Laboratory Technician - Physics and Junior Science

Triton LTD; Birkenhead; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Birkenhead School is seeking a full-time Laboratory Technician to support its well-resourced science department. The role involves preparing materials, maintaining equipment, and providing technical advice to enhance the learning experience of students. This position offers a supportive environment with excellent benefits, including professional development opportunities and access to facilities.

Benefits

Fee discount

Gym access

Professional development support

Free lunch during term

Electric car charging points

Qualifications

• Experience in laboratory settings.
• Knowledge of safety regulations and practices.
• Ability to manage resources effectively.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage laboratory resources for lessons.
• Maintain equipment and ensure safety compliance.
• Provide technical support to teachers and students.

Skills

Technical advice

Safety compliance

Resource management

Job description

Birkenhead School, awarded the Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North West for 2025, was founded in 1860. It is an HMC independent day school providing education for boys and girls drawn from the whole of the Wirral, Liverpool, and as far afield as Chester and North Wales. Situated in the leafy suburb of Oxton, the School enjoys excellent facilities. The main campus has a village green atmosphere, with classrooms and laboratories looking out over the cricket square.

A key feature of the School is its strength of community, which runs through the student, staff, and parental bodies. The School is embedded within the wider Wirral community and has strong links with local businesses and charities. The School aims to inspire students both inside and outside the classroom, knowing each individual and providing them with outstanding opportunities to find their niche.

Birkenhead School recruits on attitude as much as the quality of an individual's qualifications, a strategy that has contributed to its success, with staff going above and beyond.

The Role and Responsibilities

The Laboratory Technician role is within a thriving and well-resourced department, with three technicians managing 10 labs. The department has a national reputation for co-curricular activities, which sometimes involve working outside normal hours. The post holder will plan laboratory resources, including equipment and materials, to ensure smooth lesson delivery and contribute to departmental planning for effective practical lessons.

Provision of Practical Requirements

• Preparation, setting up, checking, issuing, and clearing away materials and apparatus promptly.
• Monitoring the condition of equipment and materials, repairing or replacing as needed.
• Disposal of residues, including hazardous waste, following safety guidelines and best practices.

Maintenance of Facilities and Resources

• Storage of apparatus and chemicals according to safety standards.
• Keeping records of scientific equipment and materials.
• Maintaining the Physics Department’s audio/visual equipment.
• Managing the central store of manuals, keys, tools, and materials.
• Maintaining general equipment across science areas.
• Handling storage and documentation of radioactive materials.
• Organizing resource rooms to ensure tidiness and safety.
• Arranging maintenance for laboratories and practical areas.

Technical Advice and Assistance

• Advising teachers and students on available resources.
• Providing technical advice on equipment operation and application, including IT and A-level practical work.
• Assisting with practical activities and demonstrations as requested.
• Supporting Junior Science Club with resources and support.
• Preparing spreadsheets and data input for student performance if required.

Safety and Security

• Following safe working practices.
• Providing safety advice based on training and experience.
• Staying updated with safety information.
• Ensuring departmental compliance with health and safety regulations, advising on non-compliance issues.

Further details are available on the School website under Employment Opportunities. This is a full-time, term-time position (36 weeks), with some flexibility for outside-hours activities.

We offer excellent rewards, including working with motivated students, a supportive team, a fee discount, gym access, professional development support, free lunch during term, and electric car charging points.

To apply, send a letter of application, your completed application form, and references to Cheryl Wallace, Personnel Manager. For questions about the role, contact Mr. Reuben Mathew, Head of Physics.

All staff undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applicants are asked about any criminal convictions, as per legal requirements. It is a criminal offence for barred individuals to apply for roles involving regulated activity with children.

The closing date for applications is 9:00 am on Monday, 9th June 2025. We may close the vacancy early if sufficient applications are received, so early submission is encouraged.