UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
DIVISION OF MEDICAL & DENTAL EDUCATION
DENTAL TECHNICIAN & INSTRUCTOR
REF NO: YDS035A
FURTHER PARTICULARS FOR APPLICANTS
1.
THE POST
Applications are invited from suitably qualified dental technicians for this full-time post.
The successful candidate will join the teaching team at the new University of Aberdeen Dental School. In
addition to joining the dental technical team for the Dental School and Hospital, the post holder will be
responsible for the delivery and management of the teaching of dental technology, including fixed and removable
prosthodontics. It is desirable that the postholder will have experience of teaching dental technology in a dental
school or institute setting however training (e.g opportunity to undertake Postgraduate Certificate in Education)
and support will be given to an appropriate candidate without such previous experience. The post holder will
participate and support dental school colleagues in research activities where appropriate.
The contract for the post will be held with the University of Aberdeen and an honorary contract will be sought
with NHS Grampian.
All applicants must possess qualifications pertaining to dental technology and be fully registered with the
General Dental Council.
This is an exciting opportunity to become involved in a worthwhile and high profile development in the North
East. The Dental School is a new purpose built dental education facility located on the Foresterhill site adjacent
to the NHS Education for Scotland Aberdeen Dental Education Centre. The development of a new Dental
School in the Grampian Region of Scotland was a manifesto commitment of the Scottish Government and will
help to provide a suitably qualified dental workforce for the country’s needs.
2.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES
Design and delivery of teaching of dental technology (including fixed and removable prosthodontics) to dentat
students at the dental school, University of Aberdeen
Delivery of dental technical services for the dental school and hospital at Foresterhill.
3.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Knowledge
Up to date knowledge of dental technology (fixed and removable prosthodontics)
principles of teaching and assessment
Skills
Suitably qualified dental technician with appropriate recent experience and be fully registered with the General
Dental Council.
Preparation and delivery of dental technology including fixed and removable prosthodontics
Excellent communication and teamworking
Organised and flexible approach
Up to date computing skills working with common computing packages
Experience
Recent experience of preparation and delivery of dental technology (fixed and removable prosthodontics)
Ideally experience of teaching and assessment
4.
THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Aberdeen, which was founded in 1495, has over 14,000 full-time matriculated students. The
University is a world-class research-led centre of learning and teaching excellence. Biomedical researchers have
a strong track record of grant income from the UK research councils, EU and medical charities.
The University has two campuses. The King’s College Campus retains its medieval layout and village
atmosphere, its fifteenth-century cathedral and its sixteenth-century university chapel. This heritage is fused with
modern, state of the art facilities for research, learning and teaching, making it fit for purpose for the students of
today. The Foresterhill campus is approximately 1.5 miles from King’s, a comfortable walk through leafy streets.
The University currently employs more than 3900 staff including 1600 academics and has a turnover in excess
of £200 million per annum (web site: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/). In the most recent RAE eleven of our research
areas were ranked among the top 25% in the UK: Agriculture and Food Sciences, Computing Science, English
Language and Literature, French, Health Services Research, History, Hospital Based Clinical Subjects, Pure
Mathematics, Town and Country Planning, Sociology, Theology and Divinity and Religious Studies.
The University's organisational and management structure operates within a devolved managerial and budget
system. Academic units are grouped into three colleges: Arts and Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Medicine
and Physical Sciences.
5.
THE COLLEGE OF LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICINE
The College comprises the following academic Schools, supported by the Graduate School and a newly merged
Research Institute:
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School of Biological Sciences (Head of School: Prof Liz Baggs)
School of Medicine and Dentistry (Head of School: Prof David Reid)
School of Medical Sciences (Head of School: Prof Colin McCaig)
School of Psychology (Head of School: Prof Neil McRae)
The Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health (Director: Professor Peter Morgan)
Graduate School (Director of School: Dr Bernadette Connolly)
The College of Life Sciences and Medicine was created in 2003 as part of organisational restructuring
throughout the University. The College, led by Professor Mike Greaves, Head of College, is home to over 3000
undergraduate and postgraduate students, and is internationally recognised as a research-led centre for
teaching excellence and increasingly commercialisation. The College is run by the Head of College and Heads
of School, who have line management responsibilities, with strategic direction and leadership provided by
College Directors of Teaching and Research together with Directors of Research Institutes.
The main driver for the creation of Colleges was to create organisational units large enough to provide
managerial, budgetary and planning capacity to determine their own strategies and to manage their own
finances at a high level. Within Colleges, structures have been created to support staff and to promote research
and teaching collaborations. This also applies to working between the Colleges to ensure interdisciplinary work
flourishes.
The School of Medicine and Dentistry and School of Medical Sciences are co-located within two research
institutes on the Foresterhill Medical Campus: the Institute of Applied Health Sciences and the Institute of
Medical Sciences. The Schools of Biological Sciences (with its Institute of Biological and Environmental
Sciences) and Psychology are located a short distance away on the historic Old Aberdeen Campus, which
houses the rest of the University. The College has benefitted from significant estate and infrastructure
development in the past 10 years with refurbishments of its Polwarth, Cruickshank and Zoology buildings, the
last incorporating a science teaching facility. New build projects have created the Institute of Medical Sciences,
the Medical Research Facility, the Health Sciences Building, the deep sea facilities at Oceanlab 1 and 2 (, the
Life Science Innovation building and the Suttie Centre for Teaching and Learning in Healthcare. The Suttie
