University of Birmingham
SC-islet Specialist - College of Medicine and Health - 107911 - Grade 7
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Position Details
College of Medicine and Health
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Grade: 7
Part Time, 0.5 FTE (18.75 hours per week)
Fixed Term contract up to February 2027
Closing date: 9th September 2026
Salary: £36,636 (pro-rata for part time)
Our Offer to You
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high-quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham here.
Background
The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage, and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.
Department Overview
BetaCell Birmingham is part of the Technology Hub, a series of research facilities available to users across colleges (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/mds/facilities). The facility provides specialist expertise in human pluripotent stem cell culture, precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, stem cell differentiation, and the generation of stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells and islets. The facility offers state-of-the-art capabilities including genome editing, reporter cell line generation, disease modelling, stem cell differentiation, organoid technologies, and functional characterisation of stem cell-derived islets, and it is constantly undertaking horizon scanning to incorporate new innovative technologies into its offering. The facility supports users across campus and externally through training, technical support, and bespoke project delivery.
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The facility has strong links with regional specialist groups, stem cell research communities, diabetes research networks, and industrial partners. The success of this facility is due to the large number of users having easy access to powerful and relevant stem cell and genome engineering technologies and the technical specialists who provide training and support for users.
Role Summary
The SC-islet specialist will plan and coordinate multiple initiatives concurrently and have in-depth understanding of SC-islet generation and their applications. The SC-Islet Specialist will provide a full stem cell engineering and differentiation service, including implementing and delivering training and access for users, user support and advice, precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering support, and management of the delivery of stem cell-derived beta cell and islet production services, including coordination of similar activities across the College and Technology Hub facilities.
The post holder will play a key role in ensuring the facility delivers a high-quality, responsive service that meets the diverse requirements of academic and external users. They will anticipate customer needs, provide expert technical advice, evaluate existing workflows and recommend improvements to enhance quality, efficiency and capacity. The role requires the ability to plan, prioritise and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, working closely with users and stakeholders to ensure successful delivery from project conception through to completion. In particular, the post is focused on precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering and stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and islets.
The post holder will:
- Provide a professional specialist service for BetaCell Birmingham.
- Provide expert advice for internal and external customers.
- Provide a full and bespoke service for precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in human pluripotent stem cells.
- Provide a full and bespoke service for stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and stem cell-derived islets.
- Train users in stem cell culture, genome editing, and stem cell differentiation methodologies.
- Provide professional specialist feedback on results to users.
- Implement, optimise and standardise stem cell differentiation protocols.
- Ensure the service always operates in an effective and efficient manner.
- Organise and attend user group meetings.
- Coordinate the organisation and delivery of Continuous Professional Development activities for internal and external stakeholders.
- Promote the services offered by BetaCell Birmingham and the Technology Hub.
- Manage data storage, file transfer, scheduled back-ups and long-term archiving of experimental records and datasets.
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Main Duties
1. Provide a Professional Specialist Service
- Provide expert advice for internal and external customers.
- Provide a full and bespoke service for precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in human pluripotent stem cells.
- Provide a full and bespoke service for stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and stem cell-derived islets.
- Train users in stem cell culture, genome editing, and stem cell differentiation methodologies.
- Provide professional specialist feedback on results to users.
- Implement, optimise and standardise stem cell differentiation protocols.
- Ensure the service always operates in an effective and efficient manner.
- Organise and attend user group meetings.
- Coordinate the organisation and delivery of Continuous Professional Development activities for internal and external stakeholders.
- Promote the services offered by BetaCell Birmingham and the Technology Hub.
- Manage data storage, file transfer, scheduled back-ups and long-term archiving of experimental records and datasets.
2. Health and Safety Management
- Ensure all facility users comply with all University and College Health and Safety policies.
- Report any breaches or non-compliance with Health and Safety procedures.
- Ensure the correct waste disposal protocols are complied with for laboratory, recycled and general waste.
- Proactively assist with the implementation of carbon reduction and energy saving measures.
- Carry out regular maintenance processes as appropriate and ensure records are maintained.
3. Facilities Management
- Use facility management systems to control and monitor users' training records, project delivery and access to equipment.
- Assist in the development and upkeep of the BetaCell Birmingham and Technology Hub websites.
- Maintain stocks of consumables, generating purchase order requisitions for the College finance office or via web-based ordering systems.
- Receive and correctly store consumables, media, growth factors, reagents and other materials required for stem cell culture and differentiation.
- Ensure that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.
- Assist the Research Facilities Manager in identifying and tracking items held on the University Asset Register.
4. Finance, Procurement and Purchasing
- Day-to-day management of facility budgets, monitoring expenditure, identifying any issues with orders, invoices and suppliers and taking appropriate corrective action.
- Ensure all financial rules and procedures are followed.
- Assist the Research Facilities Manager, when required, with invoicing and recharging users for facility services.
5. People Management
- Ensure that the goals and objectives which are set for staff support the development and delivery of a quality, customer-focused service.
- Prioritise and allocate work to meet day-to-day needs.
- Check on quality of work and customer feedback.
- Undertake supportive interventions where staff are not meeting objectives.
6. General
- Represent the team as required at a variety of College and University meetings.
- Act as a main contact for emergency call-outs.
- Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with a wide variety of colleagues internal and external to the College, including contractors, suppliers and commercial partners.
- Promote equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering
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