Research Technician (Cardiff)

Vacancy Reference Number

17539BR

Closing Date

24 Nov 2023

Salary

£32,332 - £34,980 per annum (Grade 5). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Address

UK DRI at UK DRI at Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF14 4XN

Duration

The post is a full time (35 hours per week), fixed term position for 2.5 years and available immediately.

About the job

Dementia is the biggest health challenge of our century.

To date there is no way to prevent it or even slow its progression, and there is an urgent need to fill the knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause it.

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative driving forward research to fill this gap.

The UK DRI at Cardiff is one of 7 UK centers bringing together world-leading scientists to deliver a step-change in the scientific understanding of dementia, generating new targets for drug development, reinvigorating the therapeutic pipeline and helping to transform care.

Applications are invited for a Research Technician position in Neuroinflammation/ Complement Biology in the UK DRI at Cardiff University School of Medicine, based at the Hadyn Ellis Building.

This post will join a new programme of research supported by LifeArc that explores the role of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The work focuses on the roles of the complement system, a known driver of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and the development and testing of novel brain-penetrant complement-blocking drugs in vitro and in vivo for their ability to inhibit the complement system, their penetrance into the brain, and their impact on disease pathology and disease progression. The ultimate aim of the work is to develop brain-penetrant therapeutic strategies to modulate complement dysregulation in AD that are applicable to human trials.

Candidates with experience in supporting similar laboratory research are encouraged to apply.

Job Purpose

Support the University within ongoing programmes of work in dementia, carrying out supporting work, providing advice, guidance and support, and leading projects within this area

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties

• Provide professional advice and guidance on laboratory research processes and procedures to internal and external customers, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring complex and conceptual issues are understood
• Investigate and analysis specific issues within the funded programme of work in dementia, creating recommendation reports, supported by advances within the field 
• Ensure that the provision of the work planned in the programme is delivered to the institution, proactively changing the delivery according to customer requirements
• Collaborate with others in order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required
• Create specific working groups from colleagues across the University to achieve MEDIC/DII  objectives
• Supervise specific project teams on an occasional basis to accomplish key objectives 
• Develop and deliver training within the dementia and drug discovery areas relevant to the programme
• Undertake a variety of  administrative duties to support the department
• Instruct and guide other employees across the University within the dementia and drug discovery areas relevant to the programme as required

General Duties

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role

Essential criteria

Qualifications and Education

1.    Degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent Professional membership/experience

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

2.    Substantial experience of working within specialist discipline

3.    Able to demonstrate professional knowledge within specialist discipline to give advice and guidance to internal and external customers 

4.    Ability to set up standard office systems and procedures and make improvements as appropriate

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

5.    Ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people

6.    Evidence of ability to explore customers’ needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a quality service is delivered

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving

7.    Evidence of ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identifying and proposing practical solutions and resolving problems with range of potential outcomes

8.    Evidence of demonstrable knowledge of key advances within specialist discipline

9.    Evidence of ability to work unsupervised to deadlines, planning and setting priorities for own work and that of others and monitoring progress.

Other

10.    A willingness to undertake further training and development

Desirable Criteria

11.    Postgraduate/Professional qualification

12.    Experience of working in a Higher Education  or Pharma/Industrial environment

13.    Fluency in Welsh, written and Oral

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria

It is the School of Medicine's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement.

Contact Information

In order to apply visit here. 

Informal inquiries should be made to Prof. B. Paul Morgan (morganbp@cardiff.ac.uk)  or Dr. Wioleta Zelek (zelekw@cardiff.ac.uk).