Senior Lab Technician (Archaeological Proteomics)

Full time fixed term contract (24 months)

Closing date: 7th July 2026 - 23:59

Interviews will take place on July 16 with an envisaged start date of October/November 2026.

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. The successful candidate(s) will have to ensure that they have the right to work in the UK or be able to secure this through another means without the sponsorship of the University. Further information about sponsorship is available on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The Archaeological Proteomics Lab (APL) at the University of Reading (Whiteknights campus), is seeking a Laboratory Technician for a fixed-term position to support a series of national and international projects. The lab focusses on identifying bone fragments from archaeological excavations by digesting collagen, and obtaining peptide mass fingerprints through MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry (known as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry or ZooMS).

You will work closely with our lab managers to support research and teaching at APL, with responsibility for:

• The day-to-day running of the wet lab, including attaining H&S regulations and ordering consumables.
• To carry out various ZooMS wet lab protocols, including sampling, collagen extraction and peptide purification, on a range of archaeological materials.
• To acquire, analyse and interpret MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry data.
• To contribute to technical reports and research outputs.
• To support students in their research and in practical taught sessions.
• To travel to other institutions in the UK and abroad to collect or sample archaeological materials.

Candidates should have previous laboratory experience alongside a relevant Bachelor or Master’s degree. The position requires teamwork, strong organisational and time-management skills. Prior training and experience in archaeological science (e.g. isotopes, proteomics, aDNA or C14 dating), zooarchaeology or human osteology is essential. Applicants with experience in collagen extraction and/or MALDI mass spectrometry are strongly encouraged to apply, but training in ZooMS will be provided. Data analysis skills (e.g. using R) are desirable as well as a strong willingness to learn.

The successful candidate will join the research group of Dr Karen Ruebens and a main focus will be supporting the UKRI-funded project COEXIST, which is a large-scale collaboration working on Palaeolithic archaeological sites in Central and Southeast Europe. A particular interest in Palaeolithic archaeology and human behavioural evolution is strongly desired. Short trips abroad will be required several times a year in order to collect samples from various museums and universities.

Candidates must submit their CV, a motivational letter describing their lab experience and scientific interests.  Candidates will be given a tour of the Archaeological Proteomics laboratory facilities on the day of interview.

Dr. Karen Ruebens, Lecturer in Archaeological Proteomics, k.j.ruebens@reading.ac.uk

Alternative contact: Dr Geoff M Smith, senior researcher in zooarchaeology, g.m.smith@reading.ac.uk

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