Senior Technician (Civil and Mechanical Engineering)

University of Manchester; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Christmas closure

Purple Place discount platform

Job summary

University of Manchester is seeking a Senior Technician (Civil and Mechanical Engineering) to provide expert technical support across the Fluids, Heavy Structures, Dynamics, Impact/Ballistics, Geotechnical and Concrete Processing laboratories. They will assist teaching, research and testing activities, ensuring safe, efficient operations and high-quality outputs.

Working within FSE Technical Operations and the Design, Fabrication and Testing (DFT) Core Facility Team, the role focuses on

Responsibilities

• Provide expert technical support across fluids, heavy structures, dynamics, impact/ballistics, geotechnical and concrete processing laboratories.
• Support teaching, research and testing activities to ensure safe, efficient and high‑quality outcomes.
• Develop experimental programmes, design and manufacture test specimens and campaigns, operate specialist equipment and collect data.
• Maintain and develop facilities and equipment, helping the wider team deliver its goals.

Job description

Overall Purpose

The Senior Technician (Civil and Mechanical Engineering) will provide expert technical support across our Fluids, Heavy Structures, Dynamics, Impact/Ballistics, Geotechnical and Concrete Processing laboratories. Using their technical knowledge and problem-solving skills, they will support safe, efficient and high‑quality teaching, research and testing activities. Working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders, they will help resolve technical challenges, maintain and develop facilities and equipment, and identify opportunities to improve our services. This is an opportunity to make a real difference across a diverse range of specialist engineering environments while sharing expertise and helping the wider team deliver its goals.

About the Team

As Technical Staff, you are part of Professional Services. Together, all technical staff who work within the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) form FSE Technical Operations. FSE Technical Operations is organised into five key functional areas:

• Research
• Teaching
• Infrastructure & Facilities
• Workshops
• Computing, Robotics & AI

Within FSE Technical Operations, you will belong to the research area.

Research - The Research Technical Teams use their specialist skills and experience to support academic and industrial research across the Faculty. As the largest part of our technical workforce, they work across a diverse range of disciplines, projects and facilities, providing expert technical input, maintaining research infrastructure, and enabling high‑quality experimental work. They train researchers and students in the latest techniques and methods, contribute to taught activities where specialist expertise is required, and play a central role in ensuring that complex research environments operate safely, effectively and to professional standards.

Within the research area, you will be part of the Design, Fabrication and Testing (DF&T) Core Facility Team.

Design, Fabrication and Testing Team

The Design, Fabrication and Testing (DFT) Team is a multidisciplinary technical team within the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Research Technical Operations community. Made up of 14 technical professionals, the team supports world‑class research, teaching and industry engagement across a broad range of engineering disciplines. It manages and operates specialist facilities in hydrodynamics, concrete processing, heavy structures, geotechnical engineering, composites, static and dynamic mechanical testing, dynamics and high energy impact testing.

The team provides practical technical support to academics, researchers, students and external partners. This includes developing experimental programmes, designing and manufacturing test specimens and campaigns, operating specialist equipment, collecting data and maintaining research infrastructure.

DFT team members are encouraged to share knowledge, learn from one another and contribute their individual skills and experience. Each person strengthens the team, whether through specialist expertise, day‑to‑day operational support, developing new capabilities or mentoring colleagues. Together, these contributions help the DFT Team deliver a high quality, responsive and professional technical service.

Our benefits include:

(Grades 1-5)

• Generous employer pension contribution
• Christmas closure across all departments outside of annual leave and bank holidays
• Purple Place employee discount platform

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy.

Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews

Name: Jacob Skelly (Technical Specialist – Civil & Mechanical Engineering)

Email Address: [e-mail]

General enquiries and administrative support

[e-mail]

Technical and job portal support

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

Applications close at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars (with person specification) linked below.