Position Details
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £32,296 to £34,866 with potential progression once in post to £39,105
Grade: 6
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2027
Closing date: 17th March 2025
Interviews to take place week commencing 24th March 2025
Link to job advertisement here
Role Summary
You will provide technical expertise, support and guidance within the CoLES CT Scanner Facility. In addition to operating the CT scanner, you will oversee and develop the facility, carry out data processing, manage customers, and be responsible for safe operations. You will be comfortable in a lab setting, and may also carry out macro/microphotography, structured light scanning, and associated tasks.
You will need an in-depth understanding of the research questions, techniques and experimental protocols to process and curate 3D data from CT scanning across a range of paleontological, geological and life science (and related) applications. You will be able to use your in-depth knowledge to advise on procedures, diagnose and resolve problems, and proactively suggest solutions to issues which arise. You will have good interpersonal skills and be able to manage multiple tasks with colleagues and customers both inside and outside of the organisation. You will also be responsible for training others on use of the equipment. You may need to operate out of normal working hours to accommodate experimental procedures.
There will be opportunities to contribute to ongoing research projects and may also be opportunities to take part in public engagement activities. Funding will be available for the technician to take part in training courses. Relocation expenses are available.
In order to flexibly use resource you may be offered the opportunity to work in different areas of the department or wider university.
Main Duties
- Operate, maintain, and oversee use of the CT scanner.
- Carry out or assist in managing experiments within the facility.
- Advise on techniques and experimental procedures being used by researchers and/or students. This will involve communicating with colleagues at a range of levels and inexperienced students.
- Diagnose and resolve problems and suggest solutions regarding techniques and experiments.
- Carry out specialist technical and experimental procedures and consider how these may be improved.
- Acquire and process CT scan data of a range of samples.
- Acquire and process structured light scanner data and photography data of samples.
- Curate existing CT scan data.
- Communicate directly and work closely with PIs, postdoctoral researchers, undergraduates and other internal and external users on projects and experiments.
- Contribute to research outputs.
- Maintain accurate records of all techniques and experimental procedures you carry out.
- Ensure compliance with legislation relevant to the area of research/activity.
- Comply with and promote the operating procedures for the area, including the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures regulation.
- Contribute to internal and external audit procedures and to regulatory inspections.
- Troubleshoot technical problems and liaise with manufacturer to organise maintenance visits and scheduled services.
- Oversee invoicing of the facility and maintain a budget, including demonstrating financial longevity of the facility.
Health and Safety duties
- Proactive support for health and safety within the facility. This may include being required to look after a communal area as part of your duties.
- Comply with all current rules and ensure all required assessments, including a Radiation Risk Assessment and Local Rules are in place, approved and up to date.
- Fully understand the safety aspects of equipment operation and be able to demonstrate/train staff (at all levels) on the correct usage of the equipment.
- Ensuring that regular maintenance processes are carried out and that appropriate records, including of trained users, are maintained.
- Reporting any breaches or non-compliance with H&S procedures to the relevant manager(s).
- Upholding the correct waste disposal stream as governed by College and local policy for the facility.
- Post holders may be asked to undergo training as a First Aider and/or Radiation Protection Supervisor.
- Be available as an out of hours emergency contact.
General Administration and Organisation
- Ensuring all records are accurate and kept up to date.
- Proactively maintain stocks of consumables, and when required generate purchase order requisitions using University systems.
- Receipt and correct storage of consumables/equipment and chemical reagents.
- Ensuring that the facility is maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.
- Ensuring that PAT testing, calibration of equipment and locally and centrally held equipment inventories are up to date and maintained.
- Adopt a proactive attitude to assisting with and implementing carbon reduction and energy saving measures.
- Maintain a technical support-based facility website (how to guides for the preparation of materials, practical setup guides), and keeping these up to date as and when session requirements or protocols change or maintaining relevant research lab databases/records.
Other Duties
- In collaboration with the relevant manager the post holder will take an active role in the training and mentoring process for junior or newly appointed staff.
- Supports equality and values diversity, moderates own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.
- Any other duties as may reasonably be required.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
Essential
- Extensive relevant workplace experience in operation of CT scanning equipment.
- Extensive experience of scanning and analysing data from palaeobiological, geological, or life sciences (or related) samples.
- Undergraduate degree in relevant science field.
- In-depth practical knowledge of relevant technical and scientific methods.
- Experience of similar laboratory based work, together with familiarity with a range of laboratory equipment.
- Positive service attitude and shows courtesy in dealing with others.
- Ability to organise and manage own work load and demonstrate flexibility in terms of work practices/requirements.
- Ability to work under minimal supervision but function as part of a team.
- Knowledge of current legislation relevant to the role.
- Knowledge of current H&S policies and ability to uphold same.
- Proficiency in commonly used software packages (e.g. CTPro, Mimics, Avizo, VG, DragonFly).
- Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.
- Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures.
Desirable
- Experience with a Nikon XTH 225 CT scanner.
- Experience with segmenting CT scan data.
- Experience of managing large quantities of data.
- Experience of organising a budget and managing internal and external customers.
Dimensions
You will provide specialist expertise in your area and provide advice and support to a range of customers. You may supervise staff; even where you do not have supervisory responsibilities you will be expected to act as a role model for other staff. You will be involved in budget monitoring.
Planning and Organising
You will be required to work independently on daily, weekly and monthly tasks but also on projects with medium-longer-term horizons without daily supervision. You will ensure that you have the resources required, which will require planning ahead and procurement of goods.
Problem Solving and decision making
You will be able to research, modify and adapt protocols after consulting relevant manager, and prepare for research experiments. You will be able to uphold Health and Safety procedures. You will need to be confident in identifying problems, breaking them down and implementing solutions. Although you will work under the direction of more senior staff you will be able to carry out your work with a large amount of autonomy.
Internal and External relationships
This role will be advising and supporting research staff and/or students, and with external contacts such as company representatives.
Informal enquiries to Eimear Orgill, email: e.b.orgill@bham.ac.uk