The role may require occasional work outside normal operating hours to support teaching activities and class schedules. To ensure the effective and flexible use of resources, you may have opportunities to work across different areas within the department or the wider University, contributing your skills where they are most needed.

Main Duties

Teaching Duties

• Contribute to planning the most efficient/effective means to turnaround the daily classes;
• Setting up and clearing away of equipment, consumables and reagents, ensuring laboratories are suitably prepared for practicals;
• Testing, maintaining and calibrating a wide range of precision instrumentation;
• Monitoring and replenishing consumables, including preparing orders and collecting items from stores;
• Diagnosing and resolving the majority of in-class problems, including with equipment;
• Demonstrating the use of a wide range of relevant equipment and techniques during classes;
• Testing and, where appropriate, modifying protocols in conjunction with manager;
• Liaising with relevant managers with regard to requirements and accurately instruct other staff;
• Preparing the laboratories for other events such as open days. You may be asked to participate in demonstrations on open days.

Health and Safety

• Uphold compliance with all University and local Health & Safety policies, including risk assessments and manual handling, reporting any breaches or non-compliance to the relevant manager.
• Manage the safe handling and disposal of all materials used in practical classes or research laboratories, including hazardous materials.
• Assist or prepare risk assessments and keep these up to date.
• Maintain all records as appropriate.
• Carry out regular maintenance processes as appropriate.

Administrative Duties

• Maintain stocks of consumables and, if necessary, creating purchase order requisitions.
• Receipt and correct storage of consumables and chemical reagents.
• Ensure that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems.
• Reporting any problems with equipment or services which cannot be resolved to the line manager as appropriate.
• Adopt a proactive attitude to assisting with and implementing carbon reduction and energy saving measures where practicable.
• Support equality and values diversity, moderates own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade and skill base of the post holder.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Working knowledge of manual Lathes and Millers would be advantageous, or a willingness to learn.
• A good knowledge, experience, understanding and appreciation of health and safety issues is essential.
• Full UK diving licence essential, due to forklift use.
• Very good organisational and administrative skills, able to record information accurately using online systems and databases.
• A positive, flexible and proactive attitude is essential.
• Very good communication and interpersonal skills, able to persuasively influence compliance from principal investigators to students.
• This post will require some work to be carried out during evenings and at weekends. The Activities section of the post will require occasional extended periods (e.g. a week) of work away from Birmingham, including overseas travel.
• A willingness to be a qualified as a first aider is desirable.
• NVQ, BTEC/ONC at level three or equivalent level three qualification and specific relevant experience in an appropriate subject would be advantageous.
• GCSE level 2 (A*- C) or equivalent level 2 qualification in mathematics and English.
• Practical experience of battery-operated vehicles would be an advantage and a working knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice.
• Experience of working in a laboratory-based teaching or research environment; or be able to demonstrate the capability to participate with practical classes.
• Ability to organise and manage own workload after consultation with manager.
• Proactive approach to Health and Safety matters, together with the communication skills to interact with a range of people, including students.
• Ability to be flexible to meet deadlines.
• The post-holder will be fully familiar with the safe handling and storage of laboratory materials.
• Good IT skills, having a familiarity with both Windows and/or Apple Macintosh OS will be advantageous.
• Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures.

Informal Enquiries

For informal enquiries, contact Mark Carter, email: m.carter@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here.

Use of AI in Applications

We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone here.