Senior Technician: Geotechnical Centrifuge

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Technician: Geotechnical Centrifuge

Posting Start Date: 02/12/2025

Job Id: 1976

School/Department: Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering

Work Arrangement: Full Time (On site)

Contract Type: Fixed-term

Salary per annum (£): 32,080.00

Closing Date: 5/1/26

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

The Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility is a key part of the well-established Geotechnical Laboratories located at the main university site. The facility supports advanced physical modelling of geotechnical systems such as buried infrastructure, foundations, earthworks, and natural slopes. The main beam centrifuge is capable of spinning scale models at accelerations of up to 125 g, enabling realistic simulation of ground behaviour under controlled laboratory conditions. Experiments are supported by state-of-the-art data acquisition systems, robotic actuators, and high-resolution imaging to address engineering challenges in areas including climate resilience, ageing infrastructure, and net-zero transitions.

The laboratory comprises a 4-metre diameter beam centrifuge, a 1-metre diameter model centrifuge for trial tests, a dedicated control room, and specialist test preparation facilities. We are seeking a highly skilled individual to oversee the daily operation and continued development of this flagship research facility. This is a pivotal and rewarding role at the heart of one of the UK's largest and most successful engineering schools. You will work closely with a collaborative network of researchers, industry partners, and external organisations. Your contribution will be central to enabling world-class research programmes addressing global challenges in infrastructure, water, and energy systems.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Providing a comprehensive, enthusiastic and high-quality technical service to staff, students and external customers within the Centrifuge Laboratory and across the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering's Materials, Structures and ICAIR Laboratories. Provide advice and guidance on a range of technical issues.
• Manage the effective operation, scheduling, and maintenance of the centrifuge laboratory and equipment.
• Provide expert technical support and training to students, researchers, and academic staff in centrifuge modelling methods, instrumentation, and experimental design.
• Advise on and support the design, setup, and execution of experiments, ensuring data quality and robust research outcomes.
• Carry out maintenance, servicing, modification and repair on a variety of instrumentation and equipment. Work to ensure failures and breakdowns have limited impact upon day-to-day laboratory activity.

• Maintain an awareness and commitment to the relevant health and safety rules and regulations. Create complex Health and Safety documentation, records and databases and generate reports as necessary.

• Experience of applying workplace Health and Safety in a Laboratory environment. (Including the ability to conduct risk and COSHH assessments to a high standard).

• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit 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 is 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

Experience equivalent to Level 6 (Degree) qualification in relevant a field, with proven vocational skills inline with the job description.

Essential

Application/interview

RSciTech or EngTech professional registration or a willingness to work towards it.

Essential

Application/interview

IOSH Managing Safely qualification or a willingness to work towards it

Essential

Application/interview

Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to communicate with staff, students, internal and external clients.

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of computational drawing packages including AutoCAD and Solid Works.

Essential

Application/interview

Mechanical engineering workshop skills - machining, fitting, use of standard workshop equipment, techniques and precision measuring instruments.

Desirable

Application/interview

A working knowledge/understanding of instrumentation/electronics and data acquisition/control systems.

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of applying workplace Health and Safety in a Laboratory environment (including the ability to conduct risk and COSHH assessments to a high standard).

Essential

Application/interview

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

Essential

Application/interview

Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the research laboratory/ Workshop specialism of the role.

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to work thoroughly and methodically, sometimes under pressure working to tight and competing deadlines.

Essential

Application/interview

Further Information

Grade

6

Salary

£32,080 - £36,636

Work arrangement

Full-time - 35 hours per week

Duration

01/02/2026 – 31/01/2028

Line manager

Our website

For informal enquiries about this job contact the MAC Operations team at mac-

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place week commencing 9th February 2026. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 2nd February 2026. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact mac-

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; 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.