Application Operations Engineer – Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at UKHSA’s Colindale location. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a problem solver that is a quality-driven individual and a service-orientated technician to join our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Support team. Working as a LIMS Application Operations Engineer within the Surveillance Systems and Bioinformatics Division of the Data Operations Directorate, UKHSA you will be part of a dedicated team responsible for two main Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) in UKHSA. These systems support the work of the UKHSAs Laboratory services that are at the forefront of our mission to save lives and protect livelihoods. 

You will be a key resource in the operation of our LIMS systems working within a team to support the needs of a large and varied group of stakeholders. You will help to identify data errors and assist in remedial actions such as reloading files along with supporting users in the safe use of LIMS software and hardware. Along with other members of the team you will be vital for the day-to-day support of systems that integrate with the LIMS such as our eLab system that is used to deliver test results to requestors. This post will also give opportunities to be involved with invoicing processes and the preparation of high quality technical documentation. 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. 

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all. 

Job description

• Assist in technical support activities and carry out agreed or routine maintenance and administration tasks to LIMS systems and systems that interface with them
• Investigate problems in systems, processes and services, with an understanding of the level of a problem
• Implement changes based on requests for change from laboratory colleagues and other stakeholders and apply change control procedures in accordance with Divisional processes
• Apply agreed security and IG controls to LIMS and associated assets, in line with local and organisation-wide policies and guidelines. Verify the location and state of assets that support or interface with LIMS.
• Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets
• Identify and register incidents, gathering the required information and allocating it to the appropriate channel
• Own an issue until a new owner has been found or the problem has been mitigated or resolved
• Contribute to the implementation of remedies and preventative measures
• Make proposals for LIMS reports and training policies such as the use of different equipment/software/web technology, reporting methods, training practices for the LIMS.
• Correctly execute test scripts under supervision and understand the role of testing and how it works
• Identify and engage with users or stakeholders to collate needs in the form of user stories or other documented requirements.

Person specification

This post is part of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Support group, within the Information & Surveillance Systems team, based at the UKHSA Colindale site.

The postholder will: 

• Deliver capabilities in the LIMS team to analyse situations and information to identify and resolve a range of problems such as computer system errors, user, computer or programme problems, network issues and data errors in data repositories
• Identify and analyse sources of variations, errors in information reports. And help to instruct users in the safe use of LIMS software and hardware
• In conjunction with the LIMS support team, the LIMS Support Officer will assist with the day-to-day user support for our LIMS and eLab systems as well as other auxiliary systems used by the team and the Laboratories to manage their business
• Prepare invoice runs, fixing errors, re-run failed reports, update documentation, support User Acceptance Testing (UAT),deal with LIMS invoice queries and help maintain the invoice database
• Monitor and update the local team incident log in addition to Trackwise incident management system, interpret the data and produce reports for LIMS-related incidents
• Answer and monitor user support calls and emails, logging them on the LIMS Helpdesk systems or the ServiceNow system and resolving them where possible
• Maintain LIMS User accounts and system access rights and assist the LIMS team in updating and maintenance of the MOLIS address database
• Assist in the distribution of laboratory referral forms
• Be flexible in their working arrangements in order to assist the team in providing extended hours or out-of-hours support when required on rare occasions (due to national emergencies etc.)
• Be responsible for the supervision of the printing and enveloping of hard copy laboratory reports and provide training to new members of the report printing team
• Attend team meetings as required and contribute to the activities of the wider team
• Be familiar with relevant statutory requirements, including awareness of clinical governance, risk management, Caldicott and quality policies and procedures in place in UKHSA and the system(s) of accreditation in use
• Update all relevant documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Q-pulse as required.

Essential criteria –

You will be assessed on the below 6 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description:

• Educated to Higher National Diploma level in science subject or Information Technology or equivalent level of qualification and/or equivalent experience
• Experience of data management, analysis and manipulating information
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including Software documentation knowledge, knowledge of administrative procedures, project management or information analysis
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• A team worker with the ability where necessary to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,737, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,614 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Irene Scahill
• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/

http://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/v6655841

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