Facility Scientist/Science Support Technician

2-year fixed-term contract

Location: Boulby Underground Science Facility, Boulby Mine, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Come and do the kind of science that made you want to become a scientist. Explore the unknown and get to grips with the biggest challenges in Big Science. And, alongside world class engineers, technicians and technologists, use everything you've learnt to find real answers that shape society and improve lives.

Put simply, discover the kind of impact you can make when you work with some of the best facilities and brightest scientists in the world. 

The position of "Facility Science Support Technician" is a key role in the busy local team supporting the growing science programme at Boulby Underground Laboratory, the UK’s deep underground science facility.

To find out more about Boulby, working here and our culture please click on the following STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory, Cleveland (UK).

The Boulby facility is a small, highly motivated, and hard-working team who collectively cover a wide range of facility responsibilities. The role of "Facility Science Support Technician" will be a key person in providing technical, scientific and operational support to a selection of the hosted science projects, supporting science-related facility operations and assisting with facility organisation, outreach and stakeholder liaison.

Duties and responsibilities will include:

• Providing and applying expert scientific, technical and/or engineering knowledge within the department
• Developing, and taking over the management of H&S for experiments with the department
• Taking a leading role in devising and implementing organisation and communication systems for the science delivery of the facility.
• Supporting the installation, maintenance and development - including assisting with technical modifications of selected experiments as and when required.
• Supporting experiments operations, calibrations, data monitoring and analysis.
• Keeping experiments operational records up to date and assisting in arranging purchasing of equipment required for experiments.
• Liaising with laboratory and mine personnel to progress experimental, outreach and occasional operation issues.
• Supervising visiting scientists and the public on visits to the lab and representing the facility in meetings and interactions with local and external facility stakeholders, collaborators, visitors and users. Support the facility with outreach/stakeholder communication and events.
• Undertaking technical, H&S and staff development training as required.
• Assisting in keeping the wider facility organisation and communications systems current, relevant, and up to date.

Important – Please be aware this post requires the incumbent to work underground, therefore the successful candidate must be able to follow an exacting health and safety regime, be physically able to work unground in a mining / laboratory environment and be comfortable wearing / using protective equipment suitable to an underground mining / laboratory environment.

Shortlisting and Interview Criteria

Essential

• Degree (BSc.) or equivalent experience in science or engineering area with good technical, IT and/or engineering/practical skills gain in a in a science support and delivery position
• Strong organisational skills. Ability to employ organisational systems to manage complex or varied operations.
• Good communication skills, to be able to effectively communicate with a range of facility collaborators, including scientists and engineers, mining personnel, external contract staff, the public, and visiting VIPs.
• Experience of public engagement and/or willingness to be involved in laboratory public and customer engagement.
• A positive, proactive, and enthusiastic approach to work and delivery of the facility vision and goals, adapting and helping team members as/when needed.
• Willingness to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities as needed.
• Ability and willingness to work flexibly and collaboratively in a small and active team in a unique and interesting environment.

Special essentials

• Please note this role based onsite and cannot be worked remotely.
• Please note this role is based underground in our Boulby mine; knowledge or experience of working in an underground science facility is required.

Employee Benefits:

• We are offering a 2-year fixed-term contract with a whole host of benefits including:
• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
• Flexible working hours.
• An excellent average salary pension scheme.
• Employee shopping/travel discounts.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers, and business-support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what’s possible!

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply' button above.