Senior Technician

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Technician - Design and Build/Instrumentation and Control

Posting Start Date: 24/11/2025

Job Id: 1928

School/Department: Chemical, Materials & Biological Eng

Work Arrangement: Full Time (On site)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary per annum (£): 32, ,906

Closing Date: 8/12/2025

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

Reporting to the Technical Specialist (Electronics/Electrical Control), you will be responsible for providing a comprehensive and enthusiastic technical service for staff, students and external customers across the School, providing support to research and teaching activities.

You will provide advice, guidance and senior-level support on a broad range of technical projects to support experimental work inclusive of research and teaching. Working in the school laboratories and workshops, you will be an experienced practitioner in the installation, interfacing and refinement of specialist electronics, I.T. or control systems and incorporation into custom, rigs, instruments or machinery. Working across the electronics/electrical and mechanical workshop functions to deliver solutions to research challenges.

You will provide training and demonstrations on the operation of technical equipment and safe working practices, ensuring maintenance of all operational documentation ensuring full regulatory compliance.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Day-to-day supervisory responsibility for junior technical staff, operations and facilities in Electrical and Electronics workshop ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective technical service.

• Design and develop specialist control and instrumentation solutions in support of equipment installation or manufacture. Plan, design, develop, construct and refine experimental systems, apparatus and equipment to meet the needs of the research, teaching, and commercial R+D activities.

• Review and revise working methods regularly to ensure regulatory compliance.

• Take responsibility for the planning of allocated work projects. This includes defining objectives with team members and stakeholders, outlining the required tasks, determining the skills and resources required to deliver the tasks within agreed standards and timeframes.

• Plan and maintain the physical infrastructure of workshop services and oversee the general maintenance and security of all plant, machinery, equipment and specialist facilities. Carry out repairs, modifications and servicing on a wide range of highly specialised equipment and instrumentation. Provide clear communication to relevant stakeholders on equipment downtime to ensure staff expectations and work allocation is well managed.

• Provide high-level/in-depth advice, guidance and training to staff and students on a broad range of technical issues, including experimental design, manufacture, construction, test set up and interpretation of test results.

• Work with Faculty of Engineering to ensure that any future Technical Training Programme meets Faculty and School technical support requirements.

• Maintain a culture of customer service excellence and professionalism within the areas of responsibility, encouraging collaborative working and fostering a spirit of common purpose.

• Work closely with Technical Specialist (Electronics and Electrical Works) and Technical Manager (Workshops) to assist in the development of procedures. policies and strategies relating to technical service matters. Take responsibility for Health and Safety ensuring activities are carried out safely, efficiently and are fully compliant with relevant policies, procedures and legislation

• Manage the Laboratory or workshop budget, monitoring spend and reporting any predicted over / underspend. Use SAP to requisition, order and goods receipt purchases, ensuring adherence to the financial regulations of the University. Maintain stock control of materials and equipment etc., ensuring timely availability to meet operational needs

• 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 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

Good honours degree in Electronics /IT subject area (or have equivalent experience)

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of design and delivery of custom technical solutions around instrument interfacing, programming and design and build of custom electronics solutions in support of research and teaching

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of managing technical projects, staff and resources in a complex and demanding environment

Essential

Application/interview

Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Health and Safety regulations

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of working in a Higher Education technical role

Desirable

Application/interview

Technical Professional Registration or the willingness to work towards it

Desirable

Application/interview

Excellent people management skills with successful history of leading technical staff in order to meet project deadlines

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of reviewing individual and team performance and progress against objectives with the ability to motivate high performance in others

Essential

Application/interview

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, communicating with and engaging staff at all levels

Essential

Application/interview

Excellent customer service skills, with experience of responding efficiently and effectively to telephone, email and personal enquiries

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to assess and plan and progress work activities effectively

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to manage a broad-ranging workload with challenging and competing deadlines and to deliver to agreed timescales

Essential

Application/interview

Experience of developing and maintaining a network of contacts throughout own work area/department/organisation

Desirable

Interview

Commitment to continued professional development through attendance at relevant training sessions, events etc

Essential

Interview

Machining and manufacturing experience ( CNC, manual lathes, pillar drills and hand tools)

Desirable

Application/interview

CAD trained

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 Specialist – Electronics and Electrical Control

Direct reports

G4 Support Technician

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.