Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- 11 months (Fixed term / Secondment until 30th March 2026)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 432-HR2194-24
- Employer
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Colchester Hospital
- Town
- Colchester
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/04/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Quality Assurance/Quality Control(QA/QC) Officer (Microbiology)
NHS AfC: Band 6
We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.
Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits
Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole. The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.
Job overview
Have you got the enthusiasm, knowledge and experience to take up this exciting challenge? We are looking for a Specialist Quality Assurance Officer to cover maternity leave until 30th March 2026.
We require you to be responsible for the supervision of the Quality Assurance (QA) officers and assistants, under the guidance of the Head of Pharmacy Quality Assurance (HPQA) and QC Lead Microbiologist..
As a Senior Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) Officer you will manage the running of the QA Microbiology Laboratory, such that an efficient system of workflow through the department is maintained.
You will also manage and be responsible for routine and non-routine sampling and testing (e.g. physical and microbiological environmental monitoring and TVC testing), trending, and investigations, to maintain MHRA regulatory compliance in a licensed aseptic and non-sterile production facility.
Internal applicants currently employed by ESNEFT will be offered on a secondment basis only. This will need to be discuss with your current line manager.
Main duties of the job
Investigate/root cause microbiological Out-of-Limit (OOL) or unusual results. Undertake trending and routine reporting of microbiological status of facilities.
Manage the training/proficiency testing of relevant staff including assistants, students, technicians and pre-registration pharmacy graduates in Microbiological laboratory techniques and the principles of Quality Assurance.
Manage the recruitment, development and appraisal of the Quality Assurance staff.
Maintain the cross site Microbiological Reporting System (MRS).
Manage SLAs with external companies with regards microbiological testing.
Develop and validate microbiological enumeration test methods for raw materials and finished products.
Working for our organisation
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience of microbiology techniques used within a modern Pharmacy/QC Microbiology Laboratory conforming to standards of Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Laboratory Practice and Safe Laboratory Practice
- Previous experience of training staff within a Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory
Desirable criteria
- Pharmaceutical/relevant Microbiology experience
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BSc or equivalent in scientific or related subject
Desirable criteria
- MSc or equivalent in scientific or related subject
- Appropriate professional membership (where appropriate)
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experience of Microbiological analytical techniques
- A thorough knowledge of all aspects of GMP and QA and their application to pharmaceutical manufacturing
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lead QC Microbiologist
- Job title
- Samantha Ofoegbu
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01206 745959
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Colchester General Hospital
- Telephone
- 07789651269
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