Senior Technician

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Technician - Biological Laboratory Operations

Posting Start Date: 24/11/2025

Job Id: 1931

School/Department: Chemical, Materials & Biological Eng

Work Arrangement: Full Time (On site)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary per annum (£): 32, ,906

Closing Date: 8/12/25

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Overview

As a Senior Laboratory Technician you will report to the Technical Manager (Bio-Laboratory Operations). You will be responsible for providing a comprehensive and enthusiastic technical service for staff, students and external customers across the School. This will involve providing support for a number of research and teaching activities.

You will provide advice and guidance on a broad range of technical operations to support experimental work as well as undergraduate and postgraduate student research projects. The post will involve calibrating, operating and maintaining a variety of general and specialist instrumentation. You will also provide training and demonstrations on the operation of technical equipment and safe working practices, ensuring appropriate records are maintained.

In addition, you will undertake administrative support tasks, for example, ordering materials and invoicing. You will adopt high working standards to ensure we continue to be recognised for our service excellence and exemplary Health and Safety record. This will include maintaining a detailed awareness and full commitment to the relevant regulations, providing timely safety information and updates alongside carrying out and documenting risk assessments.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Take responsibility for providing a comprehensive, enthusiastic and high-quality technical service to staff, students and other stakeholders across the School's research and teaching facilities. Provide advice and guidance on a range of technical issues to support research and teaching activities.

• Plan, design, develop, construct and refine experimental systems, apparatus or equipment to meet the needs of teaching, research and related purposes.

• Recognised as a competent person in the review and advice on all Biological Safety activities within the School, including Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) work, suggesting improvements where appropriate. Attend the University Biosafety Committee, and review GMO Risk Assessments across the University.

• Report to and participate in relevant Committees at School level (e.g. Health & Safety Committee, Sustainability, and Task and Finish Groups) to contribute to strategy, develop policies and practice and make recommendations..

• Develop and deliver detailed training and instruction on sample preparation, equipment, instrumentation and waste disposal (including chemicals/solvents) to staff, students and visitors across the School and/or Faculty, ensuring a strong emphasis on Health and Safety is maintained throughout.

• Carry out routine maintenance, servicing, modification and repair on a variety of instrumentation and equipment. Working to ensure failures and breakdowns have limited impact upon day-to-day laboratory activity.

• Liaise with equipment suppliers and engineers to arrange more complex repairs as required. Provide timely updates to service users regarding work progress

• Support the Technical Manager (Bio –Laboratory Operations and School Safety Officer in the running of laboratory facilities to ensure high safety standards and reliable service excellence are maintained.

• Identify and provide cost estimates and timescales for items or work required to support research and teaching.

• Undertake short and medium-term project management within your own work area, or contribute as part of the larger School-wide project team, to support project objectives. Providing detailed technical input to ensure technical considerations are embedded throughout the project.

• Maintain a detailed awareness of, and full commitment to, the relevant Health and Safety rules and regulations (for example, Workplace Health and Safety, COSHH, Risk Assessments).

• Provide safety information and training to staff and students. Carry out laboratory inductions and document risk assessments on student and staff activities, maintain training records, and liaise with the School Safety Officer to ensure compliance with legislation and University policies.

• Provide efficient administrative support to support the smooth running of the labs i.e. ordering of consumables and maintaining up-to-date records of laboratory user access logs.

• Undertake continued professional development through attendance at training sessions and events.

• Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential or desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

Educated to degree level or equivalent level qualification in a Biology-based discipline (or have equivalent laboratory-related work experience

Essential

Application/interview

Extensive experience of providing an effective and efficient technical support service in a life sciences laboratory setting

Essential

Application/interview

Theoretical and practical understanding of chromatographic techniques (HPLC, mass spectrometry) and associated maintenance.

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of maintaining accurate records and documentation ie for laboratory equipment and materials

Essential

Application/interview

Theoretical and practical understanding of molecular biology methods e.g. PCR, electrophoresis, Western blotting

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of SAP-based management software

Essential

Application/interview

Detailed awareness and full commitment to the relevant Health and Safety regulations including experience carrying out and documenting risk assessments and COSHH assessments

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of supervising and supporting colleagues or mentoring junior members of a team

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to work to tight deadlines and with a high degree of accuracy

Essential

Application/interview

Technical Professional Registration or the willingness to work towards it

Essential

Application/interview

Holder of ISTR Biosafety Practitioner Level 1 Qualification

Desirable

Application/interview

Further Information

Grade

6

Salary

£32,080 - £36,636 per annum with the potential to progress to £39,906 per annum

Work arrangement

Full-time

Duration

Open-ended

Line manager

Technical Manager (Bio-Laboratory Operations)

Direct reports

G5 Technician, G4 Technician - as available

Our website

For informal enquiries about this job contact Andrew Crawford, School Technical Manager: on or on

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place 2 weeks after the closing date. This will consist of an interview and test. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage as soon as possible. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact cmbe-staffing-

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: ().

What we offer

• A minimum of 38days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Technical Career Route.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
• paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
• support for those going through the menopause
• paid time off and support for fertility treatment
• and more

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.