Charles River Laboratories
Associate Technical Specialist
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For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Overview
Are you looking for a hands-on laboratory-based role?
Are you a science graduate seeking industry experience?
Have you got the desire to improve health and lives?
Charles River Laboratories are excited to recruit for 3 x Associate Technical Specialists on 12-month Fixed Term Contracts to join our High Peak site. These are onsite roles, with daily travel to site expected.
These are hands-on roles, with responsibilities in carrying out various scientific techniques that support the delivery of client projects within given deadlines. You’ll be enthusiastic about lab work, with a desire to develop your existing skills in cell culture, assay preparation and cell line maintenance in a fast-paced laboratory environment.
What You’ll Be Doing
- After full training, independently perform production protocols in accordance with approved procedures.
- Independently perform cell transfection activities using established methodologies.
- Carry out cell processing activities to support production workflows and project delivery.
- Produce Retrogenix Cell Microarray slides to required quality and productivity standards.
- Operate, clean and maintain equipment.
- Perform quality control checks throughout production processes and identify, investigate and report deviations or unexpected results.
- Troubleshoot technical issues and implement appropriate corrective actions, with limited supervision.
- Accurately record, review and maintain production data in accordance with data integrity requirements and company standards.
- Monitor reagent, consumable and slide inventories and support efficient resource planning.
- Support optimisation of new technologies, equipment and production processes where required.
- Participate in continuous improvement projects aimed at improving quality, efficiency, capacity and client delivery.
- Deliver specialised practical and technical support that positively impacts day-to-day laboratory operations and project delivery.
- Demonstrate ownership of assigned production activities and consistently meet agreed timelines and deliverables.
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Skills And Experience
- Education: Minimum BSc degree in a relevant scientific discipline (Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Science, Cell Biology or related subject). MSc in a relevant scientific discipline is preferred.
- Experience: Practical laboratory experience gained through industrial placement, academic research or commercial laboratory environment. Any further experience within CRO, biotechnology, pharmaceutical or GMP-regulated environments is highly desirable.
- Demonstrable experience of cell culture, cell maintenance and aseptic laboratory techniques is essential to this role. Experience can be within academic research environments and/or industry-led roles.
- Any experience of working with liquid handling automation and general laboratory automation platforms
- Strong attention to detail and ability to consistently follow established procedures with minimal deviation would be highly advantageous.
- Ability to work within a process-driven production environment whilst maintaining quality, accuracy and throughput targets
- Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise activities to meet production deadlines
- Ability to perform repetitive laboratory processes to defined standards while maintaining consistency, accuracy and product quality
What We Offer You
- A very comprehensive benefits package from day one, including a large pension contribution, private medical for you (and can add family members), private dental care, critical illness cover, bonus and more!
- Global opportunities and strong career progression.
- The chance to work on several varied projects and liaise globally and nationally with other business areas.
- To be able make a difference to health and wellbeing of people.
- To continue your own career growth.
- Flexible and hybrid working.
- Parental leave.
- Group Life Assurance and Group Income Protection.
- Remote GP access 24/7.
- Well-being support and initiatives.
- Cycle to work scheme.
Closing Date for applications
Friday 4th September 2026.
Right to Work
All applicants must have full and permanent Right to Work in the UK as we are unable to provide sponsorship for these roles.
Salary
Upon hire, the salary for these roles will be £27,250/annum + benefits. Following a period of 6 months and a successful probation period, the salary will increase to £29,000/annum + benefits.
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About Safety Assessment
Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.
At Charles River Laboratories, we recognize and recruit all talent. We are a company committed to fostering a sense of belonging and work daily in this direction.
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