Senior Technician (Operations)

King's College London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in London is seeking a Laboratory Technician to oversee the daily operations of chemistry research labs. The ideal candidate will possess technical expertise in chemical sciences along with strong communication and organizational skills. This role involves working closely with academic staff to ensure compliance with health and safety standards, while actively participating in professional development initiatives. This position is full-time, offering an indefinite contract.

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 4 qualification or equivalent work experience.
• Experience in a research laboratory environment.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Maintain chemistry research laboratories and facilities.
• Provide technical support to research groups.
• Engage in professional development and collaborative initiatives.

Skills

Technical knowledge of research laboratory

Strong planning and organisational skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Minimum Level 4 qualification

Level 7 qualification (MSc or PhD)

Tools

HPLC

LCMS

Spectrometers

Job description

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About us

The Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES) is a vibrant faculty based in the heart of London with a long tradition of world-leading research and teaching in physics, mathematics, chemistry, informatics and engineering.

This role presents an exciting opportunity to be part of a technical team supporting research within the Department of Chemistry, reporting to the Technical Manager (Operations) at Britannia House, Guy's campus.

About the role

The role-holder will have responsibility for the day-to-day running and maintenance of the chemistry research laboratories and auxiliary facilities. They will work as part of a team of technicians, working collaboratively with academic and professional services stakeholders to provide technical support to research groups in the department.

The ideal candidate will have a background in the chemical sciences with experience in a higher education (HE) research environment. They will have knowledge and experience of laboratory health and safety regulations, general technical support, training and supervision across a range of lab-based research activities.

The successful candidate will be an active member of King's Technical Network, engaging in Faculty and College initiatives to strengthen and share best practice, with an ongoing commitment to professional development. They will facilitate an inclusive culture and ethos in line with King's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) strategy, proactively liaising with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

This is a full time (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Please note that all applications must be accompanied by a supporting statement. Within that statement, all of the below essential criteria must be addressed.

Essential criteria

• 1. Minimum level 4 qualification, e.g. higher apprenticeship, HNC or other Level 4 award, plus work experience in a relevant field, or considerable knowledge and skills gained through work experience in relevant technical or scientific post.
• 2. Extensive technical knowledge and skills of a research laboratory environment in a relevant field, e.g., chemistry and or pharmacy
• 3. Have practical experience across various disciplines and instrumentation including analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, spectrometers, and general equipment such as dry solvent systems, freeze dryers, gloveboxes, rotavaps, vacuum pumps, or similar.
• 4. Good working knowledge of regulations and best practice governing Chemistry research laboratories, including Health & Safety and environmental sustainability.
• 5. Strong written, oral, and IT communication skills, in particular when conveying complex information to a lay/non-expert audience.
• 6. Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage own workload. Managing multiple competing priorities independently along with working effectively as part of a team.
• 7. Ability to take effective decisions, be an effective problem solver whilst being solution orientated.
• 8. Ability to train staff, researchers, and technical staff.

Desirable criteria

• 1. Level 7 qualification or above, such as MSc or PhD, in relevant subject in the physical or life sciences.
• 2. Experience with a broad range of laboratory equipment. For example, AA, GCMS, HRMS.
• 3. Evidence of an active commitment to professional development including relevant professional training, achieving or working towards professional registration (RSciTech, etc)
• 4. Able and willing to provide support beyond core hours, as required e.g. during a weekend open day event
• 5. Experience supervising/advising other team members, giving feedback and training where necessary.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit ' pages.