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Senior Teaching Laboratory Technician

Details


1109753


University of Warwick


13/04/2026


Other - See Job


36.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday


Uniform Provided

Pay


£16.46


£1.99

Description

Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented and motivated individual to join the Technical Services Team supporting the Department of Chemistry’s Teaching Laboratories at the University of Warwick.

Reporting to a Deputy Technical Services Manager to (DTSM), you will be part of a team of Senior Teaching Lab Technicians and Technical Assistants who deliver high quality technical support to staff, students and visitors in the Department of Chemistry's Teaching Laboratories.

You will have experience of the delivery of a technical service in teaching laboratories and will be required to contribute to the smooth running of the Department’s Teaching Laboratories, working flexibly with staff across the department and the wider technical services team to achieve a high standard of support for staff and students.

Success in this role will require substantial technical knowledge, ideally within an HE environment, excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, a desire to work collaboratively as part of a high performing team and an ability to work independently and innovatively seek solutions in a busy student-focussed environment.

Typical duties include setting-up experiments and laboratory equipment, maintaining core infrastructure and facilities, reorganisation of laboratory space, carrying out stock checks, and handling and disposing of chemicals.

Please note there is no:

  • teaching or lab demonstrating to students
  • laboratory research work
  • work with a particular research group within the department
  • working from home or remotely required

This role is to start ASAP until 29/5/26 in the first instance, with a possibility to be extended further.

Working hours: 36.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, expected to start at 08:30am each day. Working hours may flex dependent upon operational need.

Duties and responsibilities

Teaching Support

  • Take operational responsibility for core technical support for an area within the teaching laboratory, including the day-to-day allocation of work to and the supervision of other technical staff working within this area, under the general direction of the DTSM.
  • Preparation of reagents, solutions, intermediates and other materials as requested, using published or agreed methods and techniques with minimal or academic supervision. This applies equally to UG, PGT, Outreach and recruitment-related activity.
  • Setting up experimental systems and research apparatus for laboratory-based courses. This applies equally to UG, PGT, Outreach and recruitment-related activity.
  • Operating and maintaining complex and sophisticated research apparatus, equipment and instruments.
  • Maintaining agreed standards of general cleanliness and maintenance, ensuring the laboratory is clean, tidy, well maintained (with any faults or issues reported) and safely closed down at the end of each day.
  • Maintaining stock of reagents, glassware and other apparatus as necessary, and maintaining the chemical and stock inventories for their area of the teaching laboratories, undertaking appropriate periodic stock checks.
  • Assisting in the provision of training and advice to demonstrators and researchers as appropriate.
  • Maintaining a visible and accessible presence in the teaching laboratory, proactively supporting students, demonstrators and academics and responding to queries and serving at the hatch when required.
  • Supporting the writing and updating of laboratory scripts, ensuring all changes are approved by the DTSM or/and academic in charge of the experiment.

Health and Safety

  • Supporting the DTSM in ensuring agreed Health & Safety standards, processes and systems are fully implemented in their area of responsibility, to include: chemical segregation and risk assessment etc.
  • Developing, maintaining and updating Risk Assessments (RAs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all activities in the Department’s Teaching Laboratories to ensure best practice is embedded in the Department’s Teaching Laboratories.
  • Developing and delivering laboratory induction and training in the safe use of teaching laboratories for new members of staff, visitors and students, Estates staff and contractors etc. and to ensure that use of equipment is done in a safe, sensible manner, following protocols and complying with all relevant codes of practice and current legislation.
  • Populating Inventories within the Teaching Labs: working with teaching fellows and demonstrators, DTSMs as well as the wider technical team to ensure that all chemicals and items of equipment are logged in the appropriate inventory databases and asset-tagged as appropriate on arrival.  Identification, classification, safe segregation, storage and disposal of chemicals, waste and surplus chemicals.
  • Oversee the safe installation of compressed gas cylinders, monitor regulator age and safety within the Teaching Labs.

Other duties

  • Supporting the management of the Department's Teaching Laboratories including fault reporting, coordinating minor maintenance projects, providing access/issuing access permits, as well as collecting information to aid the completion of data capture surveys.
  • Providing day-to-day supervision and ad-hoc training of Technical Assistants.
  • To take responsibility for a specific activity/expertise within the Department e.g. manual handling, biological safety, LEV, maintenance clinics etc.

Skills and experience

Essential Criteria

  • Good Honours Degree in a relevant field of science (ideally in Chemistry) or equivalent work experience.
  • Post-degree experience in a research or teaching laboratory or demonstrable, equivalent research experience.
  • Highly organised with experience of managing and prioritising a large volume of work and working to deadlines.
  • Strong IT skills, including websites and MS Office, with the ability and willingness to learn new skills to facilitate research and administration.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate and work effectively with colleague at all levels. Excellent customer service skills.
  • Ability to keep up to date with new techniques and current literature.
  • Knowledge by experience of good laboratory practice, safety procedures and COSHH regulations.
  • Ability to use initiative, be proactive and seek solutions as issues arise.
  • Demonstrable ability to work independently and collaboratively and effectively as part of a team.
  • Demonstrable experience of working in a customer facing role.

Desirable Criteria

  • Experience of supervising technical staff.
  • Experience in handling liquid nitrogen, hazardous chemicals or chemical waste.
  • Formally recognised workplace qualification in safe working practice, e.g. IOSH Managing Safely or NEBOSH General Certificate.
  • Previous Experience in an HE environment. 

Location
Warwick Campus – Department of Chemistry

Additional information

  • Advert closing date: Midnight on 26/3/26
  • Interview date: TBC
  • Start date: ASAP after successful interview
Please note, if you apply for this role your contact details will be shared directly with the hiring manager.
Please note that your CV and Cover Letter is your chance to explain why you are interested in the role and why you feel like you will be suitable fit. Relying too heavily on services such as Chat GPT when writing your cv and cover letters could reduce your chances of being shortlisted.  

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