Clinical Embryologist

Liverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool City Region; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000

Job description

Liverpool Women's NHS FT became part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG) in November 2024, following the coming together with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT. UHLG was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide to our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond. For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, UHLG is also their local NHS, providing general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

At Liverpool Women's Hospital, each year we deliver approximately 7,500 babies, carry out around 50,000 gynaecological inpatient and outpatient procedures, care for over 1,000 poorly and premature newborns, perform around 1,000 IVF cycles, and conduct over 4,000 genetic appointments.

We believe that this, along with a strong dedication to research and innovation, makes us the specialist health provider of choice in Europe for women, babies and families.

Liverpool Women's has an excellent reputation and is a centre of excellence. It is an exciting environment to work in and a great place to develop your career for many years to come.

Job overview

The Hewitt Fertility Centre is seeking an embryologist to join their team in Liverpool on a permanent basis. They will be joining our highly skilled and dedicated team of 35 scientists. We are dedicated to providing the very best in patient care and offer a full range of laboratory therapeutic and diagnostic treatments (Including IMSI, PGT, cryopreservation and donation programmes).

The Hewitt Fertility Centre offers as standard the latest time-lapse technologies for all patients in our state-of-the-art laboratories. Successful applicants should be personable with excellent communication skills, experienced in all routine embryological procedures and take part in a weekend and on-call rota.

Suitable applicants must have experience of performing clinical workload within an Embryology laboratory setting and be familiar with the HFEA Code of Practice. HCPC registration is a must and we only encourage those with HCPC registration to apply.

Please note, successful applicants will need to provide cover at both Liverpool and Knutsford sites on occasion.

Main duties of the job

1. To perform all laboratory procedures associated with the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment services provided by the Hewitt Fertility Centres including semen analysis, sperm preparation (including donor, and surgically retrieved testicular and epididymal sperm), oocyte and embryo handling, gamete (ejaculated and surgically retrieved sperm) and embryo cryopreservation, clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), time-lapse technologies and other micromanipulation techniques.
2. To select embryos best suited for embryo transfer and cryopreservation.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Bachelor of Science Degree in life sciences (or an equivalent qualification) from an EU University; alternative degrees or other qualifications may be acceptable.
• Certificate Clinical Embryology awarded by the Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE) and the Institute of Biology or a graduate of the Modernising Scientific Careers STP training programme.

Desirable criteria

• Relevant higher degree.

Professional requirements

Essential criteria

• Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council. Ability to work without direct supervision and ability to take charge of organising the laboratory on a day to day basis.

Desirable criteria

• Recognised by the HFEA as an ICSI practitioner.
• Experience in clinical vitrification.
• Embryo biopsy practitioner.

Previous experience

Essential criteria

• Experience within the field of assisted conception and reproductive medicine.

Desirable criteria

• Micromanipulation experience.
• Research experience.
• NHS experience.

Team Work

Essential criteria

• Able to work within a multidisciplinary team.
• Personable, have excellent communication skills.

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Organisational Skills

Essential criteria

• Able to make efficient use of time and to complete workload and tasks.
• Able to prioritise tasks.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Essential criteria

• To have a flexible approach to work (including out of normal hours).
• Able to adapt to the changing needs of the unit.

Initiative

Essential criteria

• Able to work unsupervised.
• Able to work under own initiative.

Desirable criteria

• Able to assess situations and suggest possible solutions in order to enhance the service.

Commitment/Confidentiality

Essential criteria

• Understanding the importance of patient confidentiality.
• Able to work with the highest level of commitment to deliver the highest possible standard of service at all times.

Special Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Able to accept responsibility for function/procedures within a working environment.

Special conditions

Essential criteria

• To have a meticulous approach to work.
• To have an excellent attendance record.

Please Note: new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first paypoint of the relevant band.