Job Description
Overall Purpose:
We are recruiting a skilled and adaptable Animal Technician to join our growing team working across threespecialist units:
1. Germ-free (axenic and gnotobiotic) units, using isolators and aseptic husbandry
2. Immunocompromised units, following high-barrier Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
3. Quarantine unit, for high-health surveillance and barrier transitions
The post-holder will rotate across these areas, supporting husbandry and procedural work, ensuring welfare and compliance to regulatory standards.
This is a hands-on role involving routine and specialised husbandry, experimental procedures, and close interaction with researchers and facility teams. The post-holder will be instrumental in maintaining sterility, biosecurity, and animal welfare in high-containment environments.
Main Duties/Key Responsibilities:
4. Perform husbandry for germ-free, gnotobiotic, and immunocompromised colonies
5. Operate and maintain germ-free isolators and individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems
6. Conduct animal procedures (e.g., dosing, sampling, phenotype scoring) under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA)
7. Monitor animal health and welfare; escalate and act on clinical observations
8. Maintain meticulous digital records using a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and in line with SOPs
9. Work flexibly across specialist units, including weekend and rota-based duties
10. Contribute to quarantine operations and aseptic workflows
11. Participate in audits, and health and sterility monitoring programmes
12. Liaise with scientists and the wider animal care team to support studies
Working Relationships:
The post-holder will be a member of a team working under the supervision of a line manager and ward supervisor. Animal technicians work in teams and support each other to ensure that all the work is carried out to a high standard. Good communication and the ability to work with others is essential. The post-holder will also liaise with members of other teams, including MLC maintenance, phenotyping and necropsy, and with teams of researchers.
Additional Information:
Willingness to work weekends and occasional overtime is required.
Full training will be provided for specialist environments.
There are excellent opportunities for progression, including support to obtain Institute of Animal Technicians (IAT) qualifications and access to UKRI’s Advance training centre.
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Education/Qualifications/Training Required:
Essential:
13. 5 GCSEs (grade C/4 or above), including science
Desirable:
14. A level or equivalent in science or related subjects
15. IAT Level 2 (or willingness to work towards it)
16. Home Office Personal Licence
Previous Work Experience Required:
Essential:
17. Experience of working in a laboratory or animal facility under SOPs
Desirable:
18. Experience with germ-free or gnotobiotic animals
19. Experience of working in isolators or under sterile conditions
20. Experience of working with immunocompromised or genetically altered mice
21. Experience in quarantine or high-biosecurity environments
22. Experience in procedures such as dosing or phenotyping
Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:
23. Strong attention to detail and excellent hygiene awareness
24. Demonstrates ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
25. Genuine care for animal welfare and high standards of ethics
26. Ability to follow strict aseptic techniques and regulatory compliance
27. Basic computer skills, including the ability to use digital record-keeping systems and common software packages (for example, Excel)
Desirable:
28. Practical experience in one or more regulated animal procedures
29. Ability to train other members of staff
30. Familiarity with colony management or breeding programmes
Personal skills/Behaviours/Qualities:
Essential:
31. Excellent attention to detail
32. Ability to work as part of a team or autonomously when required
33. Self-motivated and positive influence on other team members
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Available hours:
This role is offered as a full-time position (36 hours per week), however part-time hours of 25 - 30 per week can be considered.
Equality & Diversity:
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equality and diversity leadership and management.
Corporate/Local Responsibilities & Requirements:
The post-holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC’s:
34. Code of Conduct
35. Equality and Diversity policy
36. Health and Safety policy
37. Data Protection and Security policy
The above lists are not exhaustive and the post-holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, cooperatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.
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The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.
In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits
Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.
We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
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