Junior Biomaterials Laboratory Technician

Are you looking to build a career supporting biomaterials research?

Join UCL Mechanical Engineering's Biomaterials Processing Laboratory (BPL), where you'll help support research developing new biomaterials and engineering solutions for healthcare applications. Working alongside researchers, students and technical colleagues, you'll receive training, develop practical laboratory skills and gain experience using a wide range of research equipment in a supportive laboratory environment.

This Grade 5 role is an excellent opportunity for someone at the start of their technical career who enjoys practical, hands‑on work and is keen to develop specialist laboratory skills.

As a Junior Biomaterials Laboratory Technician, you'll help keep the Biomaterials Processing Laboratory running safely and effectively. You'll maintain laboratory facilities, manage consumables, personal protective equipment and waste, prepare for equipment servicing, carry out laboratory inspections and support compliance with health and safety procedures.

You'll also play an important role in supporting the department's research activities. Working closely with researchers and students, you'll provide laboratory inductions and equipment training, prepare samples, perform routine testing and assist with laboratory experiments. As your experience develops, you'll gain practical experience operating and maintaining equipment including gyratory spinning rigs, microscopy, UV-visible spectrometry, high-speed cameras and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while contributing to research activities, progress reporting and safe working practices across the laboratory.

We're looking for someone who enjoys practical, hands‑on technical work and wants to develop a career in a research laboratory.

You'll have five GCSEs, including English and Mathematics, or equivalent relevant experience, together with an interest in developing technical skills in a laboratory environment. Experience gained in a biomaterials, biomedical engineering, materials science or similar research laboratory would be particularly valuable.

You'll be confident using tools and technical equipment safely, enjoy preparing samples and supporting experimental work, and take pride in maintaining a well‑organised laboratory. You'll communicate effectively with researchers, students and colleagues, maintain accurate records and be able to explain technical procedures clearly.

You'll be organised, reliable and able to manage your own workload while adapting to changing priorities. Experience of working in a university or educational environment, together with an awareness of laboratory health and safety requirements, would be an advantage.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On‑site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme:
  Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit our Rewards and Benefits page to find out more.

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.