Histology Technician I

Charles River Laboratories; Tranent; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Charles River is seeking a Histology Technician at our world-class facility just a short drive from Edinburgh. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED, FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROVIDED TO THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES.

The role covers tissue sampling, wax embedding, sectioning, staining and general lab housekeeping, with a commitment to quality and timely deliverables in a fast-paced environment. Training will prepare you for responsibilities across the histology workflow.

Qualifications

• Minimum of four Nat 5 (or equivalent).
• Flexible approach to suit business needs.
• Commitment to quality and meeting deadlines.
• Willingness to join weekend rota and provide overtime.
• Ability to sustain bench working conditions for long periods.

Responsibilities

• Carry out laboratory procedures within Histology on all routine laboratory models.
• Tissue sampling and post-fixation preparation for tissues from necropsy.
• Wax embedding of processed tissue samples (manual and automated).
• Sectioning of wax blocks, mounting sections on slides, and staining.
• Cross training within other areas of the department when required.
• General housekeeping and care of laboratory equipment.

Skills

Histology

Lab procedures

Tissue sampling

Staining

Sectioning

Education

No degree required

Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Overview

At our world class facility just a short drive from Edinburgh, due to our continued growth and success, we are looking to recruit a Histology Technician.

NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED, FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROVIDED TO THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

Duties And Responsibilities Include

• Carrying out laboratory procedures within Histology on all routine laboratory models.
• Tissue Sampling and sample preparation post fixation for all tissues received from necropsy.
• Wax Embedding manual and automated of processed tissue samples.
• Sectioning of wax blocks using a microtome and mounting sections on glass slides.
• Staining of tissues collected onto the glass slides, in preparation for presentation to the Pathologist.
• Cross training within the other areas of the department when required.
• General housekeeping of the Laboratory and the care and maintenance of all equipment.

Candidates Are Required To Have The Following

• A minimum of four Nat 5 (or equivalent).
• Flexible approach to suit the needs of the business.
• Commitment to quality and meeting deadlines.
• Willingness to join the weekend Rota and provide overtime to suit the needs of the business.
• Ability to sustain bench working conditions for long periods of time.

The Following Are Attributes Desirable For This Technician Position

• Passion for animal welfare.
• The desire for improving the quality of life for patients, people, and animals.
• Hard working and committed.

The salary for this position is £24,557.62 per annum.

The closing date for applications: 02 September 2026

Job Description

Performs technical laboratory activities in support of client studies or procedures. Performs analysis of data for quality and completeness and determines if results are as expected. Records data in compliance with company and regulatory policies and standards to meet quality and accuracy requirements. Executes scientific testing strategies and studies. May participate in development as part of team. May lead assay research, assay validation or study conduct, or is involved in preparation of material (e.g. protein, nucleic acid, cells, etc.). Reviews and interprets study data, communicates results to clients and writes final reports. Ensures compliance with protocols and all applicable SOPs. Troubleshoots and resolves assay or technical issues in the laboratory when scientific expertise is needed. Contributes to specific dataset interpretation, or when appropriate answering questions from regulatory authorities. For singular focus of Chemistry or Biology disciplines, refer to specified role on job architecture.

Education

No degree required

About Safety Assessment

Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

At Charles River Laboratories, we recognize and recruit all talent. We are a company committed to fostering a sense of belonging and work daily in this direction.