Senior Facility Technician… at University of… · United…

Senior Facility Technician (Characterisation) - School of Metallurgy and Materials - 108321 - Grade 5

Location: United Kingdom

Position Details

School of Metallurgy and Materials

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: 3rd December 2026

Background

The University of Birmingham is committed to engineering excellence, and the School of Metallurgy and Materials is one of the UK’s leading centres for research, education, and innovation. The School is proud of its strong and extensive links with industry and boasts a creative and dynamic environment, which provides opportunities for both staff and students to develop.

The Characterisation Facility in the School of Metallurgy and Materials plays a vital role in delivery of cutting-edge practical research and high quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, by providing staff and students with access and training on a range of equipment from materialographic preparation to advanced physical and thermal characterisation techniques. The equipment in the facility includes XRD, XRF, Particle Size Analysers, STA, DSC, TMA, heat treatment furnaces, hardness testing and universal testing machines.

The primary focus of the Senior Facility Technician is to train and support the facility users with the materialography and heat treatment laboratories, run samples for external and internal customers, repair and care for the equipment, prepare equipment for use through routine maintenance and calibration, replenish and restock consumables, and ensure adherence to health and safety policies.

Role Summary

You will provide technical expertise, support and guidance for research and teaching activities in the Characterisation Facility in the School of Metallurgy and Materials. You will utilise your technical skills to support customers with a wide range of techniques and activities in the Characterisation Facility laboratories, providing training, supervision, and guidance to Characterisation Facility customers at a variety of levels, ranging from undergraduate students to postgraduate research staff.

Working as part of the Characterisation Facility team, you will carry out routine equipment care; undertaking preventive and reactive maintenance as required, and reporting any faults or issues which cannot be resolved by yourself to your line manager.

You will maintain consumable stock levels, proactively raising purchase requisitions to replenish consumable levels before they run out. You will be expected to ensure your working area is safe; writing and updating risk assessments and Standard Operation Procedures. You will support Characterisation Facility customers in following and upholding health and safety instructions.

You will need a significant understanding of the requirements to deliver facility operations, an in-depth understanding of all main subject areas, the ability to respond quickly and positively to changes in protocols, and troubleshoot problems, and optimise protocols to ensure a positive student experience. You may need to operate out of normal working hours to accommodate workload.

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

1. If in a supervisory position, you will supervise the day to day activities of a number of other technical staff.
2. You will 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.
3. Even if you are not in a supervisory position you will still be expected to act as a role model and coach staff in the locality.
4. You will 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.
5. You will plan, based on the available timetabling information, the most efficient/effective means to turnaround the daily classes.
6. You will research, design, trial & modify practical protocols for internal and external customers.
7. Support the Assistant Technical Specialist and Technical Manager where required and to deputise for them in their absence.
8. Keeping the Assistant Technical Specialist and Technical Manager informed as to changes to protocols/sessions, content of any discussions with academic leads and other matters relating to the facility.
9. Initiate discussion with the Assistant Technical Specialist and Technical Manager on any issues that may compromise the core function of the laboratories or for information that is related to the core functions of the facility.
10. Instruct and provide high level technical support for students in the correct and safe handling of laboratory and fieldwork equipment including preparation of samples, analysis methods and preparation techniques.
11. Preparation of a diverse range of materials used during practical sessions, to be able to calculate and prepare a wide range of laboratory reagents (stocks and working solutions), be able to accurately and reproducibly dispense reagents (using aseptic techniques where necessary) and provide a consistent results delivery service.
12. 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.
13. Oversee that the laboratories are suitably prepared for practicals and the setup/takedown of equipment/materials used during sessions.
14. Check practical layouts prior to classes and ensure that all requirements are in place.
15. Be familiar with the use of a broad spectrum of general laboratory equipment and specialised equipment.
16. Demonstrate equipment use, high level techniques and procedures to staff and students.
17. Trouble-shoot and respond to problems, which may occur during practical sessions, using your in-depth knowledge and your ability to diagnose/resolve problems and suggest solutions.

Health and Safety duties

1. Proactive support for health and safety within the laboratory. This may include being required to look after a communal area as part of your duties. Comply with all current rules and ensure all required assessments are in place, approved and up to date.
2. 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.
3. Ensuring that regular maintenance processes are carried out and that appropriate records are maintained.
4. Reporting any breaches or non-compliance with H&S procedures to the relevant manager(s).
5. Upholding the correct waste disposal stream as governed by College and local policy for the laboratory.
6. Postholders may be asked to undergo training as a First Aider and Fire Warden.

General Administration and Organisation

1. Ensuring all records are accurate and kept up to date.
2. Proactively maintain stocks of consumables, and when required generate purchase order requisitions using University systems.
3. Receipt and correct storage of consumables/equipment and chemical reagents.
4. Ensuring that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.
5. Ensuring that PAT testing, calibration of equipment and locally and centrally held equipment inventories are up to date and maintained.
6. Adopt a proactive attitude to assisting with and implementing carbon reduction and energy saving measures.
7. Maintain a technical support-based facility website (how to guides for the preparation of materials, practical setup guides), and keeping these up to date as and when session requirements or protocols change or maintaining relevant research lab databases/records.

Other Duties

1. In collaboration with the relevant manager the post holder will take an active role in the training and mentoring process for junior or newly appointed staff.
2. Treats everyone with dignity and respect in line with current equality legislation. Respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures.

Person Specification

• Extensive relevant workplace experience, equivalent professional qualification or degree in materials science, engineering, physical science or similar.
• GCSE level 2 (A*- C/4-9) or equivalent level 2 qualification in mathematics and English.
• In-depth practical knowledge of materialography/metallography, heat treatment, microscopy or mechanical testing.
• Extensive experience of similar laboratory-based work, together with familiarity with a wide range of laboratory equipment.
• Good understanding of COSHH regulations and hazardous materials handling
• Experience of working in a customer facing role with a good understanding of customer service principles.
• 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.
• Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures relating to equality and diversity.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Experience of demonstrating and training others in a laboratory-based environment.
• Experience in or knowledge of materialographic sample preparation (including metallography, ceramography or plastography)
• A basic understanding of optical or electron microscopy techniques
• A Science Council Professional Registration and membership of a relevant Professional Body

Informal enquiries can be made to Jem Hammerton, email: j.hammerton@bham.ac.uk

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.