Senior Teaching Technician (Engineering) - Collaborative Teaching Laboratory - 55837 - Grade 5 in Birmingham

Collaborative Teaching Laboratory

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £30,062 to £31,900, with potential progression once in post to £35,883

Grade: 5

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 31st May 2026

Background

The Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) represents a £42m investment in STEM teaching. The CTL provides primarily undergraduate students with a transformational teaching experience in state-of-the-art facilities to encourage and enable inter-disciplinary working. This position will suit a candidate with good experience working within a laboratory environment or an Engineering background.

The role holder will ensure that expert in-class support is provided to ensure that all aspects of practical classes run well, and that the student experience is high. You will ensure that all equipment within the CTL Engineering Lab is fit for purpose and is maintained to a satisfactory standard.

This remit for this role is to provide support to academic teaching, although you will not be teaching yourself. Instead, the position is designed to ensure everything is in place ready for students at the start of a session and to help with any issues that may arise during teaching.

Applicants should have technical experience in an appropriate discipline relevant to the CTL; an Engineering related subject background would be very advantageous.

Main Duties

• Supervise the day-to-day activities of a number of other technical staff.
• Provide support and guidance, and work closely with your staff in relation to working requirements, working environment, staff wellbeing, identifying any training requirements as appropriate.
• Discuss the daily programme of work with your manager and other technical staff in the area to ensure the daily programme of work, session protocols and outcomes are clear.
• Plan, based on the available timetabling information, the most efficient/effective means to turnaround the daily classes.
• Research, design, trial & modify practical protocols for class teaching.
• Support the teaching laboratories managers where required and to deputise for them in their absence.
• Instruct and provide high-level technical support for students in the correct and safe handling of laboratory and fieldwork equipment.
• Prepare and support open day, Applicant Visitor Day events, Continuous Professional Development and other external requirements within the laboratories or other areas as and when required.
• Check practical layouts prior to classes and ensure that all requirements are in place.
• Demonstrate equipment use, high-level techniques and procedures to staff and students.

Health and Safety duties

• Proactive support for health and safety within the laboratory.
• Comply with all current rules and ensure all required assessments are in place, approved and up to date.
• Fully understand the safety aspects of equipment operation and be able to demonstrate/train staff (at all levels) on the correct usage of the equipment.
• Ensuring that regular maintenance processes are carried out and that appropriate records are maintained.

General Administration and Organisation

• Ensuring all records are accurate and kept up to date.
• Proactively maintain stocks of consumables, and when required generate purchase order requisitions using University systems.
• Receipt and correct storage of consumables/equipment and chemical reagents.
• Ensuring that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Extensive relevant workplace experience, equivalent professional qualification or degree in an appropriate subject.
• GCSE level 2 (A*- C/4-9) or equivalent level 2 qualification in mathematics and English.
• 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 workload 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.

Dimensions

You will provide specialist expertise in your area and provide advice and support to a range of customers. You may supervise staff; even where you do not have supervisory responsibilities you will be expected to act as a role model for other staff.

Planning and organising

You will be required to work independently on daily, weekly and monthly tasks but also on projects with medium-longer-term horizons without daily supervision.

Problem solving and decision making

You will be able to research, modify and adapt protocols after consulting relevant manager, and prepare for teaching experiments. You will be able to uphold Health and Safety procedures.

Internal and external relationships

This role will be advising and supporting staff and/or students, and with external contacts such as company representatives.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life.