Job Description

Overview

Post Title:

Medical Laboratory Assistant

Post Status:

Permanent

Department:

Histopathology Laboratory

Location:

Beaumont Hospital & Affiliated Sites

Reports to:

Chief Medical Scientist or other nominated Manager

Salary:

Appointment will be made on the Medical Laboratory Aide Scale (€42,033 - €49,050) at a point in line with Government pay policy

Hours of work:

Full-Time, 39 hours per week

Closing Date:

12.00 Noon on 22/10/2026

Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received.

Responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

The duties of the Medical Laboratory Assistant include appropriate duties assigned by the line manager. The general duties include, but are not limited to:

• To engage in the logging in, labelling, centrifuging, and separation of specimens. This may require typing skills as logging in may be done via the keyboard of a computer.
• To engage in training as appropriate
• To prepare equipment, culture media and/or reagents as directed by the appropriate scientific laboratory staff.
• To assist Laboratory staff with preparation work for tests.
• Collection, delivery, decontamination, sterilization and washing glassware.
• Monitoring of supplies, stocks and requesting stocks as appropriate.
• Collection and delivery of specimens.
• Filing of specimens, slides, blocks, etc.
• Reception of patient samples for processing which may require electronic receipt, data entry, logging in, labelling, centrifugation, and separation of specimens.
• Manage waste removal from the laboratory
• Check, unpack, label and appropriately store deliveries
• Participate in control of stock and consumables
• Participate in the monitoring and cleaning of equipment
• Perform preparatory scientific tasks as directed by scientific staff
• To assist Laboratory staff with preparation work for tests.
• Collection and delivery of specimens from laboratory reception.
• Logging, preparation and packaging of samples for Referral Laboratories, if required.
• Compliance with ISO15189 and EFI (where applicable) standard during all activities carried out.

NOTES:

• The range of work allotted to Medical Laboratory Assistants is not exclusive to them and may, at any time, be performed by a member of the Scientific Laboratory Staff / Clerical Staff.
• To perform such other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer or such other officer designated by the Beaumont Hospital Board.
• The Board at all times reserves the right to shortlist candidates on the basis of applications or otherwise.

The specific duties for the post will be assigned by the head of the area to which they have been assigned.

The job description is an outline of the post as it is currently perceived by the hospital and will be subject to review and amendment. This job description will therefore be subject to change in light of the various strategies for the hospital and the development of the Clinical Directorate model and any future developments that arise and will evolve and change over time.

Qualifications

Selection Criteria:

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc

(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:

(i) Have previous experience of work in a hospital laboratory or science laboratory.

Or

(ii) Be currently employed with no less than twelve months experience in the publicly funded Irish Health Service.

Or

Leaving certificate level education preferably with a Science subject or relevant experience.

Or

(iii) Hold a qualification to minimum standard of Quality & Qualifications Ireland Level 5 (or higher) in Laboratory Skills.

And

(b) Candidates must have the personal competence and capacity to properly discharge the duties of the role.

Desirable:

Relevant experience and computer skills.

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Please be aware that Beaumont Hospital will never ask candidates to pay money at any stage of the recruitment process. Any requests for payment, bank details, or financial information in connection with a job application should be treated as fraudulent. If you receive such a request claiming to be from Beaumont Hospital, please do not respond and report to the recruitment department immediately

Supplementary information:

The Hospital

www.beaumont.ie

Management Unit:

www.beaumont.ie/hr

Other (Please specify):

Informal Enquiries ONLY to: (Please note NO APPLICATIONS will be accepted via the Informal Email)

Name:

Sinead Macken

Title:

Chief Medical Scientist, Histology Department

Email address:

sineadmacken@beaumont.ie

A short listing exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application. The criteria for ranking and or short listing are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. In the event of a high volume of applications additional shortlisting criteria may be utilised.