Animal Technician

Medical Research Council; Vale of White Horse; On-site; GBP 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading medical research organization in the Vale of White Horse is seeking an Animal Technician to ensure high animal welfare standards. Responsibilities include health checks, maintaining cleanliness, and keeping computerized records. Applicants should have five GCSEs and experience working with animals. Training will be provided. This full-time position offers a range of benefits including a pension scheme and holiday entitlement.

Benefits

Defined-benefit pension scheme

Excellent holiday entitlement

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience of working with animals or in a caring role is essential.
• Ability to use digital record-keeping systems.
• Willingness to work overtime as needed.

Responsibilities

• Checking the health and welfare of experimental mice.
• Participating in cleaning and watering animal cages.
• Maintaining cleanliness in the animal rooms.

Skills

Attention to detail

Experience working with animals

Basic computer skills

Education

Five GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above

Tools

Digital record-keeping systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Overview

Animal Technician - Mary Lyon Centre
Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
£26,543 per annum
Permanent
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 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

• Checking the health and welfare of experimental mice
• Participating in the rota for 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

About You

• You will have five GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or above
• Experience of working with animals, or in a capacity in which a caring approach is required, and attention to detail are essential (for example, in kennels, care homes, or working with young children)
• Basic computer skills including the ability to use digital record-keeping systems and common software packages such as Excel
• Must be able to work overtime to cover animal requirements as and when required

Benefits

Choosing to come to work at the MRC (part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)) means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits, from a defined-benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement, to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of a world-class medical research organisation.

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.

How to Apply

For full details and to apply: https://mrc.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/appcentre-1/candidate/postings/3054

The closing date for applications is 16th November 2025