Apprentice Laboratory Technician

BioEscalator

Oxford (OX3 7FZ)

Closes on Monday 18 May 2026

Posted on 13 April 2026

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Contents

Summary

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join the University of Oxford as an Apprentice Laboratory Technician in BioEscalator, Medical Sciences Division.

Wage

£26,686 a year

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Training course
Laboratory technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday, working hours TBC

36 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 10 August 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

All tasks will be at a level appropriate to the apprentice’s developing skills. Under the guidance of the Laboratory & Facilities Manager, the successful candidate will be expected to support all aspects of the laboratories in the BioEscalator, including:

  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager with helping new tenants to move into their laboratories
  • Communicate with tenants both verbally and by e-mail
  • Maintain stocks of general laboratory consumables and chemicals
  • Learn general laboratory housekeeping (i.e. good laboratory practice), following relevant Health and Safety procedures, to ensure a safe working environment is maintained
  • Keep all laboratory areas clean and tidy
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager with running the shared labs on a daily basis, including changing gas cylinders, operating standard lab machinery such as autoclaves and glasswashers, refilling the liquid nitrogen supply tank weekly and collection of dry ice. Note that this will involve some manual handling
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager in routine maintenance of ultra-low temperature (i.e. - 80°C) freezers and keep accurate records. Also, maintain and keep a record of personal protective equipment such as face visors, cryogenic gloves, safety spectacles, and UV googles
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager in maintaining the tissue culture facilities including making up 70% ethanol and 1% virkon
  • Carry out routine equipment maintenance, testing, and cleaning
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager with weekly disposal of hazardous laboratory waste from core facilities including 6-monthly disposals of hazardous chemical waste
  • Take monthly meter readings (electricity) in proprietary labs and undertake weekly management of laboratory coat and tea towel laundering
  • Report equipment faults to the Laboratory & Facilities Manager and assist in resolving them
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager in supervision of external contractors (such as service engineers) and provide cover in the absence of the Laboratory & Facilities Manager
  • To promote and support best practices so that sustainability becomes an integral part of everyday laboratory work
  • Assist the Laboratory & Facilities Manager in organising and supporting sustainability meetings with tenant company representatives, focused on identifying and implementing sustainability practices in laboratories and the wider workplace
  • Other jobs as requested by the Laboratory & Facilities Manager or Business Manager. It is a small team, so this could include covering reception, meeting room setups, and other administrative tasks

Where you'll work

BioEscalator
Medical Sciences Divisional Office.
Old Road Campus, Headington
Oxford
OX3 7FZ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED

Training course

Laboratory technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
  • Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
  • Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
  • Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
  • Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
  • Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
  • Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
  • Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
  • Complete documentation proficiently
  • Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
  • Contribute to the preparation of reports.
  • Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
  • Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
  • Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
  • Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
  • Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
  • Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
  • Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
  • Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results
  • Comply with health and safety policies and procedures including HASWA, COSHH, risk assessments, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, emergency procedures.
  • Maintain excellent housekeeping, in accordance with organisation Standard Procedures
  • Order and control stocks of laboratory materials where required
  • Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks applying the concepts of resource efficiency e.g energy, water and waste
  • Adhere to internal and external regulatory requirements e.g. GLP, GMP, GDP
  • Prepare for, and perform, laboratory experiments, tests or tasks following any specified methodologies to provide reliable, accurate data e.g. weighing, pipetting, filtering, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques
  • Demonstrate technical competence in the use of specified instruments and equipment
  • Report faults and seek diagnostic advice to maintain equipment in good working order, including calibration where required
  • Complete documentation proficiently
  • Keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results
  • Contribute to the preparation of reports.
  • Use simple statistical techniques for data presentation and evaluation e. g calculation of median and standard deviation, production of graphs
  • Demonstrate problem solving techniques including identification of sources of error and how they can be reduced e.g. human error
  • Use standard software packages and applications e.g. Microsoft Office suite
  • Use Laboratory Information Management systems to support their work
  • Address non-routine problems with samples and instrumentation, within defined areas
  • Identify relevant information from scientific sources e.g. supervisors, literature etc. in order to contribute to solutions
  • Participate in continuous performance improvement of systems and processes relevant to the work environment e.g. workplace organisation techniques, accreditation (e.g. ISO, UKAS) and proficiency testing.
  • Evaluate data, recognise and call attention to anomalous or unusual results

Training schedule

As part of this role, you will undertake a Level 3 Laboratory Technician apprenticeship with the training provider CSR Scientific Training. You will also complete either a Level 3 BTEC in Applied Science or a Level 4 HNC, depending on previous academic attainment.

During your apprenticeship, you will work full-time (36.5 hours per week) at the Innovation Building - BioEscalator (part of the Medical Sciences Division) at the Old Road Campus, Headington. The 2-year training programme will include in-house training as well as day-release or other distance learning methods delivered by CSR Scientific Training.

In total, it will take 2-years to complete all elements of the apprenticeship, with support from the department, University, and training provider throughout.

Becoming an apprentice at the University of Oxford is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience and training. For more information, please visit: https://www.apprenticeships.ox.ac.uk

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C or above)
  • Maths (grade 4/C or above)
  • Science (grade 4/C or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative

About this employer

The BioEscalator is the University of Oxford’s thriving biomedical incubator, based on the Old Road Campus and co-located with the University’s major medical research institutes. It is dedicated to nurturing high-growth potential biomedical start-ups with the aim of making a meaningful impact on human health.

The incubator provides flexible laboratory and office space and shared equipment facilities to commercial tenants as well as access to entrepreneurial support, specialist networks and industry investors, enabling companies to advance from early seed stage through to sustainability. The BioEscalator hosts a tailored programme of innovation-focused events and is supported by an experienced business management team and a Management Board drawn from scientific, clinical and academic leaders. Its community includes Oxford spin-outs and global innovators working on cutting-edge therapeutics, diagnostics and platform technologies, with a strong record of significant funding raised, job creation and alumni success. Space is let on a flexible basis and ranges from single benches in a shared lab to private labs.

There are purpose-built shared facilities: molecular biology labs, including a tissue culture suite and chemistry lab; the Hub (the centre of collaboration and events); and meeting rooms. It is run by a small team of dedicated staff with a commitment to customer service, a can-do attitude and an innovative mindset: we collaborate, we innovate and everyone pitches in.

http://www.bioescalator.ox.ac.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Over 80% of our apprentices continue with us in the role they have been trained for after their apprenticeship and that is just the start of their career.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000025895.

Apply now

Closes on Monday 18 May 2026