Assistant Practitioner

Cambridge University Hospitals; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Cambridge seeks a motivated individual for a role in the Synergia Breast Cancer Project. This position involves supporting high-quality research by managing digital images of tissue sections and related data. Applicants should have strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and relevant educational backgrounds. The role offers flexibility in working hours and a collaborative environment focused on research excellence.

Benefits

Development opportunities

On-site leisure facilities

Reduced cost transport options

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Minimum GCSEs in Maths, English, and Science.
• Experience with data management systems.
• Experience in a scientific or healthcare environment.

Responsibilities

• Support research activities for the Synergia Breast Cancer Project.
• Access and digitize archived histology slides.
• Catalog images for the Synergia digital pathology collection.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication skills

Organisational skills

Data entry

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Good general education at GCSE level including Maths, English, Science

A levels or NVQ level 3 or equivalent

Foundation degree/diploma in IT or a scientific subject

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)

Laboratory research information management system (LIMS)

Job description

Main area Division R&D - Tissue Banking Grade Band 4 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Monday to Friday between 8.30am to 6.30pm) Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Full Time or Part Time/ Flexible working hours may be considered) Job ref 180-R&D-264035

Employer Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Addenbrooke’s Hospital-Division R&D Town Cambridge Salary £27,485 - £30,162 p.a. pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 15/02/2026 23:59 Interview date 23/02/2026

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated individual with lab experience and strong data entry skills to support the Synergia Breast Cancer Project. This role is based within the Human Research Tissue Bank housed in a new, state-of-the-art Histopathology facility at 1000 Discovery Drive.

You will play a key part in supporting high‑quality research by ensuring that digital images of tissue sections, tissue samples, and associated data are processed and recorded accurately and efficiently.

Excellent attention to detail and organisational abilities are required to ensure the project receives correct and timely information. The postholder will have clear and confident communication skills to work collaboratively with Tissue Bank, Histopathology and Synergia project team members.

Main duties of the job

The primary role of this post is to support the Synergia Breast Cancer Project research activities. The postholder will access archived histology slides and scan them digitally, collating these images alongside those retrieved from the current diagnostic histopathology imaging system. The images must be accurately catalogued for the Synergia digital pathology collection. The project also requires access to tissue samples, requiring the postholder to interrogate and update the laboratory research information management system (LIMS), currently Achiever Medical.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

• Please note: Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed term contract. For secondments, you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed term contract, you are able to apply for this as a fixed term position.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:

• applied for a Graduate visa
• you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
• the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment

This vacancy will close at midnight on 15th February 2026

Interviews are due to be held in 23rd February 2026

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Good general education at GCSE level or equivalent including Maths, English and Science
• A levels or NVQ level 3 or equivalent sufficient for acceptance onto a relevant foundation degree
• Science A level or equivalent
• Foundation degree/diploma or equivalent in IT or a scientific subject
• ECDL

Experience

• Experience of prioritising, planning, and organising own tasks
• Ability to work within guidelines
• Experience of data collection and working with information management systems / databases
• Experience of using IT programmes e.g. Microsoft Office especially Excel, Word and Outlook
• Previous experience of working in a scientific or healthcare environment e.g. NHS, university or pharmaceutical
• Experience in handling data (entry into databases, generation of queries, cleaning of data, generation of data reports, tracking of data collection forms)

Knowledge

• Understanding of confidentiality and data protection
• Understanding of medical terminology and basic anatomy
• Understanding of the principles of the Human Tissue Act
• Knowledge of quality management systems

Skills

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills including telephone, email and face to face
• Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail
• Able to concentrate for long periods of time and manage this against interruptions
• Ability to extract and present data in spreadsheets and reports
• Ability to organise and manage own time keeping to schedule and deadlines
• Ability to adapt to change
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to store and safeguard confidential documents

Additional Requirements

• l Requirements The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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