Job Description

Grade UE05 29,588 - 33,951 per annum

College of Science and Engineering / School of Biological Sciences / Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences

Full time contract: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 24 months

We are looking for a Research Technician to develop and run cereal crop transformation pipelines in the group of Dr Annis Richardson ( The Plant Shape Lab ) in the Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences.

The Opportunity:

The aim of the role is to develop and run cereal crop transformation pipelines, supporting research carried out in the lab. In particular, this role will support current work focussing on understanding the function of candidate genes in maize and barley development. The role will entail establishing transformation protocols in the lab, based on published protocols, to generate both transgenic and CRISPR edited plants. These pipelines will develop crucial resources for the team. By joining this project you will be part of the larger interdisciplinary Richardson lab, called The Plant Shape Lab and this project is funded by an ERC Starting Grant titled "DynaLines - Drawing lines in a dynamic environment: delineating domains from base to tip in plants."

Your skills and attributes for success:

Strong desire to support scientific research Careful and methodical work and record keeping Experience of plant growth/ tissue culture Ability to work well in a diverse team

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For informal enquiries please contact the hiring manager Dr Annis Richardson at annis.richardson@ed.ac.uk or the School of Biological Sciences Staffing / HR Team at SBS.Contracts@ed.ac.uk .

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

A competitive salary An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our

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Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.


Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our

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The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 2 October 2025.





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