View Vacancy -- Graduate Scheme: Pathology Technician MLC 2541
Open Date
06/01/2024, 00:00
Close Date
09/02/2025, 23:55
Research Institute
MRC Mary Lyon Centre
Research Institute / Unit Information
About Us:
The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) is located in an expanding science and innovation campus in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of research groups across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders and neurodegeneration.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a great place to work and progress your career. The MRC encourages the integration of clinical and discovery research to elucidate both disease processes and potential new therapies. The MLC provides vital scientific support for the UK biomedical community and focuses on preclinical research using mouse models, which supports clinical research and therapy discovery.
The MRC is an excellent place to develop yourself further and a range of training & development opportunities will be available to you, including professional registration with the Science Council.
UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, more information can be found at www.ukri.org
Band
MRC - 5
Location
Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
Salary
£30,911
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Job Type
Science
Full Time / Part Time
Full Time
Contract Length
23 Months
Job Description
Overall Purpose:
The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of the generation and use of mouse models for the study of human disease. The MLC offers a range of mouse services to support researchers with generation and characterisation of mouse models of disease and archiving/distribution of existing models.
This graduate placement is based across the Pathology department of the Mary Lyon Centre. MLC Pathology is split into Necropsy, Histology and Clinical Pathology departments, who support the centre's mission of utilising mouse models for the preclinical study of human disease. Data and samples produced by this team inform researchers around the UK and across the world about the roles of many mammalian genes and how they can lead to disease in humans.
You will gain highly desirable experience in a wide range of complex in-vivo and ex-vivo techniques, working in a fast-paced environment with a strong customer focus. This includes working under Home Office licensing (Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act amended 2012) to carry out procedural work, and to keep meticulous records of all animal related work. This will include carrying out procedures such as blood collection, and perfusions, as well as detailed dissections, histological processing, assays for clinical chemistry and haematology, as well as flow cytometry. You will learn to critically evaluate their work and troubleshoot laboratory processes in this ISO 9001 accredited laboratory.
Additional training in a range of soft skills will be provided as part of a Graduate cohort undergoing technical training in a range of specialities.
Main Duties/Key Responsibilities:
Necropsy
* Performance of dissections including specialised techniques e.g. perfusions
* Selection of tissues for embedding prior to tissue processing
Histology
* Embedding & processing of tissues
* Wax and frozen sections
* Special stains and immunohistochemistry
Clinical Pathology
* Carry out in-vivo phenotyping assays such as blood sampling, and processing of samples for analysis
* Maintenance and operation of equipment including Clinical Chemistry, Haematology, and Flow Cytometry analysers
Time management
Scheduling of routine and short-notice emergency work
Quality Assurance & Record Keeping
* Authorship and review of SOPs, risk assessments and COSHH documents
* Ensuring that all SOPs, risk assessments and COSHH requirements are observed
* Maintaining database and keeping various records and logs up to date as per requirements for ISO 9001 certification
* Ensuring that training is kept up to date
Archiving & Stock Control
* Ensuring that all consumables, reagents and chemicals are logged and stored
* Ensuring that all samples are logged, stored and archived appropriately e.g. wet tissue archive/ frozen tissue archive
Working Relationships:
The post-holder will report to the Head of Pathology Services and work within a team of Pathology technicians. They will be expected to liaise with other MLC departments, internal and external customers as well as service engineers and suppliers.
Additional Information:
* The post-holder may occasionally be required to travel to attend meetings or training
* Contracted to work 36 hours per week
* Support will be provided towards professional registration with the Science Council
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training Required:
Essential:
* BSc in biological science or related subject
Desirable:
* Record of training in necropsy and/or histology
* Home Office Personal licence
Previous Work Experience Required:
Essential:
* Experience of working in a laboratory environment, including working to standard operating procedures and risk assessments/COSHH
Desirable:
* Experience of routine rodent necropsy techniques or histology techniques
* Experience of working within a quality-management system
* Experience of working in a commercial or service-led environment
Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:
* Competence and knowledge in necropsy and/or histology principles and practice
* Computer literacy, including the ability to use digital record-keeping systems and common software packages, such as Excel
Desirable:
* In-depth knowledge of mouse anatomy and physiology
Personal skills/Behaviours/Qualities:
Essential:
* Excellent communication skills
* Excellent attention to detail
* Flexible and adaptable in approach to work to ensure that changing priorities and deadlines are met
* A service-delivery focus
* Ability to work on day-to-day functions both independently and as part of a team
Desirable:
* Experience in training others
Further Information
Equality & Diversity
The MRC values the diverse skills and experience of its employees and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all. Our objectives are that all individuals shall have equal opportunities for employment and advancement on the basis of their skills, aptitudes and abilities. The MRC is committed to the engagement and retention of the best possible talent and to creating an environment that encourages excellence in scientific research through good equality and diversity leadership and management.
Corporate/Local Responsibilities & Requirements
The post holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the MRC's:
* Code of Conduct
* Equality and Diversity policy
* Health and Safety policy
* Data Protection and Security policy
Job descriptions should be reviewed on a regular basis and at the annual appraisal. Any changes should be made and agreed between the post holder and their manager.
The above lists are not exhaustive and the post holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, cooperatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the post and the MRC.
The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.
In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits
Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.
We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.