Animal Technician

Medical Research Council; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, is seeking an Animal Technician on a fixed term, full time contract (36 hours per week). You will help maintain animal welfare in line with Home Office regulations and support genetic research activities.

Training will cover animal husbandry, database use, basic genetics, and progression to Home Office licence and Personal Licence. The role offers a stable route into scientific research within the National Mouse Genetics Network.

Qualifications

• Check health and welfare of experimental mice.
• Clean and water animal cages.
• Address welfare needs of mouse colonies.
• Maintain cleanliness in the animal rooms.
• Computerised record keeping of work.
• Read and adhere to SOPs and risk assessments.
• Take samples for genotyping.

Responsibilities

• Check health and welfare of experimental mice.
• Clean and water animal cages.
• Address welfare needs of mouse colonies.
• Maintain cleanliness in the animal rooms.
• Computerised record keeping.
• Read and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and risk assessments.
• Take samples for genotyping.

Job description

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) https://www.har.mrc.ac.uk/ is located in an expanding science and innovation park in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of distinct research clusters spread across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human disease.

About our roles

Do you have a keen interest in animals, and are you looking to start a career in scientific research?

We have a fixed term, full time role available for a caring individual to join our Animal Technician team at Harwell. New team members would ensure a high level of animal welfare, and will work to improve the quality of life for laboratory animals, in line with the Home Office regulations (The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, amended 2012). They will also carry out ethically justified procedures and ensure meticulous computerised record keeping of all animal-related work.

We are looking for people with a responsible attitude, a love of animals, and a willingness to care for them. Training will be provided in animal husbandry, as well as in use of our database system and in basic genetics. This training allows technicians to understand the work being done, as well as to contribute to discussions on managing mouse colonies. Further progression will include completion of the Home Office licence course, and application for a Personal Licence, after which technicians will be able to carry out procedural work.

Key responsibilities include

• Checking the health and welfare of experimental mice
• Cleaning and watering of animal cages
• Addressing the welfare needs of mouse colonies
• Maintaining cleanliness in the animal rooms
• Computerised record keeping
• Reading and adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and risk assessments
• Taking samples for genotyping

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Animal Technician

Company: Medical Research Council

Salary: from £27,406 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Didcot

Working pattern: On-site

Job type: Contract

Posting date: 23 Oct 2026

Closing date: 1 Nov 2026

Summary

Animal Technician - Mary Lyon Centre

Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire

£27,406 per annum

Fixed Term (until 31 March 2028)

Full Time (36 hours per week)

About us

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) https://www.har.mrc.ac.uk/ is located in an expanding science and innovation park in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of distinct research clusters spread across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human disease.

About our roles

Do you have a keen interest in animals, and are you looking to start a career in scientific research?

We have a fixed term, full time role available for a caring individual to join our Animal Technician team at Harwell. New team members would ensure a high level of animal welfare, and will work to improve the quality of life for laboratory animals, in line with the Home Office regulations (The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, amended 2012). They will also carry out ethically justified procedures and ensure meticulous computerised record keeping of all animal-related work.

We are looking for people with a responsible attitude, a love of animals, and a willingness to care for them. Training will be provided in animal husbandry, as well as in use of our database system and in basic genetics. This training allows technicians to understand the work being done, as well as to contribute to discussions on managing mouse colonies. Further progression will include completion of the Home Office licence course, and application for a Personal Licence, after which technicians will be able to carry out procedural work.