Senior Technician

Senior Technician

Note: This opportunity is only available to current employees of the University.

The Senior Technician is the specialist hands‑on expert who makes high‑quality teaching, research, and enterprise activity possible. In practical terms, this is the person who knows the kit, the techniques, and the processes inside‑out, and who keeps the studios, workshops, laboratories, or performance spaces running as productive, safe, and well‑resourced environments for everyone who relies on them.

You will sit at the heart of the School technical service working shoulder‑to‑shoulder with academic colleagues to make sure existing technical resources are exploited to their fullest and contributing your specialist judgement to how those facilities should develop in future. It's a lead role, not a junior one: you'll be the person students turn to for guidance, the person academics consult when they're planning new modules or research projects, and the person external clients meet when the University takes on consultancy or enterprise work in your area.

The University's success depends on staff like you taking pride in the working environment, sharing your expertise generously, and helping the School stretch what's possible with the equipment and facilities we have. You will play a visible part in the student experience and a quietly essential part in the School wider ambition.

• Provide specialist technical support to learning and teaching across studios, workshops, laboratories, and performance or exhibition spaces, as the work requires.
• Offer technical advice, guidance, and instruction to students, academic colleagues, and external clients particularly around specialist techniques, processes, and equipment.
• Demonstrate the safe and effective use of specialist equipment, both digital and traditional.
• Set up equipment and materials ready for teaching sessions, research activity, or events.
• Carry out routine maintenance and repair of complex equipment, including planned preventative maintenance and quick fixes on the day.
• Manage day‑to‑day relationships with external suppliers of equipment and consumables.
• Keep working spaces and equipment properly maintained, tidy, and fit for purpose.
• Support academic staff with the purchase of specialist equipment and materials, providing the technical know‑how to inform decisions.
• Maintain electronic and paper records relating to equipment, consumables, stock levels, loans, and (where required) financial administration such as purchase orders and invoices.
• Supervise other technical staff where required, providing guidance, training, and informal coaching in your specialist area.
• Contribute to income generation by spotting opportunities to use the School technical resources for enterprise, consultancy, or knowledge exchange activity.
• Carry out risk assessments and take active responsibility for health and safety in the work environment, ensuring full compliance with University policy and relevant regulations.
• Work flexibly across the School and, where required, across campuses.

The role is genuinely practical. Expect to be on your feet, moving and setting up equipment, fixing things, troubleshooting in real time, and often dealing with several requests at once during busy teaching weeks.

• Degree in a relevant subject or an equivalent combination of qualifications, skills, and experience.
• Significant practical experience in a relevant occupation, function, trade, or craft (this experience can come from industry or from an educational setting).
• Experience of delivering specialist technical support in an education environment.
• Specialised knowledge of the equipment, technology, processes, and techniques relevant to your area of work.
• IT skills including familiarity with specialist systems and software for your discipline, and confident use of Microsoft Office.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex specialist techniques to non‑specialists and demonstrate equipment confidently.
• Clear understanding of relevant health and safety requirements and risk assessment.
• An organised approach and the ability to…