Stores Technician

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university in Edinburgh seeks a full-time Stores Technician to manage supply needs for a busy academic environment. Responsibilities include purchasing, inventory management, and ensuring compliance with health & safety standards. The role requires IT proficiency and strong customer service skills. Ideal candidates should possess relevant qualifications or extensive experience in a similar role. Join a dynamic team dedicated to supporting academic excellence and innovation.

Benefits

28 days annual leave, increasing over time

9 closed building days annually

Qualifications

• Educated to SCQF Level 7-8 or equivalent in relevant field.
• Experience in a similar environment.
• Competent with IT packages and health & safety legislation.

Responsibilities

• Manage purchasing and receipting of goods.
• Liaise with suppliers and internal teams.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety.

Skills

Customer service skills

Manual handling

IT competency (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Organizational skills

Education

SCQF Level 7-8 (HNC/HND) in Chemistry/Biology/Life Sciences

Job description

Role: Stores Technician

Directorate: The School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Grade: Grade 4 - £24,215 - £26,707

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Open Ended

Rewards and Benefits: In Edinburgh this is 28 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days per year after 5 years service, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff; other campuses vary.

Detailed Description

We are seeking to appoint a full time Stores Technician to work in the schools busy central Store.

The EPS School Store is led by the Store Supervisor, 1 Stores Deputy Supervisor and 2 Stores Technicians and is based in two locations within the school.

This is a busy environment servicing the needs of 150 academic staff, 80 Professional Services staff, and 200 Post Graduate students with all the materials required across the scientific and engineering disciplines for research and teaching. The role covers all activities from receiving purchase requests, entering them into the system, receiving deliveries, dealing with the administration of invoices, accounts, reports etc., dispensing goods including equipment, dry chemicals, wet chemicals, gas cylinders, liquid nitrogen, solvents etc. and well as dealing with the waste disposal streams of equipment, chemicals, and other waste out of the School. Manual handling of goods, cylinders and equipment is required so the post requires fitness and physical effort, working both internally within the building and outside the building environment. A driving licence is required on occasions for the collection and delivery of goods.

The work will be varied and will require the successful candidate to provide a fair, friendly, and timely service to staff, student partners and visitors to meet our commitment to pursuing service excellence. To achieve this commitment all professional services staff need to be adaptable and prepared to support other teams and colleagues in order to meet the needs of academic staff and students.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Purchasing and receipting of goods and services using the University Oracle system or Purchase Credit Card.
• Liaise with suppliers for delivery of goods, check deliveries against orders and coordinate queries & returns, liaising with end users and suppliers.
• Maintain key levels of stock within the Store, reporting of stock turnover, reordering stock and recharging for goods used. Assist line manager in yearly stock taking process.
• Issue, maintain and dispense Store stock items including gas cylinders, liquid nitrogen, solvents, chemicals and stock items.
• Liaise with internal technicians to ensure safe practices e.g., gas regulators, Liquid Nitrogen use and transport.
• Disposal of chemicals including solvents, powders etc.
• Ensure a high standard of housekeeping within the Stores areas including recycling, waste segregation etc.
• Ensure all duties are carried out in accordance with current Health & Safety guidance and complete Risk Assessments under the supervision of the Store Supervisor.
• Arrange collection of soiled lab coats for cleaning and distribution of clean garments to users.
• Advise and arrange for transport of goods off-site, awareness of dangerous goods and liaising with couriers and maintenance of appropriate statutory records.
• Customs clearance of goods including arranging and payments of duties and taxes for import/export.
• Efficient real-time recording of spends.
• Efficient reconciliation of PCard transactions.
• Maintenance and update of stock/purchase system/electronic gas cylinder system – update location/move assets/rotate aged assets.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and experience of working with electronic ordering systems.
• Organise their own time effectively and take responsibility for planning tasks assigned to them.
• Communicate effectively at all levels, display excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work effectively within a team.
• Work under pressure.
• Work flexibility, be prepared to learn and willing to provide support in other areas of the School as required.
• Commit to ongoing personal development.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• Educated to SCQF Level 7-8 (HNC/HND) or equivalent in Chemistry/biology/life sciences or extensive experience in a similar role.
• Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above.
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages (Word, Excel, Outlook etc).
• Experience of health & safety legislation in a technical environment.
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately.
• Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service and flexibility in customer care.
• Manual handling will be involved requiring fitness and physical effort.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in Higher Education.
• Experience of electronic purchase order systems.
• Experience of shipping (dangerous) goods and Import/export regulations.
• Commitment to on-going personal development.

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 6th January 2026.

Candidates will be notified of shortlisting decisions, and interview invitations will be sent within five days of the advert closing.