King's College London

About Us

King’s College London is one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities, renowned for excellence in health and life sciences and its close integration with clinical practice through King’s Health Partners. 

The Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) at King’s College London is the academic arm of one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, bringing together world‑class clinical services delivered by NHS partners with cutting‑edge research and education to improve outcomes for cancer patients in South East London and beyond. The Centre has a strong and diverse research portfolio, supported by major strategic investments including the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre, CRUK RadNet, the KHP Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, PharosAI, and the Breast Cancer Now Research Unit. Led by Professor Sheila Singh, Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre and joint Head of the School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the CCC is also committed to training the next generation of researchers, supporting over 80 PhD students and delivering a highly successful MRes in Translational Cancer Medicine.

The three types of tumours studied by Dr. Singh’s lab are glioblastoma, medulloblastoma and brain metastases. The lab employs a stem cell biology framework to the study of these cancers to identify and target the molecular mechanisms responsible for their development. Their goal is to determine which treatment refractory cells are leading to relapse and recurrence in patients. Ultimately, Dr. Singh’s goal is to be able to take more targeted and effective therapies back to the clinic. To ensure that all of their findings have the potential to be clinically relevant, the Singh lab has cultivated a specialty in developing pre-clinical models and are steadfast in their commitment to working with brain tumour samples direct from human patients. 

About The Role 

The Technical Manager joins Professor Singh’s basic and translational brain cancer research laboratory team at Guy’s campus.

The work of the laboratory

The three types of tumours studied by Dr. Singh’s lab are glioblastoma, medulloblastoma and brain metastases. The lab employs a stem cell biology framework to the study of these cancers to identify and target the molecular mechanisms responsible for their development. Their goal is to determine which treatment refractory cells are leading to relapse and recurrence in patients. Ultimately, Dr. Singh’s goal is to be able to take more targeted and effective therapies back to the clinic. To ensure that all of their findings have the potential to be clinically relevant, the Singh lab has cultivated a specialty in developing pre-clinical models and are steadfast in their commitment to working with brain tumour samples directly from patients.

Overview of the post

The post holder is responsible for the day-to-day running of the laboratory and the delivery of the overall research programme, working closely with the Research Associate in the laboratory who has day-to-day responsibility for the research programme delivery. They will oversee the purchase and delivery of equipment and consumables and ongoing maintenance of the laboratory. They are responsible for overseeing the finances of the laboratory, monitoring spend against budget. They will play an active role in developing and monitoring compliance with standard operating procedures of the laboratory and actively engage in the ongoing research of the laboratory. As the laboratory gains additional funding, the post holder will be expected to manage a wider technical team, and in collaboration with the laboratory’s Research Associate will play a role in the induction and guidance of staff, students and visitors to the laboratory.

The post holder has day-to-day oversight of Health & Safety, data compliance and good laboratory practice, for the Principal Investigator who has overall responsibility. The post holder will report incidents /near miss incidents and will escalate concerns linked to practice in the laboratory. They will complete risk assessments for the laboratory and put in place protocols for out of hours and/or lone working. They will represent the laboratory and where appropriate deputise for their manager at meetings, presenting reports on the research programme and laboratory assets, protocols and membership as required.

The post holder is expected to be proficient in a range of laboratory techniques and have expertise in at least one of the following areas: cancer research, molecular and cell biology, stem cell biology or immunology.

The post holder is a key member of the laboratory and is critical to establishing a positive research culture.

The post is fixed term for 3 years, full time (35 hours per week), based at Guy’s campus, with potential to be required to work outside core hours.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: 

Essential criteria

1. Level 6 qualification, e.g., relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent, plus substantial work experience in relevant technical/scientific service posts OR Extensive work experience in relevant technical/ scientific posts with management experience and/or qualification.  
2. Evidence of an active commitment to professional development, such as working towards CSci and clear progression in increasingly demanding jobs.  
3. Comprehensive technical experience and knowledge of a range of scientific procedures and the underpinning scientific theory applicable to the work area and their environmental impact. In particular, expertise is required in at least one of the following areas: cancer research, molecular and cell biology, stem cell biology or immunology.
4. Excellent spoken and written communication skills, with advanced computer use and strong interpersonal and influencing/behavioural skills to build a strong network to support the delivery of the service.  
5. Solutions-focused self-starter, with excellent planning and analytical skills, able to manage staff and facilities, setting performance standards, and establishing protocols to deliver these.  
6. Comprehensive knowledge of regulations and best practice governing area of work, including Health & Safety and environmental sustainability.  
7. Knowledge of environmental impacts of laboratory work and an interest in reducing the negative impacts. 

Desirable criteria

1. Formal Health & Safety qualification e.g., NEBOSH/IOSH.  
2. Experience of supervising/advising junior team members, giving feedback on performance levels and training/coaching where necessary.  
3. Able and willing to provide support beyond core hours, as required.  
4. Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject  
5. Technical expertise in cell or molecular biology assays, immunology assays, flow cytometry, bioinformatics, or animal models for cancer research.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

 

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.