HR191
NOTES
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Forms must be downloaded from the UCT website: http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/sapweb/forms/forms.htm
This form serves as a template for the writing of job descriptions.
A copy of this form should be kept on file in your office.
For re-evaluations, this form must be sent to your relevant HR Advisor/Officer
POSITION DETAILS
Position Title (current title)
Respiratory technologist
Status of Post (tick)
New Post
x
Re-evaluation
Job Grade (current grade)
Faculty (if applicable)
Health Sciences
Department
School of Children and Adolescent Health
Section (if applicable)
Date of Compilation
Jan 2013
FOR OFFICE USE
Job Title
Date of Grading
Grading Result
ORGANOGRAM
Professor Heather Zar
Co-Investigator pulmonary function
(Dr Diane Gray)
Project Manager
Respiratory technologist
Project Coordinator
PURPOSE
The respiratory technologist is a clinical research position. The technologist is required to undertake
respiratory function testing of adolescent participants as part of the Cape Town Adolescent Antiretroviral
Cohort (CTAAC) and manage the study related administration. The technologist will function under the
supervision of the Principal Investigator, Prof Heather Zar and pulmonary subs-study coordinator, Dr
Diane Gray. The position includes equipment maintenance and supply, development and updating of
standard operating procedures, quality assurance exercises and staff training.
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JOB CONTENT
Key Performance
Areas (4 – 6)
1) Respiratory function
% of
time
spent
60%
Activities / Objectives / Tasks
Results / Outcomes
Competencies
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Respiratory function tests conducted according to ATS/ERS
guidelines of testing in children and adolescents and in
accordance with study operating procedures.
Reports provided.
Filling of test results.
Tests provided ad hoc on request from clinical respiratory
service where capacity allows
Maintaining skill through ongoing professional
development.
Equipment is kept safe and in reliable working order.
Routine maintenance is understood and undertaken
according to manufacturer’s recommendations
Infection control procedures are strictly adhered to in
accordance with manufacturer’s advice and hospital policy.
Experience with adolescent pulmonary function desirable
but not essential. Basic training in respiratory function
testing. Other skills and characteristics: willingness to
learn, attention to detail and ability to encourage
participants to do their best.
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2) Management of
respiratory function
research laboratory
15%
3) Development and
updating of standard
operating procedures
10%
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4) Study Related
Duties and
Administration
15%
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Spirometry with bronchodilator
response testing
Exhaled nitric oxide
CO diffusion testing
Multiple breath washout test
Attendance at relevant training
General maintenance of testing
equipment
Appropriate calibration and cleaning
Oversight of consumables supply
Maintenance of appropriate logs for
quality assurance
Ensuring standard operating procedure
(SOPs) are updated and correctly
followed
Assist in quality assurance of
measurements
Complete study related paperwork at
GCP standards
Work together as a team member with
the CTAAC study team
Assist where possible with participant
study visit flow. This may occasionally
require assisting team members with
non pulmonary function study related
tasks.
Attend study team meetings and
provide report on PFT progress as
required
Interest in post graduate project
encouraged
Clear, up to date SOPs on each respiratory function test
undertaken in the study are available for use and training in
the site file.
Quality assurance is undertaken at regular intervals.
Complete and accurate information collection that meets
GCP standards. Strong team work within the CTAAC study
staff. Clear communication between staff and supervisors.
Clear definition of respiratory function study goals and
progress.
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Minimum Qualifications
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
3-year health related degree
Minimum Experience
Spirometry testing, familiarity with ATS/ERS pulmonary function testing guidelines
AUTHORITY
PRINT NAME
SIGNATURE
CONTACT NO.
DATE
Compiled by
Approved by
Reviewed by
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GUIDELINES FOR COMPILING A JOB DESCRIPTION
GENERAL
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Complete each section of the template when compiling a job description
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Consider the following when drawing up a job description:
o
If this is a new job, have you considered the implications for your department in terms of structure, staff and
resourcing?
o
If this is a re-evaluation, are you sure that the re-evaluation is needed for the requirements of the
organization and not the individual?
o
If this is a re-evaluation, have you considered the rest of your structure as this is an opportunity to reevaluate your requirements?
o
The job description should indicate the requirements of the job in relation to the organization, not the person.
o
The job description should describe the job, not the performance required.
o
The job description denotes a clear description of the job that is observable.
