Senior Technician: Biosafety

School/Department:
School of Medicine & Population Health

Work Arrangement:
Full Time (On site)

Contract Type:
Permanent

Salary per annum (£): 32,080.00

Closing Date: 29/07/2026

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world‑class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

As a Senior Technician in Biosafety and Microbiology, you will work as an integral member of our School’s existing technical team. Reporting to Technical Managers, you will contribute to the planning, design, and execution of a range of experimental procedures in addition to the maintenance and evaluation of a range of specialist equipment to support research activities, specifically in support of our Containment Level 2 and 3 laboratories.

As the Biosafety Officer for the School, you will provide technical expertise to undergraduate projects, postgraduate projects and to colleagues, alongside administration duties such as record keeping and health and safety compliance.

You will adopt high working standards to ensure the School’s technical team continues to be recognised for its service excellence and exemplary Health and Safety record. This will include maintaining a detailed awareness and full commitment to the relevant regulations and providing timely safety information and updates carrying out and documenting risk assessments.

• Supervise and maintain the School’s Containment level 3 (CL3) and Containment level 2 (CL2) laboratories. Provide inductions, training and supervision for CL2 & CL3 lab work. Provide practical support to new and existing staff and students and support microbial, GMO, infection and clinical trial studies.
• Working with and reporting to the Technical Manager, maintain and manage a strict security, maintenance and decontamination regime within the CL3 facility with regard to hazardous or GM organisms and personnel working within it, in accordance with HSE legislation and Counter Terrorism requirements.
• Act as Biosafety Officer for the School, providing advice and guidance on pathogen and GM work, maintaining the Biosafety project database and representing the School at UoS Biosafety committee meetings and other relevant H&S committees.
• Develop, perform and refine research experiments as required. Support the daily running of School microbiology laboratories, to ensure continued safe and reliable service excellence.
• Present data and results to academic research groups and wider audiences as required.
• Plan and perform general laboratory maintenance, including ordering, routine maintenance of equipment, consumables, stocks, etc.
• Maintain comprehensive, accurate and tidy records of pathogen collections, authorised users, statutory inspections etc to meet internal and external requirements and legislation. Keep accurate records of laboratory usage and assist with budget management for our high containment laboratories.
• Maintain accurate lab databases, including SOPs, Code of Practice, CoSHH, etc.
• Provide a high-quality, detailed and effective technical service across the School. Liaise with colleagues regarding potential work, provide guidance, and carry out experimental procedures. Where required provide cost estimates and timescales for work and work materials.
• Provide detailed training, development and instruction on equipment and techniques to staff and students across the School, ensuring a strong emphasis on Health and safety is maintained throughout.
• Undertake short term project management within own work area or contribute as part of larger department‑wide project teams, to support the achievements of project objectives. Provide detailed technical input to ensure technical…