Laboratory Engineer in Slough

• Senior Lab Engineer (Manager) / Lab Engineer
• Central London | Fully on-site | Salary and level dependent on experience

Are you a practical, hands-on engineer who enjoys understanding how complex equipment works, solving technical problems and keeping experiments moving?

This is an opportunity to join a well-funded, early-stage materials science business using advanced experimentation to accelerate the discovery of new materials.

You will have the opportunity to work with a broad range of advanced instrumentation and make a visible contribution to how the laboratory operates and develops.

This is not a role where you will simply follow established processes.

You will be encouraged to solve problems, improve equipment and help shape the laboratory’s systems, standards and capabilities.

You will join a growing team of materials scientists, engineers and AI specialists working on technology with the potential to change how new materials are discovered.

The role can be shaped around your level of experience.

You may be an established Lab Engineer looking to take ownership of a broad range of research-grade equipment, or a more experienced engineer ready to lead lab reliability, throughput and continuous improvement.

What you will be doing

• Operating and maintaining advanced materials synthesis and characterisation equipment.
• Taking ownership of instruments, ensuring they are safe, reliable and ready for use.
• Carrying out routine and preventative maintenance.
• Diagnosing vacuum, electrical and mechanical faults before they result in significant downtime.
• Running synthesis and characterisation experiments alongside materials scientists and researchers.
• Ensuring experiments are reproducible and supported by accurate, consistent data capture.
• Writing and maintaining SOPs, maintenance records and risk assessments.
• Managing consumables, materials inventory, calibrations and equipment servicing.
• Working with suppliers and service engineers on repairs, upgrades and new equipment.
• Supporting the integration of laboratory equipment with automated data capture and digital systems.

For someone joining at the more senior end, the role will also include responsibility for improving lab throughput, equipment utilisation and operational reliability, as well as supporting training, equipment procurement and the continued development of the laboratory.

What we need from you

• Several years of practical experience operating, maintaining or supporting research-grade laboratory equipment.
• Experience gained within a national laboratory, scientific instrumentation business, semiconductor environment, industrial research facility, advanced manufacturing setting or similar.

• Hands-on experience across at least two of the following areas

• High-vacuum systems
• Scanning Electron Microscopy
• X-ray diffraction
• Optical characterisation
• High-temperature synthesis or metallurgical equipment
• High-field magnets
• Good working knowledge of vacuum equipment, including pumps, leak detection and routine maintenance.
• Confidence diagnosing technical problems and carrying out practical repairs.
• A careful and methodical approach to safety, documentation and data integrity.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating closely with scientists, engineers and researchers.
• An interest in joining a fast-moving environment where processes and laboratory capabilities are still being developed.

Useful experience

• Improving equipment uptime, laboratory throughput or instrument utilisation.
• Writing SOPs and risk assessments from scratch.
• CAD experience for fixtures, tooling or laboratory modifications.
• Python, scripting or instrument-control experience.
• Automated data capture or laboratory management systems.
• High-throughput or combinatorial experimentation.
• Commissioning new equipment or helping establish a laboratory from an early stage.

What can you expect in return

• Highly competitive salaries on offer
• Excellent benefits package

Interested? Let's talk.