Centre for Learning and Teaching in Healthcare (see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/suttie-centre/) is a joint NHS
Grampian and University of Aberdeen teaching and learning building on the Foresterhill campus, which provides
state of the art teaching facilities, including purpose built Anatomy and Clinical Skills facilities.
Looking ahead, two new build projects are in planning, a new home at Foresterhill for the Rowett Research
Institute that merged with the University in summer 2008 and, at an earlier stage, a new centre for environmental
change research in a state-of-the-art building (The Bioplex) to be located adjacent to the University’s
Cruickshank Botanic Gardens and incorporating public engagement with science activities.
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
Facilitated by the conjoint campus with consequent opportunities for collaboration, the School enjoys a very
close working relationship with NHS Grampian and NHS Highland. Many of the academics of the School
contribute to the clinical services provided by our partner Health Boards and a significant number also have
national roles in health service development.
The School of Medicine & Dentistry has in 2008 been re-structured around three divisions. The advertised post
lies within the new Division of Medical and Dental Education
6.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN DENTAL SCHOOL
A manifesto commitment by the Scottish National Party to improve dental services in Scotland, especially in the
rural and remote areas of the country has resulted in the development of a dental school in the Grampian
Region. The School is based on the Foresterhill site alongside the University of Aberdeen’s School of Medicine
and Dentistry, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and the Royal Aberdeen Children’s
Hospital. It is a new-build, state of the art facility that allows the training of up to 80 dental students and other
dental care professionals. The dental students in Aberdeen are graduates, initially from the biomedical sciences
but graduates from oral health sciences and other science-related subjects can be considered. Training of other
dental team members in the facility (eg nurses and technicians) has also been developed through partnership
agreements. The postholder will be responsible through the Director of the Dental School to the Head of School
of Medicine and Dentistry.
The current curriculum is based upon the General Dental Council’s document, ‘The First Five Years’ and a new
curriculum based on ‘Preparing for Practice’ is to be rolled out from the start of academic year 2013-14. The
course is theme-based allowing both vertical and horizontal integration. Video conferencing will allow specialist
teaching where there is no expertise available in Aberdeen. Pre- and para-clinical teaching will be provided by
the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen.
Secondary care dental facilities are being developed further and will be embedded within the Dental Hospital and
School. These facilities are of the highest standard and provide care for patients in Grampian as well as parts of
Highland and the Islands. Consultant colleagues in Restorative Dentistry (2), Orthodontics (3) and Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery (4) are already in post.
7.
SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
Salary will be at the appropriate point on the Grade 6 salary scale (£30,424 - £36,298 per annum) with
placement according to qualifications and experience for individuals appointed on the non clinical scale.
Depending on previous experience, the appointment may be subject to a probationary period of up to 3 years.
Staff development in teaching and research is available to probationary staff with the aim of helping them to
meet the criteria set for satisfactory completion of probation.
Should you require a visa to undertake paid employment in the UK you will be required to fulfil the
minimum points criteria to be granted a Certificate of Sponsorship and Tier 2 visa. Please do not
hesitate to contact Mrs Karen Bremner, HR Adviser, for further information on this.
It is the policy of the University, in line with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, that the
postholder is a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme. Any offer of employment will be
conditional on a satisfactory Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme Record check being received.
8.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Informal enquiries to Professor Helen Craddock, Interim Deputy Director of the University of Aberdeen Dental
School, (h.craddock@abdn.ac.uk, or 01224 559663), Dr Rona Patey, Head of Division of Medical and Dental
Education (r.patey@abdn.ac.uk or 01224 437972) and Christine Kay, Curriculum Manager (,
c.d.kay@abdn.ac.uk, or 01224 477739 or 558845).
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CVs OR APPLICATIONS FORMS TO THE SCHOOL OR TO THE INFORMAL
ENQUIRY CONTACTS
Application forms and further information are available at www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs.
Please quote reference YDS035A on all correspondence.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 28 June 2013.
The University pursues a policy of equal opportunities in the appointment and promotion of staff.
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
PERSON SPECIFICATION
POST NO: YDS035A
TITLE:
Dental Technician Instructor
GRADE: 6
SCHOOL:
Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Medical and Dental
Education
ESSENTIAL
1.
EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS
Academic, technical and professional education
and training.
2.
WORK AND OTHER RELEVANT
EXPERIENCE (INCLUDING TRAINING)
e.g. Specialist knowledge, levels of experience,
skills, supervisory experience, research.
3.
PERSONAL QUALITIES AND ABILITIES
e.g. Initiative, leadership, ability to work on own
or with others, communication skills.
4.
OTHER
e.g. Special circumstances (if any) appropriate
to the job such as unsocial hours, travelling,
physical requirements etc.
DESIRABLE
 Suitably qualified dental technician with
appropriate recent experience
 Fully registered with the GDC.

 Ability to support the development and
delivery of the undergraduate curriculum for
dental students and ongoing training of
dental technicians

Recent experience of preparation and
delivery of dental technology (fixed and
removable prosthodontics)
Ideally experience of teaching and assessment

 Imaginative, flexible and progressive
approach.
 Ability to work as part of a team.
 Good communication skills.
 Evidence of up to date computing skills,
working with common software packages
 Experience of teaching and administration in a
dental school/institute or equivalent setting.
 Experience of Virtual Learning Environments /
elearning / use of other audiovisual aids for
teaching

Further academic/clinical qualifications e.g.
PGCert, PGDip


Preparation of course handbooks etc.