Job Description

Role:

Senior Technician : EGIS Technical Services

Grade and Salary:

Grade 6, 31,236 - 36,636 per annum

FTE and working pattern:

1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday : Friday

Contract:

7 Months, Fixed Term

Holiday Entitlement:

33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

We are seeking to appoint one Senior Technician in Biology to support the delivery of our programme. The successful candidate will be involved in supporting the preparation and delivery of the biology programme, including the running of applied teaching and research projects covering laboratory practicals. The role is fixed-term maternity cover for seven months.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Manage the effective running of the Micro biology related facilities on a day-to-day basis Support teaching and research, including specifying and ordering appropriate equipment to meet teaching and research needs. Develop and maintain laboratory procedures according to standards set by professional bodies. Plan, set up and prepare teaching labs and provide technical instruction and guidance for students and staff. Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain and troubleshoot equipment. Set up experimental apparatus and carry out tests under operational conditions Assist in the development of specialised equipment or processes for use in research and teaching. Diagnose faults and undertake repairs/ maintenance on relevant equipment, and apparatus used in research and teaching laboratories Mentor, train and instruct junior staff Understand and acknowledge risks associated with the work activity and always operate in a safe and compliant manner applying control measures identified through risk assessment. Order equipment and consumables Establish strong working relationships to understand and manage the user demand and requirements, ensuring that the requirements of our teaching programmes and research activities are understood, assessed, and prioritised.
Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and, particularly as the team is growing, the role holder will be required to be adaptable and undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post : for example support for wider bioscience student laboratories. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Essential Criteria

Essential


Educated to degree level in a relevant subject plus ideally 2-3 years' post-qualification work experience in a relevant role;

or

the equivalent comparable relevant work experience. Experience of working in a relevant scientific discipline, demonstrating development through involvement in progressively more demanding work/roles. A clear understanding of practical Biology teaching and research issues/considerations Ability to use, maintain and advise users on specialist equipment Ability to understand and capture data Experience of relevant health and safety protocols Able to plan and organise assigned projects/programmes of work. Analytical and technical problem-solving skills Experience in providing technical support to undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels Experience in using Microsoft Office and statistical software (e.g., R) Demonstrable self-motivation and desire to achieve the objectives agreed with managers working towards the strategic goals set by the School. Demonstrable willingness and ability to continuously learn and develop new skills in line with changing trends in the field. Well-developed interpersonal skills Demonstrable excellent customer service Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately in a dynamic, changing, and pressured environment Demonstrable professional and proactive approach

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on

Tuesday 19th August 2025.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.


We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.


Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.


Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .


Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About the Team

The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society is one of the UK's leading institutions for multidisciplinary research in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges.


The School enjoys facilities consistent with its location in modern, purpose-built accommodation on the Edinburgh campus. The School is well-equipped in respect of laboratories for materials, structures, engineering, building services and hydraulics research and teaching, and is currently developing a suite of lab facilities for sport and exercise science. Our research and teaching facilities in Dubai and Malaysia are contained within purpose-built campuses in Dubai Academic City and Putrajaya, respectively. The Biology programme is run in the John Muir building within EGIS and uses purpose built laboratories.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.


Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.