Animal Technician

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); Harwell; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell requires a dedicated animal care technician to support husbandry and experimental procedures to meet scientific needs. You will work under Home Office licensing, maintaining cages, food, bedding, and health checks with meticulous record keeping.

Key duties include health checks, cage cleaning, welfare support for mouse colonies, sample collection for genotyping, and adherence to SOPs, with overtime as required to cover animal needs.

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above.
• Institute of Animal Technology level 2 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Science and Technology.
• Home Office Licence.

Responsibilities

• Check health and welfare of experimental mice.
• Clean and water animal cages.
• Address welfare needs of mouse colonies.
• Maintain cleanliness in animal rooms.
• Computerised record keeping.

Skills

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Manual handling

Education

GCSEs

Institute of Animal Technology level 2 Diploma

Home Office Licence

Tools

Excel

Job description

Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell

Salary: £27,406 per annum

Band: MRC-6a-S2

Contract type: Fixed Term (until 31 March 2028)

Hours: Full time (36 hours per week)

Location: Harwell, Oxfordshire, on-site

Closing date: Sunday 1 November 2026

Job Description

Overall Purpose:

To work in the MLC team and provide high quality husbandry and experimental procedures to fulfil scientific needs. This includes ensuring that the needs of the animals are met in terms of clean cages, food, bedding and health checks. Working under Home Office licensing (The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, amended 2012) to carry out procedures needed to help advance medical research, with meticulous record keeping of all animal-related work.

Main Duties/Key Responsibilities

• 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

Additional Information

Must be able to work overtime to cover animal requirements.

Working Relationships

Member of a team working under supervision of a line manager and ward supervisor.

Person Requirements

Education/Qualifications/Training Required

Essential:

5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above

Institute of Animal Technology level 2 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Science and Technology

Home Office Licence

Previous Work Experience Required

Essential:

Experience of working with animals, or in a capacity in which a caring approach in the post is required, and attention to detail are essential (for example, in kennels, care homes, working with young children)

Desirable:

Basic animal husbandry

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

Genuine interest in the welfare of animals

Basic computer skills, including the ability to use digital record keeping systems and common software packages such as Excel

Desirable:

Experience of working to SOPs

Personal skills/Behaviours/Qualities

Essential:

Excellent attention to detail

Ability to work as part of a team under supervision

Self-motivated and positive influence on other team members

Ability to carry out manual tasks such as cage changing

Equality & Diversity

The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equality and diversity leadership and management.

Corporate/Local Responsibilities & Requirements

The post-holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC’s:

• Code of Conduct
• Equality and Diversity policy
• Health and Safety policy
• Data Protection and Security policy

The above lists are not exhaustive, and the post-holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, cooperatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.