Junior Laboratory Technician in Daventry

This role is for a university student seeking an industrial placement year as part of their chemistry-related degree. A placement year in industry gives you the chance to apply your chemistry knowledge in a real laboratory, gain hands-on experience with professional equipment and quality systems, and build confidence working in a technical team. It strengthens your CV, develops key skills such as problem-solving, communication, and time management, and often improves your chances of securing a graduate role with either your placement employer or within the wider industry. It also helps you explore different career paths in chemistry, understand how businesses operate, and return to university with a clearer direction and stronger motivation for your final year. We promote an inclusive environment, with a great mix of lab work, project involvement, and development — with full training and support throughout your placement.

Working as part of the laboratory team in Daventry, you would be involved with:

• Day-to-day analytical testing
• Quality control
• Production support
• Investigations and problem solving
• Interesting project-based work

Key Responsibilities

• Daily lab testing - calibrations, effluent analysis, Quality Control
• Providing support to production
• Conduct chemical analysis on field samples and prepare accurate, detailed reports
• Support problem-solving and investigations on field, production and laboratory issues
• Contribute to project work
• Manage laboratory administration, including data documentation and management
• Calibrate and maintain laboratory equipment
• Prioritise and manage a dynamic workload, adapting to changing business needs

What We're Looking For

• Currently working towards a degree in Chemistry or a related subject with a strong chemistry content
• Genuine interest in laboratory work and applying chemistry in an industrial setting
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word and Outlook) for data handling, reporting and communication
• Awareness of health and safety requirements in a laboratory environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail and accuracy when recording and interpreting data
• Ability to organise and prioritise a changing workload
• A proactive attitude, with willingness to take initiative, ask questions and seek out learning opportunities
• Reliable, collaborative and comfortable working as part of a team
• Ability to work autonomously, taking ownership of tasks and using initiative while knowing when to seek guidance

What You'll Get In Return

• A paid 12-month placement in a real industrial laboratory, working on live projects and real customer problems
• Full training on laboratory methods, equipment, quality systems and safety procedures, with ongoing support as they develop
• The chance to apply degree knowledge in practice and build technical and professional skills for future roles
• Supportive on-the-job coaching, regular feedback and guidance from experienced colleagues
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• Monday to Friday working, 40 hours per week, with a competitive salary depending on experience
• Access to an employee discount platform for savings on everyday purchases

Our market-leading offering provides you with benefits that suit your lifestyle. We have a virtual GP on hand for you and members of your household. We offer financial wellbeing assistance through our Salary Finance scheme. For example, you could access 50% of your earned pay before payday for a small fee. Salary Finance also offers competitive loans. When you join us, we’ll give you a link to our flexible lifestyle benefits platform, Choices. You might choose to purchase up to five extra days’ holiday each year. You might buy critical illness insurance, seek dental treatment or buy technology products at an affordable cost. There are many choices! We give you access to high street discounts from thousands of well-known retailers, gyms and more through our MiDeals platform. And we have a cycle-to-work scheme. Life cover of up to four times your salary is available. We also offer enhanced pension contributions, a save-as-you-earn scheme, and a Mitie Matching Share Plan (you could even be awarded free shares in Mitie). We award our employees with Mitie Stars as recognition for their hard work. There are cash prizes up for grabs each month and at the end of the year there’s a chance to scoop a top prize of £10,000! Our success is a direct result of the experience and quality of our people. Progressing your career is therefore a top priority for us. We offer a diverse variety of training and development avenues via a wide selection of learning resources to suit you. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all.