Senior Technical Officer (Pharmacology)

Post Title: Senior Technical Officer (Pharmacology)

SBU/Department:  Life and Medical Sciences

FTE: 1.0 FTE (working 37 hours per week)

Duration of Contract: Permanent

Salary: UH5 £2,081 pa with potential to progress to £31,387 pa by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience

Annual Leave: 25 days plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year 

Location: College Lane Campus, Hatfield

The Technical Team in the School of Life and Medical Sciences supports a wide and diverse range of subjects including Biosciences, Pharmacy, Sports Science, Psychology, Geography, and Environment and Planning. Highly skilled technical staff are organized into small specialist teams, who work together alongside academic and research staff. 

Main duties and responsibilities

The successful candidate for this role will be providing technical support for teaching, research and commercial activities mainly within Pharmacology, and if required, elsewhere in the school. You will be involved in preparing materials and equipment for practical classes and projects, maintenance and operation of laboratory equipment. In addition, you will help prepare laboratories for research, consultancy, short courses and other activities and suitable waste disposal.  You will work directly with students, staff and researchers demonstrating safe laboratory practice, specialist laboratory skills, use of equipment and providing specialist and general assistance to help them to complete their work.  You will be responsible for liaising with estates and contractors regarding the maintenance and operation of laboratories, arranging for repairs where necessary, maintenance of stock levels, an inventory of equipment, maintenance logs and records required to comply with licenses, authorisations and regulations. You will ensure that all current Health and Safety regulations, both national and local, are adhered to, completing and checking Risk and COSHH assessments as required, and ensuring researchers and students undertake their work in line with school requirements. You will support the continued development of practical classes and short courses, attend training where required and contribute to discussions around capital equipment. This role involves a degree of manual handling.  

Skill and experience required

You will have proven experience of working in a Biosciences laboratory environment, in a technical role. You will possess the ability to deal with conflicting priorities and work well under pressure, as well as being able to act independently and as part of a team, using your own initiative and being resourceful when necessary.  An articulate and good communicator, with good numeracy skills and the ability to acquire new skills and techniques and demonstrate various techniques to students’ staff and visitors. 

You will be able to work to deadlines, have good time management skills and the ability to multitask. Competent IT skills is essential for this role. You will be able to follow detailed instructions comprehensively, possess relevant health and safety legislation knowledge and be able to consistently implement good laboratory practice. 

You will be flexible to team and workload requirements, adaptable and reliable with a proactive approach which is methodical with good attention to detail.

Experience of a wide range of Pharmacology techniques, in a teaching laboratory, in a technical role is desirable.

Qualifications required

Educated with a NVQ Level 4/ HND/ Degree in a Pharmacology, Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences subject, or equivalent in-service experience and education. 

Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria. Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification.

We regret that we are unable to offer UKVI sponsorship for this post; applicants will either hold UK Right to Work or demonstrate access to UK Right to Work before an offer is made.

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Judith Brooks, Technical Manager, j.a.brooks@herts.ac.uk, 01707 284773 or Komal Patel, Laboratory Manager, k.37.patel@herts.ac.uk, 01707 284525

Closing Date: 14 October 2024

Interview Date: TBC

Reference Number: 061655

Date advert placed: 30 September 2024

Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics, and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts

Apply online at https://www.herts.ac.uk/061655