Apprentice Laboratory Technician
University of Oxford
Headington (OX3 9DU)
Closes in 13 days (Monday 6 July 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 22 June 2026
Contents
Summary
Join the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health (WRH) as a Laboratory Apprentice at the John Radcliffe Hospital. Gain hands-on experience supporting laboratory operations while developing skills in equipment management, Health and Safety, purchasing and human tissue governance within a leading research environment.
- Wage
-
£26,686 a year
- Training course
- Laboratory technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm.
36 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 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
You will be fully trained to carry out the following responsibilities.
- Learn general laboratory Management and Administration, including appropriate Health and Safety procedures to maintain a safe working environment
- Comply with the quality standards, safe working practices, environment and risk management systems relevant to the workplace
- Learn how to be responsible for the management of waste disposal generated in the laboratory
- Learn how to be responsible for the routine maintenance and cleaning of laboratory equipment
- Learn how to manage the laboratory consumables in the ‘Lab Shop’(budget management, stock control and re-charging)
- Learn safe manual handling and safe use of gas cylinders and liquid nitrogen
- Learn basic IT support, information security and data storage for biological sample management
- Learn how to be responsible for the organising and distribution of incoming goods
- Train as a first-aider
- Assist in the management of biological sample storage
- Carry out disinfection and cleaning of laboratory equipment
- Assist in preparation of compounds and solutions for communal use
- Help keep laboratory areas clean and tidy
Where you'll work
Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headington
OX3 9DU
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 4 HNC in Applied Biology
The majority of your learning will be completed online once a week with some face-to-face practical sessions/exams in Birmingham.
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:
A Level in:
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
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Keen interest in science
Other requirements
- You must have been a UK resident for a minimum of 3 years to be eligible for this position
- If you already hold a BSc or MSc in a closely related field, you will be ineligible for apprenticeship funding
- To give yourself the best chance, please ensure your application is genuine and written in your own words. Applications created solely with AI tools may not be accepted
About this employer
Welcome to the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health (NDWRH) – a pioneering centre of excellence in research, education, and clinical innovation since 1937.
As part of the Medical Sciences Division (MSD) at the University of Oxford, the largest of the University’s four academic divisions, we are proud to contribute to one of the world’s most vibrant biomedical and clinical research communities. MSD brings together more than 5,000 academics, researchers, NHS clinicians, general practitioners, and professional staff, alongside 1,500 graduate and 1,600 undergraduate students.
In 2026, we marked a major milestone with the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) officially joining NDWRH. This strategic step strengthens Oxford’s leadership in women’s, maternal and reproductive health by uniting expertise across the full translational pathway.
Together, we continue to drive forward scientific understanding and innovation in women’s and reproductive health to improve lives across the world.
https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
University employees enjoy 38 days’ paid holiday, generous pension schemes, flexible working options, travel discounts including salary sacrifice schemes for bicycles and electric cars and other discounts.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Upon successful completion, there may be the opportunity to progress to a higher level apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CSR SCIENTIFIC TRAINING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000038171.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Monday 6 July 2026 at 11:59pm)