Senior Materials Technician - Glasgow

ZipRecruiter; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction company in Central Belt Scotland is seeking a Senior Materials Laboratory Technician to lead testing services and ensure compliance with quality standards. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in a UKAS-accredited environment and knowledge of construction materials. Join a team dedicated to safety and quality in major infrastructure projects.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

25 days paid annual leave

Pension and share incentive plan

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in a UKAS-accredited laboratory environment.
• Strong knowledge of construction materials and compliance.
• Experience managing testing programmes within tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage and allocate testing resources across sites and laboratories.
• Lead technician development and mentorship.
• Ensure compliance with UKAS accreditation.

Skills

Hands-on experience in a UKAS-accredited laboratory environment

Strong knowledge of construction materials

Confident leading audits

Skilled in Microsoft Excel

Full UK driving licence

Education

Relevant degree or certification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Access

Job description

About the role

Job Title : Senior Materials Laboratory Technician

Location: Central Belt Scotland

Project Type: Civils

Company: Balfour Beatty Group

At Balfour Beatty, we design and deliver some of the UK’s most complex infrastructure projects safely, sustainably, and to the highest standards. We’re now looking for a Senior Materials Laboratory Technician to help us build with confidence by ensuring our materials meet the rigorous demands of performance and safety.

About the Role

As a Senior Materials Laboratory Technician, you''ll lead the day-to-day delivery of material testing services across site and lab environments. You’ll mentor and manage technicians, allocate resources, ensure compliance with UKAS accreditation, and contribute to continuous improvement of our testing and quality systems. This role is pivotal in delivering safe, cost-effective and sustainable materials engineering support to major projects worth several million pounds. Now is a great time to join us. As a leading international construction group with a healthy pipeline of work, we’re growing our teams. Shape a career to be proud of as part of an award-winning team.

What you''ll be doing

• Manage and allocate testing resources across sites and laboratories.
• Lead technician development, mentoring and succession planning.
• Ensure strict compliance with UKAS accreditation and Balfour Beatty quality systems.
• Perform and oversee laboratory and site material testing and inspections.
• Review and report on supplier test results, external lab findings and compliance metrics.
• Drive Zero Harm, write/review risk assessments and support H&S audits.
• Identify and share best practices across projects and teams.

Who we''re looking for

Essential:

• Hands-on experience in a UKAS-accredited laboratory environment.
• Strong knowledge of construction materials, specifications, and compliance.
• Confident leading audits and developing junior staff.
• Skilled in Microsoft Excel and Access.
• Full UK driving licence and valid CSCS card (B+E category desirable for towing rigs).
• Experience managing testing programmes within tight deadlines.

Desirable:

• SMSTS qualification.
• Member of a relevant professional institute.

We’re looking for someone enthusiastic and quality-driven — a technician with a passion for precision, a head for health & safety, and a natural mentor who thrives on variety.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of award-winning major infrastructure projects
• Enjoy a culture that prioritises safety, development, and innovation
• Shape the future of construction through advanced materials engineering

Professional and personal development

The size and scale of Balfour Beatty and our strong pipeline of work provide incredible opportunities, regardless of your career stage. We encourage and empower our employees to take control of their career and explore which part of the business they want to work in. We actively encourage managers and employees to have open communication about wellbeing, development and career opportunities. We''re proud of the Balfour Beatty Academy. Whether it’s sharpening technical expertise, improving personal skills or seeking support to become professionally qualified, our 70:20:10 approach to development means we have a learning approach that suits everyone. 70:20:10 means 70% learning on the job, 20% learning from those around you, and 10% formal training courses and learning events.

For further information about Balfour Beatty Regional Scotland please visit www.balfourbeatty.com/careers/Scotland. You can also check out further job opportunities in the careers section.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports economies and strengthens communities. We offer a full range of benefits and the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, with flexible start/finish times and up to 40% remote working where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata).
• Family friendly policies including maternity/adoption leave and paternity/partner leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and more.

About us

From Dunfermline’s tramways in 1909 to highland hospitals today, Balfour Beatty has been trusted for over a century to deliver the complex and critical infrastructure and iconic buildings Scotland relies on. We have the people, knowledge and experience to safely deliver projects right first time, maximise value for money and ensure a positive social impact and inclusive economic growth for local communities. Our award-winning sustainable projects, including active travel, Passivhaus and retrofit, demonstrate our commitment to Scotland’s net zero transition in the built environment.

Our values and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that every employee is essential. We are growing a diverse workforce and inclusive culture. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion. We are members of WISE, enei, Business Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Engineers (AFBE). We are committed to accessibility and encourage applications from all backgrounds. For more information about disability confidence, visit the Disability Confident campaign. If you have feedback on our resourcing process, please email [e-mail].