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 role will involve working as part of an experienced technical team under the guidance of the Electronic workshop manager, providing expert electronics support to a wide range of research and teaching projects within the Engineering Department at Durham. One day you could be advising on electronic instrumentation for a wind tunnel, the next you could be designing a system to support experimental mobile communications rigs, and the day after that, producing bespoke PCBs for experimental UAVs/drones. Your "clients" could range from internationally renowned academic staff through to local school pupils as part of an outreach project. Your extensive knowledge of electronic systems, initiative and teamworking skills will let you adapt to the wide-ranging challenges you might face but the regular 8-4 or 9-5 weekday hours will ensure you have time outside of work too. As a technical and predominantly workshop-based role, most of your time will be spent on-site in Durham, with only limited opportunities to work from home if tasks and workloads permit. The Department of Engineering at Durham is consistently one of the very best UK Engineering Departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and the employability of our students. The strategic vision for the Department includes a growth plan over the next five years, with a significant enhancement of our research and teaching provision. It's an exciting time to join the Department and make your mark. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: - 27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year - please include or delete if not applicable. - 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. - Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. - On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16. - Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). - There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. - The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. - Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. - We offer generous pension schemes. 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. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. 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. Five GCSE's at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics. 2. HNC or higher-level qualification in Electronic Engineering, or equivalent experience. 3. *Experience in reading and interpreting analogue and digital electronic circuit schematics, and selecting/specifying components based on them. 4. *Experience of fault finding, troubleshooting and problem solving in electronic systems. 5. Industry or professional knowledge/recognition relevant to the role supported by relevant courses or certification. 6. Experience of working independently and as part of a team. 7. Experience or ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues. 8. Extensive knowledge and experience of monitoring own activities and others to ensure health and safety regulations relating to electricity and electronic equipment are adhered to. 9. *Demonstrable ability to deliver high precision technical skills and the operation of soldering equipment, scopes, meters, signal generators and other electronic testing and diagnostic equipment. 10. Good spoken and written communication skills including use of Microsoft 365 applications. 11. Proficiency in using PCB software for design, simulation, and documentation for boards that will be manufactured in house or externally. 12. Committed to continuing professional development (e.g. professionally registered or willing to work towards this). 13. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions. Desirable Criteria 1. Experience leading projects in either educational, commercial or industrial settings. 2. Extensive experience of relationship building and ability to turn opportunities into long-term knowledge exchange and collaboration. 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 covering letter or statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification. We strongly recommend laying out your covering letter with at least part of it in a table or equivalent format, with each of the criteria in a separate row or section. If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role,, Steve Robertson (Senior Technical Manager, steven.robertson@durham.ac.uk ) or David Hudson (Electrical and Electronics workshop manager David.Hudson@durham.ac.uk) would be happy to speak to you. Typical Role Requirements These are included to give you a more general feel for the role, but we will be assessing your application against the essential and desirable criteria above. Service Delivery • Manage, maintain and monitor electronic research and teaching equipment to ensure safety, security and compliance. • Provide specialist advice and make decisions to resolve problems relating to electronic research and teaching. • Share technical knowledge and expertise to support other team members. • Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relevant to electronic research and teaching and make recommendations based on your findings. • Provide the best possible service to people you work with by reviewing and make suggestions to improve the service. • Prepare safety documents and risk assessments for teaching, research and learning activities as required • Carry out specialist risk assessments and resolve incidents that require specialist expertise. • Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. • Ensure that the University's procedures and values are always reflected in all aspects of the service and adapt ways of working where this is not evident. Planning and Organising • Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role. • Deliver assigned projects in accordance with agreed objectives ensuring a high level of accuracy, complexity, originality and excellence. • Provide specialist oversight of staff and teams involved in delivering electronic research and teaching. • Seek feedback from people that you come across as part of your role to ensure that the service is updated to meet customer expectations. • Manage budgets and expenditure including buying (and returning) goods and services. Teaching and Learning Support • Commission, construct and setup test and experimental scenarios and practical sessions. • Construct, test, repair and calibrate, tools, resources, equipment, components and instrumentation. • Be an expert in the use of a range of electronic research and teaching machinery and equipment. • Provide high-level technical guidance and advice to solve problems and help shape the delivery of teaching, learning and research outcomes. • Arrange the maintenance of technical and experimental facilities, teaching and research environments. • Setup, demonstrate, instruct and supervise the use and operation of specialist pieces of equipment. • Record, monitor and collate information, analyse patterns and trends as part of teaching and research activities. Communication/Liaison • Develop and improve services by taking part in meetings, working groups and committees. • Explain and demonstrate to others how to carry out tasks and use a range of tools, machinery, equipment and digital services. • Create good working relationships, including internal and external networks which allow you to increase your knowledge and skills, while swapping information with peers. • Build relationships with contractors and third-party suppliers to share good practice, exchange information and work together on joint initiatives. • Any other reasonable duties. 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 Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.