Advanced Technician

The Department of Biosciences is composed of 62 academic staff and research fellows; around 50 research and technical support staff; over 90 Research Postgraduate students and over 500 Single Honours undergraduate students, and also teaches students from the Natural Sciences programme. The Department is committed to an ethos of research-led teaching at both BSc and MBiol levels, and was ranked 4th in the UK for Biological Sciences Departments in the Complete University Guide 2027. The Department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award.

At the Centre for Programmable Biological Matter, we are interested in understanding, designing and building natural and artificial bionanomachines. We ask – can we design artificial versions of such machines to carry out processes not available or possible in nature? The ability to design functional, dynamic proteins will revolutionise medicine. It will mean new capabilities in vaccines and drug delivery including nanoscale medicine that can be programmed and can self-propel.

As Technician, you will be working closely with our Post-doctoral Research Assistant working on a project to design artificial, protein-based systems for delivering cargoes to Mitochondria. The post holder will be required to provide flexible technical support as part of a research team. Primarily servicing the needs of research, assisting undergraduates, postgraduates, post doctorates and academic supervisors with regard to everyday laboratory requirements. This role will be based on-site, at the Department of Chemistry, Durham University, in our newly refurbished labs with state-of-the-art equipment.

This is a 0.5 FTE position for 12 months.

Service Delivery:
- Plan and organise your workload with project work streams.
- Resolve queries and requests for information and advice.
- Escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
- Organise and schedule resources, activities and events.
- Apply theory and practice from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
- Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
- Analyse work activities to ensure the effective and efficient use of capital and consumable equipment and resources.
- Advise others and make recommendations on work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.
- Liaise with others to identify resource requirements, store and deliver resources and keep accurate records of stock levels.
- Prepare safety documents and risk assessments for teaching, research and learning activities, e.g. COSHH.
- Support and assist with the provision of health and safety whilst adhering to set guidelines.
- Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values.
- Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.

Teaching and Learning Support:
- Deliver professional technical and experimental services to undergraduates, postgraduates, research assistants and academic staff to support research and learning activities to meet sector and professional body standards.
- Provide demonstrations and instruction on various laboratory techniques and practices and the operation of particular equipment to others.
- Provide supervision for teaching, learning and research activities, including students.
- Ensure the smooth running of a research facility, maintaining a safe standard for use.
- Utilise new and existing resources to deliver research.
- Record, monitor and collate information, analyse patterns and trends as part of teaching and research activities.

Teamwork:
- Act as a more knowledgeable team member without responsibility for team members.
- Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team with service provision to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience in accordance with policy and procedures.
- Collaborate with team members and academic staff to implement service alterations and plan the future development of laboratories.

Communication/Networking/Stakeholders:
- Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience.
- Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries.
- Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally, contributing to effective collaborative working.

Essential Criteria:
- Good oral and written communication skills.
- Strong digital competence with demonstrable skills in using core digital tools including internet, email, digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, digital booking systems, project planning.
- Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
- A good first degree and masters in Biological Sciences, including but not limited to protein chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology, computational biology, computer sciences, natural sciences, mathematics.
- Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance, including the use of standard research methods.
- Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
- Experience in molecular biology.
- Experience of working in a team.
- Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
- Ability to manage time effectively and work to strict deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Knowledge and expertise with the application of skills to create, build and construct resources, tools and equipment to meet teaching and research outputs.
- Experience of working within a laboratory environment with an understanding of the operation of general laboratory equipment.

Desirable Criteria:
- Experience of preparing academic papers.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Ability to contribute to the planning and management of independent research.
- Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
- Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
- Experience of monitoring activities of self and others to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to.

Benefits:
- 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year (total 39 days).
- Parking across campus, cycle to work scheme, and discounts with local bus and train companies.
- Exclusive discounts via the benefits portal including supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products, eating out and days out.
- On-site nursery rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and holiday camps for children aged 5–16.
- Wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for sport and gym facilities and access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Volunteering opportunities to make a difference to the local community.
- Generous family friendly policies including maternity and adoption leave.
- Professional development opportunities from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.
- Generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts.