Research Technician

About us

The Division of Biosciences at UCL is one of the world's foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences. We have an outstanding international reputation and a community of over 500 staff and more than 300 PhD students engaged in cutting edge research and collaboration.

Further information can be found on our website https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences

About the role

We are seeking a talented research technician to join an innovative project using lake sediment DNA to uncover how ecosystems and populations respond to environmental stress over the past 300 years. The research technician will be responsible for laboratory procedures associated with extracting DNA from subfossils and ancient lake sediments, building genomic libraries, and carrying out PCR amplification for metabarcoding workflows. This will involve working with low-concentration and degraded DNA, applying strict contamination control procedures, and using standard molecular biology techniques such as PCR and sequencing workflows.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact the HR Administrator.

About you

You must have:

• Biological Sciences degree or relevant subject area.

Experience in the following is essential:

• Relevant technical/scientific qualification in or good understanding or equivalent experience in ancient DNA and/or sedimentary ancient DNA
• Experience of working in a technical role in a research environment, specifically with low-concentration and degraded DNA in dedicated facilities
• Experience of working in the research area of ancient DNA / sedimentary ancient DNA
• A meticulous approach to practical work and record keeping

What we offer

The UCL Ways of Working supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through sharing expectations around how we work – please https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-advice/ways-working to find out more.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits; visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our division holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Please visit our website for full job details and person specification: Job details: Research Technician