VIVO Biobank Manager

Salary:£34,866 to £36,924 with progression to £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 15 December 2024

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the development and running of VIVO biobank (https://vivobiobank.org/).This is a national Children’s and Young People’s Cancer biobank formed from the merger of the Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia Group (CCLG) Tissue Bank and the Blood Cancer UK leukaemia CellBank in 2022.

Key roles are responsibility for the HRA approved protocol for the Bank and any amendments, oversight of sample registrations for solid tumours and follow-up data collection, authorisation of tissue banking payments to centres, publicity and promotion of the Bank, ensuring MTAs are issued for approved studies and liaising with the Newcastle Biobank for release of solid tumour samples.

Working alongside another biobank manager based at the University of York, you will be responsible for liaising with clinical staff in centres about consenting patients and supporting new centres including TYA centres in setting up Tissue Banking processes. You will arrange all relevant paperwork, undertake periodic governance audits in collection centres and generally help to ensure good working relationships with the paediatric oncology and haematology community as well as publicising and promoting VIVO Biobank to researchers worldwide.

You will have a BSc and or Master’s degree in a biological science. You will have practical laboratory research experience preferably within a cancer research environment. You will have experience of working in clinical research with experience of conducting a research project. You will have experience of interacting with clinical and scientific staff in a medical research environment.

You will have experience of successful project management and a high level of computer literacy, including Microsoft Office, Access databases and database development.

You will be able to work on your own initiative, including good time management skills, ability to prioritise, and ensure essential deadlines are met. You will have excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to interact constructively with all staff in centres in relation to all aspects associated with tissue banking and biological studies. You will be able to express thoughts and ideas verbally and communicate clearly and concisely in writing. You will have meticulous attention to detail.  You will have evidence of staff management, including team motivation.
    
This post forms one of two Biobank managers within VIVO biobank. The other biobank manager based at the University of York is mainly responsible for liquid tumour banking but some cross cover will be provided.

VIVO biobank is a national Children and Young People's (CYP) Biobank funded by Cancer Research UK/Blood Cancer UK formed from the merger of two previous biobanks the Cancer Research UK (CR UK) Children’s Cancer & Leukaemia Group (CCLG tissue bank) and the Blood Cancer UK Childhood Leukaemia CellBank in 2022. The Biobank has staff based at Newcastle University, the University of York and UK Biocentre (Milton Keynes). 

This is a full-time fixed term post until 30.06.2027 (subject to annual review).

Further information can be obtained by contacting Prof Deborah Tweddle (via deborah.tweddle@newcastle.ac.uk) or Mrs Anne Thomson (via anne.thomson@york.ac.uk or anne.thomson@newcastle.ac.uk).

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here:https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role

Key Accountabilities

Strategic input:

• Working with the Directors of VIVO Biobank (Prof Deb Tweddle, Dr John Moppett and Prof Alex Smith) and the Chairs of the Sample and Data Access Committee (Prof Anthony Moorman and Dr Ed Cheesman) alongside Mrs Anne Thomson, on strategic developments in relation to the management of biological studies and VIVO Biobank
• Advising the Biobank Management Committee and Director(s) of the Biobank on management and operational issues with the Biobank, including providing proposals for resolution of any problems. This also includes chairing of Biobank Operations Committee meetings
• Continuing review of all activity to ensure compliance with the Human Tissue Act and ethical approval procedures, including provision of advice and proposals for any changes to practice that may be required
• Representing VIVO Biobank at the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Tissue Directory and Coordination Centre. (UKCRC TDCC) 
• Representing VIVO Biobank in national, and occasionally international, meetings to promote biobanking activity and biological studies. This may involve formal presentations
• Managing audit of tissue banking activity, including monitoring actual number samples banked against potential numbers and sample flux, together with audit of individual banking centres. Provision of audit feedback to the Biobank management committee and funders including providing Key Performance Indicator data
• Taking forward new initiatives in tumour banking including the extension of banking centres to include Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) centres
• Drafting of annual VIVO Biobank scientific milestone reports for Cancer Research UK and Blood Cancer UK and as required
• Provide support and data including drafting of parts of the application to the biobank Directors when preparing the biobank grant application for funding renewal in 2026-7
• Working with the VIVO biobank Patient & Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group to ensure they are involved in all aspects of tissue banking
• Responsible for review and advice to the Biobank Management Committee of any required amendments to the Biobank protocol, including coordination and drafting of any revisions to ensure continuing compliance with the relevant regulations (i.e. Human Tissue Act), and to ensure that the protocol reflects Biobank strategy in relation to banking
• Assistance with preparation and submission of ethics applications and amendments for VIVO Biobank together with Mrs Anne Thomson, who is the biobank manager named on the ethics form and representing the Director(s) of the Biobank at relevant Research Ethics Committee (REC) meetings

