Senior Technician (Casting)

University of Birmingham - School of Metallurgy and Materials

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,647 to £31,460. With potential progression once in post to £35,388 a year.

Contract type: Fixed Term contract up to March 2026

Role Summary: You will provide technical expertise, support and guidance in research support. You may supervise a number of technical staff but even where you do not directly supervise staff you will still be expected to act as a role model and coach others as appropriate. You will need an in-depth understanding of the research questions, techniques and experimental protocols. You will be able to use your in-depth knowledge to advise on procedures, diagnose and resolve problems, and proactively suggest solutions to issues which arise. You may need to operate out of normal working hours to accommodate experimental procedures. In order to flexibly use resource, you may be offered the opportunity to work in different areas of the department or wider university.

Main Duties: The role holder will be required to learn the operation of casting equipment and the development of analogue systems to support process modelling. You will be responsible for assisting in managing the experimental laboratories. You will use your in-depth knowledge of methods and procedures to advise on techniques and experimental procedures being used by researchers and/or students. This will involve communicating with colleagues at a range of levels and inexperienced students. You will need to be able to diagnose and resolve problems and suggest solutions in regard to techniques and experiments. Ensure compliance with legislation relevant to the area of research/activity. Comply with and promote the operating procedures for the area, including the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures regulation. You may contribute to internal and external audit procedures and to regulatory inspections.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience: Extensive relevant workplace experience, equivalent professional qualification or degree in an appropriate subject. In-depth practical knowledge of relevant technical and scientific methods. Extensive experience of similar laboratory based work, together with familiarity with a wide range of laboratory equipment. Positive service attitude and shows courtesy in dealing with others. Ability to organise and manage own work load and demonstrate flexibility in terms of work practices/requirements. Ability to work under minimal supervision but function as part of a team. Knowledge of current legislation relevant to the role. Knowledge of current H&S policies and ability to uphold same. Proficiency in commonly used software packages.

Informal enquiries can be made to Paul Withey at p.a.withey@bham.ac.uk or Peter Miles at p.miles@bham.ac.uk. To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above or visit our careers website.