In Vivo Microscopy Specialist Technician - College of Medicine and Health - 107846 - Grade 6 in Birmingham

• Position Details
• Infrastructure and Facilities, College of Medicine and Health

Job Description

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

• Grade: 6
• Full Time, Permanent
• Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.

We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.

With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide‑range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.

We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements.

We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.

• In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits
• 40 days paid holiday a year
• one paid day a year for volunteering
• occupational sick pay
• pension scheme
• three high quality subsidised day nurseries

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.

On campus we have a state‑of‑the‑art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

• Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
• Background

The 4D in vivo micro CT equipment is part of the Biomedical Imaging Facility (BIF) which itself is part of the Technology Hub, a series of research facilities available to users across Colleges ( https://www. birmingham. ac. uk/university/colleges/mds/facilities ).

The GX3 is a state‑of‑the‑art in vivo micro CT imaging platform, providing high‑resolution longitudinal in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro imaging capabilities across a broad range of research areas including healthcare technologies, biomaterials, musculoskeletal biology, inflammation and ageing, metabolic disease and computational modelling.

The equipment is located within the BIF in the West Extension of the Medical School.

The Facility has strong collaborative links with local facilities including the Microscopy Suite and the Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, which synergise efforts to benefit academic and industry users.

The success of the Facility is dependent on the provision of high‑quality specialist technical expertise, user training and collaborative support to enable effective and sustainable use of the technology.

Role Summary

The In vivo Microscopy Specialist Technician will provide specialist scientific and technical support in our Biomedical Imaging Facility (BIF) and in particular, the operation, development and delivery of our state‑of‑the‑art 4D in vivo micro CT equipment.

This will include giving specialist advice about the offering and match that to the user requirement.

The specialist will use advanced skills to support maintenance and in‑depth training of the equipment offering at the facility for users.

The successful candidate will need to develop constructive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (both internal and external) to support experimental design, imaging workflows, image acquisition, data management and image analysis associated with advanced in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro imaging studies across a diverse interdisciplinary research portfolio.

The post holder will be responsible for supporting the day‑to‑day operation of the wider BIF Facility, including user training, competency assessment, supported‑service provision, maintenance coordination and ensuring compliance with relevant Health and Safety, Home Office and University policies and procedures.

The role will require strong project management and organisational skills to coordinate imaging activities and contribute to the development and optimisation of new imaging workflows, user engagement activities and continuous improvement of Facility operations, supporting delivery of a sustainable and collaborative research technology platform.

Main Duties

• Provide specialist 4D in vivo micro CT and microscopy support.
• Provide specialist scientific and technical support for users of the 4D in vivo micro CT Imaging Facility across a broad range of interdisciplinary research applications, ensuring the Facility operates in an effective and efficient manner and equipment is maintained to optimal operational standards.
• Act as a first point of contact for internal and external users wishing to access the Facility, providing specialist advice and guidance regarding imaging workflows, equipment capabilities, experimental feasibility and study design.
• Deliver user training on operation of the 4D in vivo micro CT platform and associated workflows, maintaining competency and training records to enable independent user access where appropriate.
• When required assist, supervise and guide users on the use of the equipment.
• Assist users with troubleshooting experimental and technical imaging issues and provide feedback and guidance regarding optimisation of imaging protocols and workflows.
• Ensure equipment is maintained, serviced and calibrated as required and that all documentation pertaining to these activities is stored appropriately for review by the Research Facilities Manager.
• Support operation of wider BIF facility management systems, including scheduling, user access, data management and monitoring of equipment usage and capacity.
• The role holder will be required to perform basic systems administration operations including file transfer, scheduled back‑ups and long‑term archiving of data.
• Attend and participate in relevant user groups, technical meetings and training activities to review emerging technologies, developments in the field and opportunities for service enhancement.

Invitations to this group will extend to users and managers of other microscopy related facilities in other Colleges and form an important part of inter‑College coordination.

• Support teaching and training activities relating to imaging technologies across the micro CT and wider facility where required.
• Contribute to user engagement activities including workshops, demonstrations, presentations, training events and promotion of Facility capabilities to internal and external stakeholders.
• Actively engage in the Personal Development Process.
• Contribute at a level appropriate with the grade, to internal and external audit procedures, and to regulatory inspections.
• Assist Line Manager in identifying and tracking items held on the University asset register.
• Play a proactive role in developing new initiatives for the service and ensure such initiatives are expressed in a coherent/professional format to inform and/or influence senior management.
• Promote equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) or relevant technical qualification and relevant experience - where no equivalent qualification is held, extensive proven practical and technical experience in a similar role will be required.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly and to analyse information and data using Microsoft office applications.
• Experience working with in vivo research models, including animal handling and supporting regulated experimental procedures within a research environment.
• Proven experience working with advanced imaging technologies within a research, technical OR facility environment.
• Professional experience working within a research, technical support OR shared facility environment.
• Understanding of and ability to apply relevant regulatory (e. g. Home Office), governance and Health and Safety procedures within a research environment.
• Positive service attitude and shows courtesy in dealing with others.
• Proven ability to organise and manage own workload and demonstrate flexibility in terms of work practices and requirements.
• Proven ability to work independently whilst functioning effectively as part of a team.
• Proven ability to understand user requirements and provide specialist technical advice and guidance to support development of appropriate imaging and experimental workflows.
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve problems and suggest solutions within own area, whilst having regard to local and wider interests.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with all levels of users.
• Experience of experimental optimisation, technical troubleshooting and delivery of complex scientific or technical workflows.
• Proficiency in commonly used software packages and experience of image processing, image analysis and data management software associated with imaging technologies.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day‑to‑day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.
• Informal enquiries to Dean Kavanagh, email: d. kavanagh@bham. ac. uk
• View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications

We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience.

Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

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.

We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations.

We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.

You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.

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