub
Southmead Hospital, Bristol
Registered Clinical Scientist in Rare Disease Genomics.
Open to HCPC registered Clinical Scientists and those approaching completion of the Clinical Scientist Training Programme. Appointment at Band 6 will be considered for candidates who are on course to complete their training within 6-9 months of appointment.
Full time or part time considered.
With a complement of more than 200 scientific and technical staff, BGL is housed in new state of the art Pathology laboratories in North Bristol NHS Trust.
BGL is a fully integrated Genomics Laboratory providing comprehensive and expanding Rare Inherited Disease and Cancer genomic testing to the South West with extensive specialist services attracting a large number of national and international referrals.
BGL has a significant R&D programme and also benefits from
co-location with the University of Bristol Learning and Research Centre in the Trust Science Quarter.
Successful candidates will join a dynamic, friendly and motivated team committed to providing excellent services for patients. BGL is fully committed to the provision of high quality staff training at all levels, as an accredited training centre
Please see this short video showcasing Pathology at NBT.
Main duties of the job
A vacancy has arisen in BGL's
prenatal/postnatal cytogenomics
rare disease section for a dedicated and diligent scientist to join our dynamic team. Successful Candidates will use scientific and clinical skills to analyse genomic data and prepare and authorise patient reports. The roles also involve significant clinical communication /education, research and development, and quality assurance/ improvement.
Recent scientific experience in the management of prenatal scenarios and delivery of relevant cytogenomic and molecular testing relevant to this area, inclusive of cell culture, karyotyping/FISH, SNP array and QF-PCR is highly desirable.
Applicants Will Be Expected To Demonstrate
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A good first degree/higher qualification in Genetics or equivalent, higher degree desirable.
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HCPC registration as a Clinical Scientist in Cancer genetics/Genomics or close to achieving registration.
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Clinical service experience.
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Completion of the Modernising Scientific Careers Training Scheme (STP) including MSc in Genetics/Genomic Science OR a Postgraduate Certificate of competence in Molecular Genetics or Cytogenetics.
Full time 37.5 hours per week. Part time and job share considered. There are excellent opportunities for progression for qualified and motivated applicants.
Contact Ian Berry (Lead Scientist for Rare Disease) for further information.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are a internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
We commit to treating each patient as an individual with respect and dignity, aiming to deliver excellent clinical outcomes and a first-class experience for everyone who uses our services.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Bristol is consistently voted the best place to live in the UK, with vibrant local music, arts and gastronomic scenes, a wide range of modern and state of the art shopping, recreation and leisure facilities, a wealth of great local family days out, fantastic transport links for local, national and internal holidays, and it has a rich history. If you prefer country, village or smaller town living, NBT is also easily commutable from a range of attractive locations in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and South Wales (e.g. Portishead, Chepstow).
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
To apply highly specialist scientific skill and expertise in diagnostic laboratory genetics including troubleshooting of assays and techniques both existing and in development.
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To ensure that the service is effective and current by regular literature review.
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To implement laboratory procedures for sample receipt, processing, IQC, analysis, checking, interpretation, preparation of reports (both standard and complex) and reporting of results.
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In partnership with others, to be responsible for the accuracy, timeliness and appropriateness of a variety of routine and non-routine highly specialised genomic tests.
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To correctly interpret and explain results with advice on further action for patient or family members, including calculation of risk and use of appropriate online resources, literature and databases as appropriate, within relevant professional guidelines and subject to supervision from senior staff.
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To contribute to appropriate multidisciplinary team meetings to give a
professional opinion on clinical cases.
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To communicate scientific data and results at local, national and international meetings and in the scientific literature under the overall direction of senior staff.
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Authorisation of a subset of clinical and administrative reports, as directed by senior staff.
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To work with the team to ensure achievement of and adherence to the
standards required of a UKAS accredited Laboratory, in close liaison with the Quality Lead and Quality Manager and under the direction of the Head of Section and ultimately the Head of Department.
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The post holder will participate and lead with medium-term service
development and enhancement under the overall direction of more senior staff. This may include:
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Contribution to evaluation and implementation of new methods or new ways of working etc.
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Evaluation of published developments and innovations and their transfer into clinical practice.
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Project supervision.
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To undertake continued training and development and to acquire, improve and apply new skills to ensure safe efficient and effective service delivery and to comply with the appropriate CPD scheme.
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The post holder is encouraged to work towards further qualifications
(eg FRCPath).
Person specification
Education/Training
Essential criteria
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First or second class BSc honours Degree in biological science or equivalent
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Health and Care Professions Council Registration (Clinical Scientist)
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Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and ongoing training in laboratory genetics
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Completion of Scientist Training programme/ Postgraduate Certificate in Genomics/Cytogenetics/Molecular genetics or equivalent
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Higher qualification to MsC or recognised equivalent level
Desirable criteria
Work experience
Essential criteria
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Comprehensive experience and knowledge of Clinical Laboratory genetics
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Experience of Research and development projects and presentation at meetings/conferences
Desirable criteria
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Experience of Staff Training and Supervision
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Experience of R&D
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Experience of presentation of information at internal and/or external scientific meetings
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria
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IT literate and familiar with relevant informatics/bioinformatics resources
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Theoretical and Practical knowledge of genetic techniques and their clinical applications.
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Attention to detail and good organisational skills
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
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As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
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The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
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BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
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To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
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If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
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The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
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By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
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Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.
Important
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.