Research Technician/Senior Research Technician Full-time NEW

Research Technician/Senior Research Technician

We are looking for a motivated and organised Research Technician to contribute to the research programme of the Behrens Lab at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, supporting and directly contributing to projects investigating the neural mechanisms underlying flexible behaviour and decision-making.

The role combines hands-on experimental research with responsibility for supporting the day-to-day operation of experiments across the group. You will work closely with the postdoctoral researchers and students to support multiple projects, oversee shared experimental setups and resources, and ensure experiments are conducted efficiently and to a high technical and scientific standard.

At Grade 7, the role carries additional responsibility for histological processing, aseptic stereotaxic surgery, building and troubleshooting behavioural and electrophysiological setups, and overseeing shared experimental spaces. You will also support and train students and researchers in laboratory techniques, animal procedures and good laboratory practice.

The role is particularly suited to candidates seeking to develop a career as a technical specialist within research operations and laboratory support.

The role is funded until 30th September 2029 in the first instance.

You will hold an undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, in Biological or Biomedical Science, or have equivalent relevant experience. Excellent organisational and communication skills, strong technical ability, and the capacity to work independently and proactively while supporting a collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment are essential.

You will have previous experience working in a research laboratory, together with experience in the handling, health monitoring and care of rodents.

For appointment at Grade 7, experience of teaching or supervising students in laboratory techniques is required. Experience with optogenetics, electrophysiology and/or stereotaxic surgery would be advantageous.

The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre offers staff an award-winning work environment in the heart of Fitzrovia with access to pleasant outdoor spaces. The Centre also offers the full range of UCL staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement, occupational pension schemes, excellent family-friendly policies such as occupational shared parental pay, a work-life balance policy, and a range of financial benefits such as a season ticket loan scheme and staff discounts. SWC prides itself on offering a high quality administrative, technical and operational support function, and fully supports the professional development and progression of its staff, actively encouraging colleagues to learn new skills and broaden their experience. The SWC is supported in this aim by UCL's Organisational Development team who run a wide range of training programmes for all staff types and grades.

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. The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia. SWC is delighted to have received an Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2021. We stand by our commitment to positive action to improve equality and accessibility in the workplace. We will provide reasonable adjustments to enable people to work and flourish with us. SWC is proud to uphold both UCL's Dignity at Work and Work-Life Balance policies. As Centre we commit to fostering a positive cultural climate where all staff and students can thrive and and actively support Wellbeing@UCL, UCL community.