Job Description
Job title:
Department/School:
Grade:
Location:
Physical Chemistry Support Technician Science South
Science South
5
1 and 3 South
Job purpose
Responsibility for the organisation, maintenance and support of teaching of physical
chemistry at undergraduate and postgraduate levels; support of physical chemistry
research laboratories; promotion, monitoring and compliance with health and safety
in the physical chemistry labs and areas.
Source and nature of management provided
Day to day line management will be provided by your line manager; the Science
South teaching co-ordinator and occasionally the Science South Technical Manager.
Staff management responsibility
None.
Special conditions
Occasional early starts or late finishes depending on timetabled activities
Main duties and responsibilities
The principal roles of the technician are the support of teaching at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels. Therefore, most of the work is in and around the undergraduate
teaching and PGR chemistry laboratories.
1
Teaching Support

General responsibility for the operation of the Physical chemistry
teaching laboratory facilities and ensuring the availability of equipment
and services to meet the needs of undergraduate practical classes, final
year project students and external courses.

To provide advice and instruction to students on techniques and general
use of apparatus and equipment during practical’s and projects.

Preparations of material and reagents to support the teaching and
project activities.
2
Quality Control / Health and Safety


The technician will keep track of and offer support to activities in the
physical chemistry research laboratories (e.g. be aware of lab operations
and occupancy) and ensure, with the appropriate member of academic
staff, that all activities are taking place safely.
The technician will disseminate University or other general Health and
Safety instructions to staff and students as appropriate.
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
The technician will inspect and check the correct functioning of all safety
showers, eyewash facilities and related safety equipment across the
physical chemistry laboratories. The date and time of inspections will be
recorded in a suitable format and kept for later inspection. Faults should
be reported to a senior technician or their deputy for action. Inspections
will be carried out monthly.
3
Search for sources of equipment and consumables

When requested by appropriate laboratory personnel, the technician will
find sources of information for the supply of new items. Details of new
suppliers will be recorded and kept available for further reference.
The technician will liaise with the stores technician and with senior technical
staff to identify sources of information on possible suppliers.
Procurement of equipment and consumable materials



The technician will provide a daily check on resources and consumables
in the physical chemistry teaching laboratories and re-order as
necessary.
The technician will keep copies of requisition forms and be available for
consultation on and, where appropriate, provision of supplies to research
laboratories.
The technician will liaise with the stores staff technician to collect items
for physical chemistry laboratories and pursue delayed or overdue
orders
5
Routine manual work and laboratory organisation (3S Physical Chemistry
teaching areas)



The technician is responsible for continuously maintaining professional
presentation of these laboratories with regards to furniture arrangement,
equipment organisation and general cleanliness (for example, transfer of
major equipment back to allocated places if they are moved, keeping all
small items in allocated cupboards) . As a matter of course, the
laboratories should be tidied and all unnecessary equipment stored
regularly.
The technician will check water and gas tubes regularly for correct
fastening and wear & tear and will repair or renew as necessary.
The technician will check nitrogen and other gas cylinders regularly to
ensure sufficient supply and will replace and replenish as necessary.
The technician will assist with the collection and delivery of solvents
across the Department.
6
Co-ordination of waste-disposal activities and removals
The technician will



compile lists of items from the physical chemical laboratories for disposal
via the University Waste Disposal service.
carry out periodic reviews of the contents of chemical stores in the
laboratories and dispose of unwanted, outdated or decomposed
materials appropriately and safely.
The technician will identify segregate and record hazardous items of
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

waste for inclusion in the twice-yearly “specials” disposal.
check daily the waste containers for solvents, metals, glass, etc. in the
chemistry laboratories and will remove and replace as necessary.
instruct new PGR students and other laboratory workers on correct safe
waste storage and disposal procedures in laboratories
7
Records and recording information
The technician will make and keep safely, adequate and suitable records of all
monitoring activities. The records will be updated in a timely manner and kept in
order and tidily. When necessary, duplicates will be made to accompany goods
for disposal, etc.
8
Organic / Synthetic Chemistry Teaching Support
Occasionally the post holder may also be required to assist colleagues in the
organic / synthetic chemistry teaching laboratories.
9
Maintenance and usage of equipment

The technician is responsible for ensuring that equipment used in the
Physical chemistry teaching and research laboratories is appropriately
maintained and in full working order.
 The technician will alert IT to problems with computers in these
laboratories and will seek to ensure that repair work is carried out in a
timely manner.
 The technician will keep up-to-date records of maintenance of equipment
(including PAT testing) to ensure checking of equipment at appropriate
time intervals for each item of equipment.
 The technician will report any defective or lost equipment to a senior
laboratory technician immediately.
10 Other duties commensurate with the grade as directed by your line manager.
The majority of the duties described above will take place in and around the
various research and teaching facilities spread across the Departments and
buildings of 1 and 3 South. However some similar work will occasionally be
required in and around other facilities across campus as time permits.
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Appendix B
Person Specification
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Assessed by
A/F
I/T
Qualifications
X
A minimum first degree in a relevant
subject area.
X
Postgraduate training in relevant
laboratory / Science safety areas.
X
Experience/Knowledge
Chemistry laboratory experience in
industry, FE or HE
X
X
X
Previous experience of supporting
multiple labs and users.
X
X
X
Experience of delivering H&S support in
a science, laboratory based environment.
X
X
X
Working in a team as well as individually
X
Experience of front line maintenance of
analytical equipment.
X
Knowledge of, and production of, CoSHH
and risk assessments.
Experience of delivering or supporting
undergraduate practicals.
X
X
Ability to develop a working knowledge of
specific types of laboratory analytical
equipment
X
X
Skills
Excellent oral communications skills, tact
and diplomacy.
Human Resources
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X
12/02/2016
R
Appendix B
Strong presentation skills.
X
Ability to work to tight deadlines and
skilled at prioritising.
X
Attention to detail
X
X
X
Computer literate; able to use Microsoft
Word, Power Point, Excel etc.
X
X
X
Works well under pressure
X
X
X
Conscientious
X
X
X
Self-motivation and the ability to work
alone, as well as part of a team.
X
X
X
Good organisation and work planning,
ability to cope with time pressures.
X
Willingness to undertake and pass
additional training or other relevant study
on or off campus.
X
Attributes
Code: A/F – Application form, I/T – Interview/Test, R – References
Human Resources
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12/02/2016