Advanced Technician

Advanced Technician

Department of Biosciences

Grade 5: £27,865 to £30,986 per annum (Pro Rata)

Fixed Term - Part Time

Contract Duration: 12 months

Contracted Hours per Week: 17.5

Working Arrangements: TBC

Closing Date: 23-Nov-2026, 11:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

The Department of Biosciences is composed of 62 academic staff and research fellows; around 50 research and technical support staff; over 90 Research Postgraduate students and over 500 Single Honours undergraduate students, and also teaches students from the Natural Sciences programme.

The Department is committed to an ethos of research-led teaching at both BSc and MBiol levels, and was ranked 4th in the UK for Biological Sciences Departments in the Complete University Guide 2027.

The Department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award. Athena SWAN is a national initiative that recognises the advancement of gender equality, representation and progression.

The Department embraces excellence in all of its forms and invites all qualified applicants to apply. We particularly welcome applications from women and black and minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in the academic sector.

Join us as a Technician at the Centre for Programmable Biological Matter!

At the Centre for Programmable Biological Matter, we are interested in understanding, designing and building natural and artificial bionanomachines. We ask – can we design artificial versions of such machines to carry out processes not available or possible in nature? The ability to design functional, dynamic proteins will revolutionise medicine. It will mean new capabilities in vaccines and drug including nanoscale medicine that can be programmed and can self-propel. We have established the Centre of Programmable Biological Matter (CPBM) as to spearhead research in this area.

To find out more about our research, head to our website: https://heddlelab.org/

As Technician, you will be working closely with our Post-doctoral Research Assistant working on a project to design artificial, protein bases systems for delivering cargoes to Mitochondria.

The post holder will be required to provide flexible technical support as part of a research team. Primarily servicing the needs of research, assisting undergraduates, postgraduates, post doctorates and academic supervisors with regard to everyday laboratory requirements.

This role will be based on-site, at the Department of Chemistry, Durham University, in our newly refurbished labs with state-of-the art equipment. 0.5FTE for 12 months

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

• You’ll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days.
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community.
• Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.
• We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a university equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

1. Good oral and written communication skills.
2. Strong digital competence with demonstrable skills in using core digital tools including internet, email, digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, digital booking system, project planning.
3. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
4. A good first degree and masters in Biological Sciences, including but not limited to protein chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology, computational biology, computer sciences, natural sciences, mathematics.
5. Experience in conducting basic academic research or providing research assistance, including the use of standard research methods.
6. Demonstrable ability to produce concise and well-written reports for a range of stakeholders.
7. Experience in molecular biology.
8. Experience of working in a team.
9. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.
10. Ability to manage time effectively and work to strict deadlines.
11. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
12. Knowledge and expertise with the application of skills to create, build and construct resources, tools and equipment to meet teaching and research outputs.
13. Experience of working within a laboratory environment with an understanding of the operation of general laboratory equipment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of preparing academic papers.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Ability to contribute to the planning and management of independent research.
• Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
• Experience of monitoring activities of self and others to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

What you are required to submit:

• A CV
• A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet (or have the potential to meet) all of the essential criteria within the Person Specification of the job description.

Contact details

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Professor Jonathan Heddle (jonathan.g.heddle@durham.ac.uk) would be happy to speak to you.

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery

• Plan and organise your workload with project work streams.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice.
• Escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
• Organise and schedule resources, activities and events.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
• Analyse work activities to ensure the effective and efficient use of capital and consumable equipment and resources.
• Advise others and make recommendations on work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.
• Liaise with others to identify resource requirements, store and deliver resources and keep accurate records of stock levels.
• Prepare safety documents and risk assessments for teaching, research and learning activities, e.g. COSHH.
• Support and assist with the provision of health and safety whilst adhering to set guidelines.
• Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.

Teaching and Learning Support

• Deliver professional technical and experimental services to undergraduates, postgraduates, research assistants and academic staff to support research and learning activities to meet sector and professional body standards.
• Provide demonstrations and instruction on various laboratory techniques and practices and the operation of particular equipment to others.
• Provide supervision for teaching, learning and research activities, including students.
• Ensure the smooth running of a research facility, maintaining a safe standard for use.
• Utilise new and existing resources to deliver research.
• Record, monitor and collate information, analyse patterns and trends as part of teaching and research activities.

Teamwork

• Act as a more knowledgeable team member without responsibility for team members.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team with service provision to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Collaborate with team members and academic staff to implement service alterations and plan the future development of laboratories.

Communication/Networking/Stakeholders

• Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally, contributing to effective collaborative working.

Any other reasonable duties.

SECONDMENT

The post is part time, fixed term for a 1 year period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager. If an internal member of staff is appointed to this role on a secondment basis, for pension purposes this will be processed in line with Step-Up arrangements. For further details please click here.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Privacy Notice which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible. Further information on visa requirements and eligibility can be found on the UKVI website.