Job Description

Salary

The starting salary will be from 33,951 per annum pro rata on Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience.

Contractual hours

34.68

Package

Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).

Job category/type

Technicians and Laboratory Staff

Date posted

12/12/2025

Job reference

Q11560

Technical Strategy & Operations: Archaeology

This new 0.95 FTE (34.675 hours per week) part-time post is available from January 2026 on a permanent basis.

This role is externally funded through AHRC and has a funding review date of 31/03/2031.

Summary of the role:

The successful applicant will act as the Senior Research Technician for the Biocultural HIVE RICHeS-funded project, based in the Department of Archaeology and History at the University of Exeter. They will oversee the development, curation, and long-term sustainability of an open-access digital collection management system, ensuring data quality, adherence to metadata standards, and implementation of best practices for digital preservation and interoperability.

In addition to digital stewardship, the postholder will manage access to the Department's collections and newly established Biocultural HIVE laboratory, coordinate access visits, and facilitate the use of our facilities by project partners. They will also work closely with the SHArD 3D Lab, supporting the management of its resources and specialist equipment to enable access and collaboration. This role combines technical and organisational responsibilities with active engagement across the Department and with community partners to ensure both digital and physical resources are accessible, secure, and effectively integrated into the wider research network of the project.

Organisational context:

The

Research Services Division

is a key enabler to the delivery of the University's Strategy 2030, the Research and Impact Strategy, successful REF performances, and meeting research income targets.

This role is within the

Technical Strategy & Operations

part of the Division. We are research and teaching technical staff across the entirety of the University of Exeter. We work in specialist areas across the University and beyond, undertaking and supporting research and teaching and promoting compliance and best practice, in the labs, studios, workshops, and field.

The service is comprised of a team of talented individuals who support our teaching and research, and in training the next generation of top scientists. Our technical roles, which include experimental officers, laboratory technicians and research technicians, all focus on different aspects of science and humanities - from mechanical/electrical engineering, medicine and health, life sciences, social sciences, film, drama & communications, physics, geology and geography, and so much more.

We are proud signatories of the Technician Commitment, working to raise the visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of technical careers.

We are proud signatories of the Technician Commitment, working to raise the visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of technical careers. We are also proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people to work in our operationally focused service. This role forms part of our Technical Career Pathway.

This post supports the

Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences In a time of volatility, complexity and uncertainty, research and education across the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences are critical to unlocking human creativity, to engaging in a human-centred way with the world around us, and to building the inclusive understanding that will help us to co-create a better future. The faculty is comprised of nine departments, all of which undertake fundamental discovery research, as well as applied activity and skills development and reflect areas of economic, social and cultural importance. The faculty hosts the University Societies and Cultures Institute (SCI) and the Faculty Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS), which are key structures for further promoting interdisciplinarity within the faculty and across others.

Please ensure you read the and Person Specification for full details of this role.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world's most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research - Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

Benefits

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

41 days leave per year options for flexible working numerous discounts at leading retailers onsite gyms on all of our campus' and a cycle to work scheme sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

Further information

Please contact: Jon Primrose, Faculty Business Partner, Technical Strategy & Operations (J.G.Primrose@exeter.ac.uk)