Senior Development/Production/QC Radiochemist

Job id: 079788. Salary: £42,405 – £49,785 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 23 November 2023. Closing date: 14 December 2023.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: PET Imaging Centre Facility.

Contact details:Dr Maggie Cooper. [email protected]

Location: St Thomas’ Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

To work as part of a team of radiochemists involved in either the production quality control or development of radiopharmaceuticals in accordance with GMP requirements to set production schedules.  

The duties also include the development of new tracers by performing practical validation work as directed by more senior radiochemists; to support GMP compliance by performing practical validation work and updating SOP’s as directed by more senior radiochemists; and to support the training of other staff members, performing routine tasks and administrative work and acting as the contact with the clinical team on occasions when the need arises or is assigned to.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post – 100% full time equivalent.

Key responsibilities

• Undertake commissioning, validation, production and QC analysis of PET radiotracers in accordance with GMP procedures.
• Undertake technology transfer of new processes or procedures in relation to new radiotracers
• Development of new analytical methods, synthesis procedures or new radiochemistries to bring online radiotracers for clinical production
• Carry out practical validation work for development or GMP compliance as directed by a senior radiochemist.
• Perform routine tests, inspections and maintenance on laboratory equipment and infrastructure.
• Ensure accurate records are maintained of all production, QC, tests, development inspections and maintenance work in accordance with SOP’s.
• Participate in a production, QC and development rota system to cover 06.00 to 18.30 assigned by the Production, QC, Development and Operations manager.
• Comply with local rules for working in a controlled area.
• Follow strict aseptic techniques when working in the isolator hot-cell.
• Communicating technical problems with equipment or processes to other members of the team, cyclotron engineers, clinician’s and to senior members of staff.
• Updating/writing SOP’s, logs and records and investigational reports where and when necessary or as is delegated to ensure they are accurate.
• Scheduling their own priorities to ensure that tasks allocated on a daily or weekly basis are completed as required.
• Perform routine administrative tasks such as ordering and recording of materials as directed.
• Be trained on and apply syntheses/analytical methods for newly introduced radiotracers for research and clinical GMP use.
• Train other staff, researchers or students in production or QC processes as required.
• Raise Quality Occurrences, Deviations, Change Controls, CAPAs as required.
• In the occasional non-availability of senior QC or Production staff, act as the point of contact between the PET production/QC team and the clinical team as appropriate.
• Will actively engage with staff training programmes and be competent to perform GMP processes as required.
• Will actively engage with Production and Development staff training and be competent to operate the hot-cells, automated synthesis platforms and dispensing platforms.
• Will actively engage with QC staff training programme and be competent to operate all of the QC equipment in the laboratory (including, automatic injection HPLC ((various detectors e.g.:  DAD, Conductivity, ECD) Gamma detector, GC, TLC etc., PTS) for GMP radiotracer productions.
• Draft change controls for approval by QA.
• Will raise Quality Reports and investigate quality exceptions including completing Root Cause Analyses and drafting Quality documents for approval by QA

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

Degree in chemistry or pharmacy OR Broad vocational experience, acquired through a combination of job-related vocational training and considerable on the job experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant work/roles

Knowledge of PET radiotracer synthesis and QC

Radiochemistry/radiopharmacy laboratory experience

Practical experience with the production and/or QC of PET Radiopharmaceuticals

Practical experience of development PET radiotracer to preclinical

Knowledge of and proven record in adhering to the principles of GLP and GMP

Ability to amend documents eg SOPs

Excellent verbal & written communication skills

Excellent time keeping

Flexible and able to work with a variety of people

Flexible approach to hours & duties

Ability to work on own initiative and in a multi-disciplinary team

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of Ionising Radiation protection regulations

Experience with automated synthesis equipment

Experience of production to GMP standards

King’s recently published the Climate & Sustainability Action Plan (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/assets/pdf/strategy/kings-climatesustainability-action-plan-final.pdf ), which outlines 13 key impact areas to guide the university’s approach and tangible steps to reach net-zero carbon by 2030. This plan was shaped by over 350 staff, students and alumni in the Climate Action Network (CAN) ( https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-sustainability/get-involved/kings-climate-action-network ).

At the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences we take our role in minimising the negative and maximising the positive impacts seriously and seek to embed sustainability at every level within the department.

One way to get involved and support to embed sustainability is through participation in the Sustainability Champions programme ( https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-sustainability/get-involved/sustainability-opportunities-for-staff ).

To find out more about sustainability at King’s including sustainable and responsible policies please visit:

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-sustainability

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-sustainability/operations-policies

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.