Apprentice Assistant Research Technician

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

West Midlands (B15 2TT)

Closes in 25 days (Sunday 31 May 2026)

Posted on 6 May 2026

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Summary

This apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to learn and develop into a technician role working in a laboratory. You will carry out a range of duties whilst supporting research projects across the college. In addition, you will undertake the Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship with CSR Scientific Training.

• Wage:

  £20,782 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Full time starting salary £20,782 per annum rising to £25,977 after 12 months service.

• Training course: Laboratory technician (level 3)
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00.

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 7 September 2026

• Duration:

  2 years 3 months

• 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

• Process laboratory waste following standard operating procedures
• Produce fly food and media to support teaching and research across the college
• Provide autoclaving and sterilisation services to the college
• Ensure adequate stocks of laboratory consumables and glassware
• Troubleshoot issues with fly food and media production, working with colleagues to resolve problems
• Monitor the quality of ingredients, recipes and end products, working with service users to identify changes and implement solutions
• Carry out routine sample preparation following standard operating procedures with guidance from senior technicians
• Carry out specified techniques, tests or experiments as directed
• Identify simple problems and resolve and recognise when to refer issues to your manager
• Maintain accurate records and draft routine documentation related to your duties
• Ensure the health, safety and cleanliness of the immediate work area, by encouraging staff and students to comply with all basic University / College Health & Safety policies and reporting any issues to your line manager, technical manager, laboratory manager or college safety advisor as appropriate
• Confirm that all required assessments are in place, approved and up to date
• Carry out regular maintenance processes as appropriate, and ensure records are maintained
• Report any breaches or non-compliance with health and safety procedures to the line manager, technical manager, laboratory manager or college safety advisor
• Ensuring waste disposal is carried out correctly for laboratory, recycled and general waste
• Adopt a proactive attitude to assisting with and implementing carbon reduction and energy saving measures
• Assisting with stock level control and informing the line manager when replacements are required
• Receipt and correct storage of consumables and chemical reagents
• Reporting any problems with equipment or services to the line manager or colleague as appropriate
• Treats everyone with dignity and respect in line with current equality legislation
• Complete any other duties as may be reasonably required by either the line manager or technical managers

Where you'll work

Edgbaston
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TT

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

You will undertake a Level 3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship with an Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' training provider, CSR Scientific Training, which will include:

• Fully recognised apprenticeship qualification - Level 3 Laboratory Technician
• On-the-job competency training
• Theoretical knowledge - BTEC Level 3 Applied Science (if required)

The majority of your learning will be completed online once a week with some face-to-face practical sessions/exams in Birmingham (if BTEC is included).

Upon successful completion, apprentices can apply for professional registration as a Registered Science Technician, RSciTech, with either the Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry or Royal Society of Biology.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Maths (grade 4)
• Science or Biology (grade 4)

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
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Initiative

About this employer

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/apprenticeships (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/staff-benefits

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

• On completion of this apprenticeship, you may be able to progress into a Research Technician role

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED

apprenticeships@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000030192.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Sunday 31 May 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.