The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Durham University The Role and the Department Join us as a Laboratory Technician at the Forefront of Biological Nanoscience At the Centre for Programmable Biological Matter, we are interested in understanding, designing and building natural and artificial bionanomachines. Bionanomachines are fascinating nanoscale machines made from biological molecules, typically proteins, lipids, RNA and DNA. In nature they carry out an amazing array of tasks, from copying our DNA to converting light into energy. Our exploratory work uses a mixture of biochemical, structural and computational techniques, plus the most important ingredient: imagination Our work Currently we are designing and building a variety of novel biological nanostructures. Inthis project, you join our multidisciplinary team and will support the lead postdoctoral researcher in a project to design and produce an artificial, dynamic protein cage-based vaccine able to stimulate humoral responses, gain cell entry, and open within the cell to release cargoes that further stimulate immune response. This will primarily involve two work-packages, a) Protein-Cage Design and Engineering, and b) Protein Construction, validation and testing. The work is funded by the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences. To find out more about our research, head to our website: https://heddlelab.org/ What will you do? As our laboratory technician, you will play a crucial role in supporting our research. Working closely with our senior technician and management team, you will perform routine laboratory tasks and help to ensure the general smooth running of the lab in support of the research goal. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a cross-cutting field and contribute to our groundbreaking research. Training will be provided on all laboratory activities. The location for this role will be 100% on-site in our newly refurbished labs located in the Department of Chemistry, South Road, Durham University. Specific tasks Expressing and purifying proteins of interest Prepare and maintain reagent stocks and growth media. Maintain, monitor and clean the laboratory and its equipment to ensure health and safety standards are always upheld. Calibrate equipment ready for experimental use. Work closely with the lab manager to ensure that laboratories remain well stocked with the necessary consumables. Collect deliveries and ensure inventory records are up to date. Perform autoclave runs. Liaise with the technical manager to ensure laboratory equipment is well maintained. Culturing BSL-1 bacteria. Carry out other biochemical experiments as required from project leads, following provided protocols. Carry out routine tasks accurately and precisely follow protocols. Provide experimental support to researchers when required. Typical Role Requirements Here are the kind of activities that you'll be asked to undertake and ways in which you'll be expected to operate. Service Delivery Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project workstreams Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members. Organised and schedule activities, events and online resources. Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. Provide an excellent and timely service to our students, your colleagues and anyone else you come across as part of your role. Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues with things relevant to your role and provide information and updates to help your team find solutions. Collect, organise and record data and information accurately and provide reports as required. Promote positive wellbeing arrangements which benefit you and your team. When carrying out your role, use and apply relevant professional and regulatory standards. Draft and distribute subject specific technical information. Provide guidance to others to make sure technical equipment is used safely. Follow and provide guidance on health and safety requirements which are relevant to your role. Teaching and Learning Support Set-up and prepare equipment and resources within laboratories to carry out teaching, research and learning activities. Contribute to the construction and/or repair of mechanical, electrical, electronic and digital equipment and tools under the supervision of more experienced staff. Liaise with academic staff and students to identify practical resources and equipment necessary to meet research outputs. Teamwork Help your colleagues to organise, plan and prepare for experiments and contribute to team planning activities. Resolve queries and respond to requests for information and advice and bring any complex issues to the attention of more experienced team members. Help your colleagues to carry out regular safety checks including visual inspections of equipment and resources. Help your team provide safe, secure and appropriate research resources and facilities. Help to carry out and complete risk assessments and follow established procedures when responding to potentially harmful situations. Communication/Liaison Seek feedback from other members of the team on their requirements from your service to ensure that their reasonable expectations are being met. Liaise with staff in other areas to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: 27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year - please include or delete if not applicable. No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16. Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. We offer generous pension schemes. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. How to apply What you need to demonstrate when you apply To be considered for this role, here are the skills/experience we're looking for: Qualifications/Experience 1. Five GCSE's at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or equivalent experience. 2. Experience of working in a laboratory environment and working with other more specialist technicians to create an enjoyable working environment and enhance research outputs. 3. Experience of working in a team providing advice and guidance to colleagues. 4. Experience of managing time to meet deadlines. Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 5. Good spoken and written communication skills. 6. Good digital skills including experience in using digital devices and apps including Microsoft Excel and word, digital communication tools and booking systems. 7. Relevant knowledge of microbiology. 8. Proven abilities in artificial protein cage production and purification, preferably with the TRAP protein system. 9. Knowledge of health and safety issues such as risk assessments and COSHH forms Desirable Criteria Qualified to Higher National Certificate level (or equivalent qualification / experience) in a science subject. Evidence of continuing professional development. Experience of working in a structural synthetic biology lab and associated understanding of related research themes and approaches Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions yourself and as part of a team Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes. To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails What you are required to submit: A CV A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification Contact details If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Professor Jonathan Heddle would be happy to speak to you. jonathan.g.heddledurham.ac.uk Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. The post is full time until the 2nd February 2026. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.