Assistant Technician

Overview

Key skills:

• Degree or HNC (Higher National Certificate) in a relevant field
• Experience working in a research or laboratory environment
• A practical mindset, with the ability to use initiative to solve problems
• Good communication skills, able to convey information and instruction clearly and accurately.
• Detail oriented
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in a team

Typical job titles: Assistant Technician, Trainee Technician, Junior Technician

Technicians use their practical skills and strong technical or scientific knowledge to play a vital role in research, or in educating students who are the future STEM workforce, as well as supporting all sorts of other users.

The assistant technician role is highlighted as an entry role to the technical support career pathway, and can be achieved through an apprenticeship or other qualification routes. Assistant technicians work with more experienced technician colleagues to help a university or research institute operate effectively. To do this they support researchers, teaching staff or students with their research, teaching or other activities.

For those that enjoy a hands-on role, this job can offer an introduction to scientific research in practice, sometimes at the forefront of technology. The roles of technical staff are very varied, but often include a strong element of practical problem-solving.

In practice, there is a wide range of technician roles, all of which are vital to successful research in different settings or to teaching within a university:

• Research technicians support research in a research group and/or laboratory. They are a key member of the team and may be closely involved in the research itself.
• Teaching technicians set up student practical classes but often provide technical support for teaching classes too, and may themselves teach or tutor as well.
• Support technicians help to enable teaching and research to take place, undertaking many of the backroom roles needed.
• Core facility technicians specialise in the use of particular scientific instruments or experimental techniques, rather than being in a particular research group. Without these people, lots of experimental or analytical research just can’t happen.
• Workshop technicians operate, maintain, test and repair instruments and experimental apparatus. They may also design and build new equipment. These technicians are widely found in universities and research institutes, especially in engineering and related departments.
• IT specialists can work as IT operations technicians (for example, installing, configuring and maintaining computer networks) or as IT user support technicians (providing direct assistance to staff and students).