Principal Lecturer/Reader in Biomedical Science

Job summary

We are appointing an enthusiastic and experienced candidate at Principal Lecturer or Reader grade in Biomedical Science to support the delivery and design of new IBMS-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate courses. You will be joining a supportive and diverse team of colleagues from a wide range of scientific disciplines (ranging from biomedical scientists to ecologists and geographers). In the two most recent National Student Surveys, the Biomedical Science course at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) has achieved results well above the national benchmark, leading all Universities nationally in most metrics of student satisfaction and teaching excellence in 2023.

Main duties of the job

This is an excellent opportunity to apply your clinical experience from the NHS or other healthcare providers in a higher education setting. You will be working with a diverse team of interdisciplinary colleagues in the Section of Natural and Applied Sciences where you will deliver specialist teaching for Biomedical Science students primarily, as well as for students on our other programmes.

This is an exciting role where you will have the opportunity to contribute to the design and delivery of modules and support us as we liaise with external partners to secure clinical placements for students in the NHS as part of our biomedical science provision.

This role is ideal for candidates with practice experience in a clinical setting ( NHS, private healthcare), especially in the areas of haematology, transfusion science, cellular pathology or other clinically relevant areas. Ideally, you will have had some experience in leadership in a clinical laboratory setting or in medical practice and be on the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) register. A PhD or experience in higher education are not essential, as long as you have equivalent experience from a practice background, the enthusiasm and clinical practice experience required for the post.

About us

The University is growing its capacity in Biomedical Science over the coming years and wishes to appoint an enthusiastic and experienced candidate at Principal Lecturer (teaching and leadership emphasis) or Reader (research and knowledge exchange emphasis) grade in Biomedical Science. To support the delivery of clinical specialism modules for the new IBMS accredited course, we are seeking candidates with extensive practice experience in a clinical setting ( NHS, private healthcare), especially in the areas of haematology, transfusion science, cellular pathology or other clinically relevant areas. The ideal candidate will have had some experience in leadership in a clinical laboratory setting and be on the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) register.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The School of Psychology and Life Sciences (PLS) is a vibrant and diverse community of academics, postgraduate and undergraduate students with approximately 150 academic staff and 30 professional service and technical support staff, providing innovative multidisciplinary science and social science education across a range of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to approximately 2000 students.

The School is organised into three Sections and you will work within the Section of Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS), joining an energetic and multidisciplinary team of about 20 academic staff. The Section delivers a number of single honours degree programmes that integrate the core sciences (chemistry, physics and biology) including both BSc Biomedical Science and BSc Human Biology pathways.

These pathways are currently being updated to include a follow-on taught MSc in Biomedical Science and IBMS accreditation at undergraduate and postgraduate level. In the two most recent National Student Surveys, the Biomedical Science course has achieved results well above benchmark, leading all Universities nationally in most metrics in 2023. The science programmes within the Section are all offered with a foundation (Level 0) entry and the Section also offers an MPhil/PhD in Biological Sciences and an MSc by Research in Biosciences.

Our laboratory facilities are based within the University's new £65 million STEM building that houses CCCUs specialist laboratory facilities. Within this STEM building, NAS is located alongside the new Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), other lab-based disciplines in PLS, and the new School of Engineering, Technology and Design. We also have a specialist Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab based at Discovery Park, Sandwich, one of Europe's leading science and technology parks. This Liaison Lab provides industry relevant experience of commercial standard laboratories to students studying courses across the life sciences and facilitates research collaboration with industries based at Discovery Park.The School has an extensive research and knowledge exchange (RKE) portfolio that focuses on the impact of our work on stakeholders. In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment (REF 2021), the majority of the Schools submitted impact case studies were assessed to be world leading or internationally excellent.

This RKE activity contributes to a research-enhanced offer to students that embeds research involvement in the curriculum and allows students to experience first-hand how the subjects and disciplines they are studying make a difference to society, the environment and to peoples lives.The University is growing its capacity in Biomedical Science over the coming years and wishes to appoint an enthusiastic and experienced candidate at Principal Lecturer (teaching and leadership emphasis) or Reader (research and knowledge exchange emphasis) grade in Biomedical Science.

To support the delivery of clinical specialism modules for the new IBMS accredited course, we are seeking candidates with extensive practice experience in a clinical setting ( NHS, private healthcare), especially in the areas of haematology, transfusion science, cellular pathology or other clinically relevant areas. The ideal candidate will have had some experience in leadership in a clinical laboratory setting and be on the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) register.

A PhD is not a required qualification, we will consider applicants with relevant and significant experience in clinical or medical/biomedical practice. If a successful candidate has interest in completing a part-time PhD while in post, this would be supported as far as possible. Some experience of teaching or training practitioners, colleagues or students is essential, but this does not have to be in a higher education context.The successful candidate will have an active involvement in the design, organisation and delivery of the Biomedical Science courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. They will also support the application of the School for IBMS accreditation of its Biomedical Science course where possible and ideally will be able to support liaising with the NHS and other healthcare providers to provide clinical laboratory placements for students on the new Biomedical Science undergraduate course. In addition to teaching specialist modules, the successful candidate may also on occasion deliver modules or sessions across the wider Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS) curriculum and provide supervision of research project students. The post holder will be a member of the NAS academic team and will work closely with the other members of the team in the planning, delivery, assessment and evaluation of programmes in general.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

PhD in Biomedical Science or related discipline or equivalent extensive practice experience in clinical laboratory setting and/or medical/biomedical practice

Desirable

Registered with HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) Member of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS)

Experience

Essential

Experience in a clinical laboratory setting and/or medical/biomedical practice. Expertise in a specialised biomedical subject, especially haematology, transfusion science, cellular pathology, clinical microbiology or clinical genetics. Experience teaching/training in a practice setting and/or higher education setting

Desirable

Leadership experience in a clinical laboratory setting and/or medical/biomedical practice or in a higher education role. Understanding of the professional standards, regulation and accreditation of Biomedical Science programmes (IBMS). Research interests that complement those within the Section of Natural and Applied Sciences Record of research income generation (appropriate to career stage) Record of research publication (appropriate to career stage)

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