POSITION TITLE
Consider the label or name of this post in relation to others in your department and to standard UCT naming conventions.
The latter are obtainable from your HR Advisor.
NEW POST / RE-EVALUATION
Indicate if this is a new post or if this is a current post that is being re-evaluated.
JOB GRADE
Indicate the current job grade of this post if it is an existing job that has changed and has been submitted for reevaluation.
FACULTY
Indicate the faculty where this post exists - where applicable.
DEPARTMENT
Indicate the department where this post exists. For example, Chemistry would be a department within the Faculty of
Science. Alternatively, Finance would be an example of a PASS department.
SECTION
If the post falls within a PASS department, indicate the section here. For example, Creditors would be a section within
the Finance Department.
DATE OF COMPILATION
The date denotes when the job description was compiled/updated/reviewed.
JOB TITLE
The job title will be completed by the Remuneration Specialist during the job grading process.
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DATE OF GRADING AND GRADING RESULT
These dates will be completed by the Remuneration Specialist.
ORGANOGRAM
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The organogram must show the reporting lines of authority for this post.
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Complete the organogram in a way that shows the line manager, the peers and the staff that report to this post.
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As a rule of thumb, the organogram should show up to a maximum of 4 hierarchical levels.
PURPOSE
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The Purpose of the job should convey in no more than one or two sentences a summary of the job which will clearly
distinguish it from other jobs, establish the role of the job holder and the contribution he/she should make towards
achieving the objectives of the University and his/her own function. It would begin with the words: "The purpose of the
job is ..."
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS AND % TIME
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This is a high level summary of the key performance areas. When completing this exercise it may be useful to start
with a list of tasks that are then grouped together into key areas of responsibility.
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As a rule of thumb you should be able to identify between 4-6 key performance areas for the job.
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The key performance areas would be short headings for these clusters of tasks.
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It is useful to list these in order of importance, to assist you in creating the framework and overall direction of the job
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It is also useful to reflect on how much of the job’s time is spent on each key performance area, as some things take
up a lot of time and are not as important as others that may take up a little time but are critical.
OUTCOMES
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For each key performance area identify the main outcomes / end results that will be achieved by the incumbent under
each heading. You should be able to identify several outcomes for each key performance area. It is useful to reflect
on this as it may become apparent that what you have identified is not actually a key performance area at all, but an
outcome of another key performance area.
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As far as possible ensure that the outcomes are clearly autonomous to the job holder and are not shared by other
people in the department. If an outcome seems to be a shared outcome, the incumbent cannot be held responsible
for attaining this outcome. For example: “assist with marks processing” would either become “Marks are processed”
or “reports are filed” (if the nature of the work is around assistance).
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The steps required to define outcomes are as follows:
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o
Identify and list the tasks that have to be carried out. No attempt should be made to describe how they are
carried out, but some indication should be given of the purpose or objectives of each task.
o
Analyse the initial list of tasks and, as far as possible, simplify the list by grouping related tasks together. Use
headings that will describe the end result once all these tasks have been completed, e.g. all work related to
processing of marks could be listed under "Marks are processed".
o
Describe each outcome as an end result that needs to be delivered, rather than indicating the tasks that will
lead to the attainment of the end result. For example: an outcome could be “ Vacancies are filled according to
UCT policy” vs. the number of tasks that would lead up to the vacancy being filled such as placing the
advertisement, short-listing candidates, conducting interviews, etc. Notice that quality indicators may also be
stipulated; these will indicate how well the outcomes must be done. In this example the quality indicator is
that the vacancy is filled according to UCT policy.
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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
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Minimum qualifications specify the minimum qualifications required to do the job and do not indicate desirable
qualifications.
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Minimum experience should indicate the minimum experience required to do the job. It should not indicate
experience required to fully perform the job.
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Key competencies must indicate competencies essential to do the job. For example, if working on SAP is a
key component of the job, this should be listed as a key competency. When identifying the competency requirements
of a specific job, be certain that the competency is essential and not desirable.
AUTHORIZATION
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Compiled by: would be signed off by the person(s) who compiled the job description and the date.
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Approved by: would be signed off by the line manager and the date.
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Reviewed by: would be signed off by the Remuneration Specialist and the date.
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