Science (Chemistry) Lab Technician - Monday - Friday

Permanent, Part-time - 22.5 hours per week (38 weeks pa)

Working hours:

Term time: 09.30 - 14.30 Monday to Friday, which includes a 30 minute unpaid lunch break. Please note that there is a degree of flexibility as to when these hours can be worked, and this can be discussed at interview.  May Day is a working day. Term dates are shown on our website each year.

School holidays: You will be required to work 22.5 hours per week for 5 weeks of the Culford school holiday periods as follows: one week immediately before the start of each academic school year, 3 days in the October half-term, one week immediately before the start of the Summer Term, two weeks immediately after the end of the Summer Term and 2 other days to be agreed.

Salary: In the range of £11,036 per annum plus benefit package. This is divided into 12 equal parts to be paid monthly.

Holiday entitlement: You will not be entitled to holidays (i.e. time off), or any public holidays, within the working weeks defined above, as you will have non-working weeks each year. Seven weeks of holiday pay entitlement is included within your salary. 

Start Date: ASAP

The role

As Chemistry Technician, responsible to the Senior Laboratory Technician, working proactively alongside the chemistry teachers to ensure that equipment is procured, maintained and utilised safely and effectively in the classroom.

Training

Relevant training will be provided to allow you to carry out your role safely and effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The following list is not exhaustive and assumes that from time to time other tasks not listed, may be required to ensure the efficient operation of the school.

General Laboratory Technician responsibilities:

• Provide materials and equipment required for practical lessons as requested by teaching staff. Assist in the demonstration of equipment if required.
• Ability to follow set protocols to make up of solutions to the required concentration, including acids, alkalis, and other bench reagents.
• Ability to assemble and/or check suitability and function of apparatus and experiments using appropriate teacher guides/ handbooks or laboratory manuals.
• Dismantle, clear away, repair, discard, dispose of residues, sterilise, wash and clean apparatus, glassware and all other equipment after practical sessions and return all equipment to its appropriate storage area, as the situation demands.
• Keep a check on safety regulations and risk assessments, and to advise others where there may be a problem. To keep up to date with CLEAPSS regulations.
• Provide a back-up service for lessons so that extras, deficiencies, faults or spare equipment may be available for lesson continuity.
• Record and maintain stock levels of consumable items, informing the Senior Technician or ordering replacements as necessary. Anticipate possible usage of less commonly used materials and perishable items and keep appropriate stock levels.
• Check delivery notes/invoices and date and rotate consumable items.
• Keep Laboratories, prep room and store areas in a clean, safe condition at all times, and deal with/report potential hazards, or residue/breakages etc.
• Keep a check and report on all text books: Deal with new text books, coordinate and keep records of all text books being issued and returned, to repair and report any damaged texts.
• Carry out routine maintenance and/or repair of basic laboratory equipment if practicable.
• Provide information for students and teachers on the correct way to handle equipment and chemicals in order to avoid accidents and/or damage to equipment.
• Assist with laboratory demonstrations on how to use equipment and provide technical support to students and teachers, including health and safety advice to ensure that correct procedures are adhered to at all times.
• Annually deep clean, refurbish benches and restock the Laboratories and prep room area to ensure ‘working’ levels of equipment are maintained.

Chemistry Technician responsibilities:

• Organisation of all chemistry equipment within the chemistry prep room. This will include organisation of the stock, cupboards and shelves.
• Empty, clean and restock equipment trays.
• To be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of all chemistry equipment, and to notify the Senior Technician where appropriate as to the required replacement/ repair of electrical/electronic equipment.
• To provide administrative support to the teachers in the chemistry department including photocopying, helping organise and collate internal exam papers.
• To assist the Senior Technician in trialing new or modified practical experiments.
• To carry out any reasonable request made by teachers and Head of Science.

Culford School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; pre-employment checks will be carried out, references will be sought and successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and other relevant checks with statutory bodies.

We comply with the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) code of practice and have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, both of which are available on request. As you have been shortlisted, you are required to declare any relevant convictions, adult cautions or other matters which may affect your suitability to work with children. As a result of amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (exceptions order 1975) in 2013 and 2020, some minor offences are now protected (filtered) and should not be disclosed to potential employers, and employers cannot take these offences into account.

If you are unsure whether you need to disclose criminal information, you should seek legal advice or you may wish to contact Nacro or Unlock for impartial advice. There is more information on filtering and protected offences on the Ministry of Justice website.

Nacro - https://www.nacro.org.uk/criminal-record-support-service/ or phone 0300 123 1999

Unlock – http://hub.unlock.org.uk/contact/ phone 01634 247350 text 07824 113848