North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Interim Pathology Manager

The closing date is 28 April 2026

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable Interim Pathology Manager to provide leadership and operational oversight across our pathology services. This role is ideal for a senior professional with a strong background in laboratory management, service improvement, and regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate will have significant experience in pathology or laboratory service management. They will possess strong understanding of quality systems, accreditation standards, and regulatory frameworks.Proven ability to lead teams through change and maintain high operational standards and excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills

Main duties of the job

  • Lead day-to-day operations across pathology services, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery

  • Provide clear leadership to multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement

  • Oversee compliance with ISO15189 standards and all relevant regulatory requirements

  • Drive service performance, workforce planning, and operational resilience

  • Support ongoing transformation initiatives and contribute to strategic planning

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact during a period of transition, providing stability, expertise, and leadership to a critical clinical service.

Please note the job description is subject to job evaluation confirmation.

About us

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of 'safe, high quality care every time':

  • Being a clinically led organisation
  • Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
  • A positive patient experience every time
  • A great place to work
  • Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Details

Date posted

14 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£79,504 to £91,609 a year Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

6 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

262-A-26-7862208

Job locations

Cumberland Infirmary

Newtown Road

Carlisle

CA2 7HY


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment.Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit theUK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

Flexible working Scheme

NHS Discounts*

Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*

Excellent opportunities for development*

Competitive NHS Pension scheme

Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems

*Subject to eligibility

Important Information

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment.Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit theUK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

Flexible working Scheme

NHS Discounts*

Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*

Excellent opportunities for development*

Competitive NHS Pension scheme

Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems

*Subject to eligibility

Important Information

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification/experience in one or more pathology specialty
  • Post graduate qualification or equivalent in pathology
  • Evidence of continuing professional development including management studies or post graduate qualification or equivalent in management and/or leadership
  • Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences [FIBMS]

Desirable

  • HCPC registration

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience working on both strategic and operational matters
  • Significant experience leading a complex pathology service
  • Significant NHS/ public sector experience and knowledge, including up-to date knowledge and understanding of NHS system reform policy and other key policy drivers
  • Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating and developing multi-disciplinary teams as a highly effective people manager
  • Proven experience of effective performance and budgetary management and control, including achieving annual targets on a regular basis
  • Proven success in business planning and in the development of business cases
  • Experience of leadership of complex operational change/project management while also developing and maintaining high standards of quality

Skills and Aptitudes

Essential

  • Strong and effective leadership and people management skills
  • Strong influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills
  • Highly developed verbal and written communication and presentation skills suitable for a range of audiences, including chairing of meetings
  • Ability to work with and through others including ability to delegate as appropriate
  • Ability to perform well under pressure and manage unpredictable workload with conflicting priorities
  • Quality focused with an innovative approach and the ability to solve complex Problems
  • Ability to develop effect networks and work collaboratively with internal and external partners
  • Ability to critically analyse complex financial and clinical data sets
  • Well-developed IT skills to manage and report on complex performance management information
  • Personal resilience
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification/experience in one or more pathology specialty
  • Post graduate qualification or equivalent in pathology
  • Evidence of continuing professional development including management studies or post graduate qualification or equivalent in management and/or leadership
  • Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences [FIBMS]

Desirable

  • HCPC registration

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience working on both strategic and operational matters
  • Significant experience leading a complex pathology service
  • Significant NHS/ public sector experience and knowledge, including up-to date knowledge and understanding of NHS system reform policy and other key policy drivers
  • Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating and developing multi-disciplinary teams as a highly effective people manager
  • Proven experience of effective performance and budgetary management and control, including achieving annual targets on a regular basis
  • Proven success in business planning and in the development of business cases
  • Experience of leadership of complex operational change/project management while also developing and maintaining high standards of quality

Skills and Aptitudes

Essential

  • Strong and effective leadership and people management skills
  • Strong influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills
  • Highly developed verbal and written communication and presentation skills suitable for a range of audiences, including chairing of meetings
  • Ability to work with and through others including ability to delegate as appropriate
  • Ability to perform well under pressure and manage unpredictable workload with conflicting priorities
  • Quality focused with an innovative approach and the ability to solve complex Problems
  • Ability to develop effect networks and work collaboratively with internal and external partners
  • Ability to critically analyse complex financial and clinical data sets
  • Well-developed IT skills to manage and report on complex performance management information
  • Personal resilience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Cumberland Infirmary

Newtown Road

Carlisle

CA2 7HY


Employer's website

https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Cumberland Infirmary

Newtown Road

Carlisle

CA2 7HY


Employer's website

https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

General Manager Diagnostics and Clinical Support

Natalie McBride

natalie.mcbride@ncic.nhs.uk

07825715593

Details

Date posted

14 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£79,504 to £91,609 a year Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

6 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

262-A-26-7862208

Job locations

Cumberland Infirmary

Newtown Road

Carlisle

CA2 7HY


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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