Job summary
We are recruiting for a Head of Clinical Engineering and Sterile Services who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
You will be responsible for the management and strategic development of services to the Trust and external customers and will provide leadership in the specialised field of healthcare technology management and sterile services.
You will give strategic direction, lead research and innovation, develop new knowledge, services, policies, protocols and procedures in response to changes in clinical service needs and legislation to improve patient care. The service provides scientific and engineering support for medical device management, design, development and modification, patient safety and risk management and delivers user training to clinical staff and has input into research projects and clinical trials.
Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!
Main duties of the job
Be responsible for strategic and business planning for Clinical Engineering and Sterile Services, with a focus on sustainability.
Recruit, train and develop staff to achieve an appropriate skill-mix for meeting current and future service demand.
Ensure maximum benefit from medical technology whilst minimising risks.
Create an environment in which all staff in the departments have opportunities to influence development and planning by ensuring open and effective working.
Develop and maintain effective working partnerships with clinical staff and managers in other divisions, corporate services and external service.
Identify resource needs for clinical and service developments , leading on bids for funding for staffing, equipment and projects.
Review service provision and produce a service strategy.
Provide leadership for Medical Device User Training and ensure training records meet CQC requirements.
Prioritise service work in accordance with departmental and Trust requirements.
Formulate and adjust plans and strategies for delivering and developing services in response to emerging clinical, political, scientific, technical and business requirements.
Ensure staff are appraised and managed effectively and that individual training and development plans are in place.
Follow Trust procedures and policies including disciplinary and grievance procedures, complaints against staff and staff recruitment policies.
About us
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
- The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
- New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
- Hertford County, Hertford
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification information pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification information pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- BSc Hons degree in Engineering or Physical Science or equivalent experience in the field of clinical engineering
- Scientific education and training in Medical Engineering subject area to masters level or equivalent experience
- Registration as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council and/or Registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng)
- Clinical qualification to degree level
Desirable
- Management qualification to Diploma or Masters level
- Teaching qualification to degree level or equivalent experience
- Membership of or eligibility to join the AHCS higher specialist scientist register, or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Highly specialised theoretical and practical knowledge of clinical engineering, including practical clinical applications of medical devices and equipment management in a healthcare setting,
- Specialised knowledge of decontamination processes for scopes and medical instruments.
- Significant proven track record as a senior clinical scientist/Chartered Engineer, with proven management experience in the highly specialised field of Medical Equipment Management at a senior level.
- Extensive experience in quality management systems (eg ISO 9001 and ISO 13485)
- Experience in running an advanced technology based clinical scientific and/or technical support service for a large teaching hospital.
- Expert knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation , national standards, professional and other guidelines relating to the use and application of healthcare technologies (including MHRA safety document, BS EN 60601-1, EC Medical Device Directive, Risk Management Standards, Care Quality Commission)
- Highly advanced knowledge of risk management processes and understanding of patient and staff risks arising from use of healthcare technologies and extensive experience in managing such risks
Desirable
- Experience teaching at degree and masters level
- Experience in a commercial equipment management environment
- Ongoing participation and success in academic or NHS research and development, eg grants/ publications
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including written and verbal reporting and presentation skills, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels
- Well developed leadership, management, negotiating and influencing skills
- Able to work on and manage a diverse range of highly complex activities at one time, meeting deadlines whenever required, examples would include: introduce a new clinical service, developing policy documents, overseeing a complex procurement project, managing a large team. Proven ability in delivering service development and/or significant organisational change
- Highly developed skills demonstrating sound judgement of complex facts and situations requiring high levels of analysis, interpretation and comparison
- Able to act independently and to instigate effective continual improvement programmes
- Fully competent in standard IT application packages and able to effectively employ information management systems (eg asset management software) to optimise service delivery
- Able to create a safe environment by allocating the right resources in the right place eg. workforce, equipment, technology and training
- Able to work with full concentration under stressful situations - eg negotiate successfully at senior level
Other requirements
Essential
- Fair and consistent in dealing with all staff and clients in order to generate trust in staff and the service
- Able to talk things through with people and encourage them to learn from successes as well as from conflict and difficult experience
- Able to deal with complex and unpredictable situations
- Safe working with hazards such as high voltages, bio-hazards, compressed medical gases, ionising radiation
- Able to lift medium weight equipment
- Able to work under emotionally stressful conditions
- Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities. Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
- Role model our Trust values every day
Desirable
- Consistently express an optimistic and 'can do' attitude and encourage others to do the same
- Highly developed physical accuracy and dexterity, able to use fine tools for adjustment, and make accurate measurements using sophisticated test equipment
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- BSc Hons degree in Engineering or Physical Science or equivalent experience in the field of clinical engineering
- Scientific education and training in Medical Engineering subject area to masters level or equivalent experience
- Registration as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council and/or Registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng)
- Clinical qualification to degree level
Desirable
- Management qualification to Diploma or Masters level
- Teaching qualification to degree level or equivalent experience
- Membership of or eligibility to join the AHCS higher specialist scientist register, or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Highly specialised theoretical and practical knowledge of clinical engineering, including practical clinical applications of medical devices and equipment management in a healthcare setting,
- Specialised knowledge of decontamination processes for scopes and medical instruments.
- Significant proven track record as a senior clinical scientist/Chartered Engineer, with proven management experience in the highly specialised field of Medical Equipment Management at a senior level.
- Extensive experience in quality management systems (eg ISO 9001 and ISO 13485)
- Experience in running an advanced technology based clinical scientific and/or technical support service for a large teaching hospital.
- Expert knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation , national standards, professional and other guidelines relating to the use and application of healthcare technologies (including MHRA safety document, BS EN 60601-1, EC Medical Device Directive, Risk Management Standards, Care Quality Commission)
- Highly advanced knowledge of risk management processes and understanding of patient and staff risks arising from use of healthcare technologies and extensive experience in managing such risks
Desirable
- Experience teaching at degree and masters level
- Experience in a commercial equipment management environment
- Ongoing participation and success in academic or NHS research and development, eg grants/ publications
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including written and verbal reporting and presentation skills, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels
- Well developed leadership, management, negotiating and influencing skills
- Able to work on and manage a diverse range of highly complex activities at one time, meeting deadlines whenever required, examples would include: introduce a new clinical service, developing policy documents, overseeing a complex procurement project, managing a large team. Proven ability in delivering service development and/or significant organisational change
- Highly developed skills demonstrating sound judgement of complex facts and situations requiring high levels of analysis, interpretation and comparison
- Able to act independently and to instigate effective continual improvement programmes
- Fully competent in standard IT application packages and able to effectively employ information management systems (eg asset management software) to optimise service delivery
- Able to create a safe environment by allocating the right resources in the right place eg. workforce, equipment, technology and training
- Able to work with full concentration under stressful situations - eg negotiate successfully at senior level
Other requirements
Essential
- Fair and consistent in dealing with all staff and clients in order to generate trust in staff and the service
- Able to talk things through with people and encourage them to learn from successes as well as from conflict and difficult experience
- Able to deal with complex and unpredictable situations
- Safe working with hazards such as high voltages, bio-hazards, compressed medical gases, ionising radiation
- Able to lift medium weight equipment
- Able to work under emotionally stressful conditions
- Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities. Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
- Role model our Trust values every day
Desirable
- Consistently express an optimistic and 'can do' attitude and encourage others to do the same
- Highly developed physical accuracy and dexterity, able to use fine tools for adjustment, and make accurate measurements using sophisticated test equipment
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
