Salary: £30,805 - £31,637 per annum with progression to £34,132 Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you. Closing Date: 22 May 2025 The Role We are looking for a highly motivated Laboratory Technician to join a professional team providing support on studies, projects, and academic collaborations within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre Ageing, Sarcopenia, and Multimorbidity (BRC ASM) Theme. The role will join a wider technical community within the Faculty of Medical Sciences, reporting to the Institute Technical Manager and the AGE Research Group (AGE) in collaboration with Prof Gavin Richardson. The successful candidate will be based in Professor Richardson’s lab at the International Centre for Life and work as part of the AGE multidisciplinary team working to improve lives through world-class research in ageing, sarcopenia and multiple long-term conditions (MLTC). Within AGE, the postholder will support the delivery of studies within the BRC ASM Theme. Responsibilities will include preparing biological samples for long-term storage and processing them for downstream analyses, including histology, transcriptomics, proteomics, and genomics. The successful candidate will have specific technical and practical skills and a strong working knowledge of technical practices and procedures, gained through substantial on-the-job experience and/or vocational training. A collaborative and positive teamwork approach is essential, with the ability to proactively find solutions whilst adhering to established working processes and laboratory protocols. This is a part-time post at 50% FTE and is fixed term until 31 March 2028. Further information can be obtained by contacting Professor Gavin Richardson (gavin.richardson@newcastle.ac.uk) AGE Research Group: www.research.ncl.ac.uk/ageresearchgroup/ Faculty of Medical Sciences: www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ Key Accountabilities Complete a range of routine and laboratory techniques including histology and morphometry of human skeletal muscle. Assist in preparing biological samples for genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics analyses, adhering to established protocols and ensuring research complies with ethical standards and relevant governing/legislative bodies Liaise with suppliers and manufacturers to resolve both routine and complex problems and investigate replacement options Advise on equipment capabilities demonstrating how results can be achieved. Proactively learn to competently and safely use the relevant equipment and apparatus. By developing local procedures, establish and maintain a safe/compliant working environment Hold specific safety responsibilities relevant to the specialism Assist with the completion and updating of a wide range of safety and legislative paperwork. Oversee compliance tasks ensuring timely completion and maintenance of appropriate records. Maintain in-depth and up-to-date health and safety knowledge relevant to the specialism. Schedule, prioritize and monitor work in line with demands and deadlines. Hold delegated responsibility from the academic lead for the planning, operation and supervision of laboratory spaces occupied by the specialism. Organize and facilitate progress meetings. Be a key contributor to specialism development, delivery and planning. Contribute to and support change. Manage one or more budgets monitoring resource usage. Create, update and implement procedures to deliver an aligned, efficient and effective service. Provide general and specialist research support including leading method development. Supporting ongoing and future AGE collaborations by ensuring the safe delivery of biological samples to internal and external researchers and institutions Collect and process specimens/samples in line with established SOPs. Help manage shared laboratory areas to ensure users can work safely in a cohesive and collaborative environment Contribute to building work affecting the area occupied by the specialism Develop and deliver inductions, demonstrations and training covering complex techniques and specialist equipment. Assist managers with the identification of training and development needs. Maintain specialist knowledge and skills, sharing with others Mentor junior staff The Person (Essential) Knowledge, Skills and Experience Demonstrable work experience in a relevant technical / workshop role Thorough working knowledge of Health and Safety procedures Excellent team working skills Demonstrates technical and problem-solving capacity. Demonstrates good organising ability to meet deadlines, with a positive and proactive approach to duties and diligence and attention to detail (Desirable) Contribute to design and specification of research/teaching activities (Desirable) Ability to adapt to changes in laboratory research priorities (Desirable) Specific lab or workshop and specific to role (Desirable) Attributes and Behaviour Tact, diplomacy and able to handle difficult situations Ability to meet deadlines with effective time and resource management. Clear communicator and active listener Consistent and appropriate approach to staff and situations Use of feedback for process improvement and staff development Team player, self starter and able to manage complex workload Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to undergraduate students Qualifications BTEC HNC / HND; or A’ level (or equivalent) qualification; or broad work experience acquired through a combination of vocational training and considerable on-the-job experience, demonstrating development through progressively more demanding relevant roles. Professional registration with an accredited professional body (including HEA) or working towards this on appointment (Desirable) Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution. We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population. At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme. In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. Requisition ID: 28145