Operational aspects of tissue registration and banking: 

• Line management of/support/provision of advice to the VIVO Biobank research assistants (project and research coordinators)
• Responsibility for drafting and maintenance of all relevant Standard Operating Procedures together with the other Biobank Manager
• To assist completion of a Data Protection Impact Assessment and Data Sharing Agreement to transfer the legacy Tissue Bank database based in Newcastle upon Hospitals NHS Trust to the VIVO Biobank database at the University of York. 
• To assist the systems analyst at the University of York with database merging
• Proactive input into the monthly Biobank Team Operational Meetings, ensuring that all appropriate actions are undertaken in a timely manner
• Assisting with annual payments to centres based on number and type of samples banked, and with the University Finance Team to process payments
• Assisting with processing of expense payments for PPI group activities with the University Finance Team and with payments to UK Biocentre
• To assist with the ongoing sample audit at Newcastle Central Biobank of VIVO biobank samples and other audits that may be undertaken in the future

Operational aspects of sample release to researchers, and ongoing interactions with researchers: 

• Liaising with key personnel from the Newcastle Central Biobank Facility to initiate solid tumour sample release supported by the other VIVO biobank staff
• Responsibility for provision to researchers of biological/genetic and link-anonymised clinical data. This is a key area of activity, the clinical data value adding significantly to data held in the Bank and will involve liaising with NHS Digital and Genomics England alongside the tissue bank Directors to enable database linkages to be made
• Ensure compliance with requirement for researchers of active research projects to submit an annual progress report each year by: proactively requesting annual reports; chasing outstanding and overdue reports alongside the Biobank Project Coordinator, reviewing report content, particularly for comments on improvements to the Biobank, and acting on those; ensuring that copies of relevant publications are obtained; and reviewing contents of publications, particularly for impact of the biological study on clinical practice (a total of approximately 35-40 reports each year)

Education/Training role: 

• Active involvement, together with the existing Biobank manager and other biobank staff in development of Biobank Study Days for site staff involved in banking
• Liaison with other biobank team members to produce VIVO biobank newsletters for researchers, clinical staff and PPI, including provision of regular updates
• Provision of other training on any aspect of tissue banking to site or other staff as part of induction training
• Supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students on tissue bank related projects where appropriate

Personal development: 

• It is expected that the post-holder will participate actively in all areas of Clinical & Translational Research Institute activities, and the UKCRC TDCC, including attendance on courses and conferences for personal and professional development

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience working within research, medical or clinical laboratory environment; preferably with experience processing a range of patient samples
• Proven organisational skills, including ability to demonstrate successful project management
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing
• Ability to demonstrate commitment to maintaining and promoting the aims of VIVO Biobank
• Evidence of staff management, including team motivation
• Evidence of a high level of computer literacy, including Microsoft Office and Access databases
• Understanding of ethical issues surrounding clinical research involving patients

Desirable

• Experience of preparing submissions of research projects to an Ethics Committee
• Experience of monitoring clinical trial centres participating in studies
• Experience of interacting with clinical and scientific staff in a medical research environment
• Experience of producing formal written reports for funders and other bodies as appropriate
• Working knowledge of the implications of the Human Tissue Act in relation to tissue banks
• Understanding of clinical trial management and issues relating to data handling
• Clinical/translational project coordination experience

Attributes and Behaviour

• Evidence of ability to work on own initiative, including good time management skills, ability to prioritise, and ensure essential deadlines are met. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to interact constructively with clinicians, scientists, researchers, tissue banking staff in centres in relation to all aspects associated with tissue banking and biological studies
• Ability to express thoughts and ideas verbally
• Attention to detail
• Willingness to occasionally work flexibly to meet deadlines

Desirable

• Engagement experience with fundraisers/charities
• Previous use of a research tissue bank
• Previous involvement with Patients and Public in research

Qualifications

A degree in a relevant subject, i.e. biomedical science, molecular or cellular biology

Desirable

A Masters or a PhD in a relevant subject, i.e. molecular or cellular biology

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27786

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