Trainee Laboratory Technician (fixed term - 6 months)

WRc Group; Swindon; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance

Flexible benefits programme

Contributory pension scheme

Job summary

WRc is recruiting for Trainee Laboratory Technicians to join the Waste & Resources lab team in Swindon (SN5 8YF). These are full-time fixed-term contracts for 6 months, with the potential to become permanent, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

You’ll log samples, prep and test basic measurements, record results, and help keep the lab tidy and compliant with safety rules. No experience is required as full training will be provided.

Qualifications

• No lab experience needed — we’ll teach you everything.
• Willing to follow safety and quality procedures.
• Good attention to detail and a practical mindset.
• Comfortable with manual handling of bulky samples.
• Basic Excel skills (or willing to learn).
• Solid time management.
• Must be eligible to work in the UK.
• Able to work Monday to Friday sometimes on different patterns as required (not nights).

Responsibilities

• Be safety-savvy — follow all health & safety rules and speak up if something’s off.
• Be responsible for logging samples into our database.
• Prepping samples (mixing, weighing, drying, sorting) with guidance.
• Running basic tests (moisture checks, ignition loss).
• Recording results in spreadsheets and keeping the lab organized.
• Assisting with equipment checks and calibrations.
• Helping process waste samples efficiently and accurately.
• Staying flexible and collaborating with the team.

Skills

Attention to detail

Willing to learn

Good time management

Eligibility to work in UK

Tools

Excel

Job description

The Vacancy

The Vacancy

WRc are recruiting for Trainee Laboratory Technicians to join the team based in Swindon (SN5 8YF).

These are full time fixed term positions for 6 months (Monday - Friday, 37 hours per week), with the potential to become permanent.

You’ll be joining our Waste & Resources lab team, learning the ropes and getting hands-on with real-world environmental science. No experience? No worries, we’ll train you up!

What you'll be doing:

• Logging samples into our database
• Prepping samples (think mixing, weighing, drying, sorting — all with safety gear and guidance)
• Running basic tests (like moisture checks and ignition loss)
• Recording results in spreadsheets
• Helping keep the lab clean and organized
• Assisting with equipment checks and calibrations

Your responsibilities:

• Be safety-savvy — follow all health & safety rules and speak up if something’s of
• Help process waste samples efficiently and accurately
• Suggest ways to make things run smoother — we love fresh ideas
• Be a team player — collaborate, communicate, and contribute
• Stay flexible — you might be asked to help with other tasks as needed

Person specification:

• No lab experience needed — we’ll teach you everything
• Willing to follow safety and quality procedures
• Good attention to detail and a practical mindset
• Comfortable with manual handling of bulky samples
• Basic Excel skills (or willing to learn)
• Solid time management
• Must be eligible to work in the UK
• Able to work Monday to Friday sometimes on different patterns as required (not nights)

Salary and benefits:

• £25,878
• Life assurance
• A flexible benefits programme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Regular training and career development

RSK Group Ltd is an equal opportunities employer.

#Laboratory #Wrc

About Us

Water Research Centre (WRc) is an independent centre of excellence for innovation and growth that boasts more than 90 years of delivering leading, technical research and innovation services to the global water, waste management and energy sectors. Its subsidiary business, Cognica, is a leading provider of intelligent information-management solutions and services to the construction and estate-management markets. The businesses are based in Swindon, UK.

WRc’s 170 employees bring a shared purpose of discovering and delivering new and exciting solutions that enable clients to meet the challenges of the future. In addition to its wide breadth of services in water, WRc is also home to the National Centre for Environmental Toxicology, an expert team of scientists and toxicologists offering a toxicology-on-demand subscription service.

The company is renowned for its ability to address global issues, including climate change, green growth and water and sanitation services, through applied engineering excellence, highlighted through its tagline, “innovation through collaboration”.

WRc is part of the RSK Group, a leading integrated environmental, engineering, and technical services business providing dynamic, multidisciplinary services to a wide range of sectors. RSK was founded in 1989 and has grown considerably since then.

At RSK, we operate as a group of businesses that work together seamlessly, aiming for growth through diversification. Our strategy helps us build a strong and resilient business, capable of weathering external challenges, while also providing greater value to our clients and more opportunities for our employees.

Since the beginning, our philosophy has remained the same: employ, develop and reward talented individuals. People are crucial to our company, and we recognise that our success hinges on our colleagues' growth. We're committed to preserving RSK's people-first culture, promoting innovation, and fostering a supportive and caring environment for collaboration. At RSK, we want you to be part of our successes and help you reach your career aspirations. We take pride in offering employees fulfilling and challenging careers by promoting ongoing growth and empowering individuals to excel.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We firmly believe that embracing and celebrating the diversity in our workforce makes us a stronger and more innovative company.

By providing workplace adjustments, we make it easier for people to confidently explore and pursue our career opportunities and recognise that flexibility is key to fostering a dynamic and thriving workplace. Many of our office-based positions benefit from a flexible working arrangement, allowing our team members to achieve a balance between professional and personal commitments.

We actively encourage applications from candidates of all genders, races, ethnicities, ages, neurotypes, religions or beliefs, sexual orientations, and those with disabilities.

If you're passionate about making a difference, join us as we work together to build a brighter, more equitable, and sustainable future for all. Do you have what it takes?