Senior Experiment Support Technician

Senior Experiment Support Technician

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire

Salary: £31,305 - £34,028 (dependent on skills and experience plus annual role-based allowance of up to £2,000)

Full time

Open Ended

As part of UK Research and Innovation, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is one of Europe’s largest research organisations and operates at a number of sites within the UK, including the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) and many more around the world. RAL is home to about 1,200 staff that work with a community of more than 10,000 scientists and engineers mainly from the research sector, which spans the scientific spectrum including energy, security, materials healthcare, life-sciences and the environment to address important challenges facing society.

The Central Laser Facility (CLF) is a world leading laser facility, providing scientists from the UK and Europe access to an unparalleled range of state-of-the-art laser particle accelerators. The CLF is building a new laser accelerator in the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC) https://www.clf.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/EPAC-introduction-page.aspx and is seeking new team members to help to build EPAC and support future experiments. EPAC is an £81M facility that will use lasers developed by our team to drive new types of novel particle and radiation beams that can be applied to a wide range of problems in science and industry. We are looking for people like you, engineers at all stages of their careers to be a part of our friendly and enthusiastic team.

The Central Laser Facility’s Engineering Division provides mechanical and electrical engineering solutions to enable laser scientists and users to utilise the technology for experimental research & development programmes fully. The facility research is diverse, ranging from plasma physics to medical imaging and this is reflected in the variety of engineering systems required to support it; vacuum, cryogenic, high pressure, exotic gases, motion control systems, target fabrication, diagnostics, optical systems and mechanical and electrical services.  

About the role

Working within the Mechanical Engineering Technician team, you will be responsible for the safe assembly, installation and operation of mechanical and electrical devices. Working under the broader remit of a project engineer or manager, you will manage the installation and problem solve any unforeseen issues that arise.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Construction, test, commissioning and operation of specialised mechanical equipment
• Maintenance and operation of the existing hardware and infrastructure
• Leading small teams of technicians where required
• Supporting the on-going continuous improvement and developments.

About You

You will have a relevant HNC/NVQ Level 3/BTEC or equivalent in mechanical engineering along with experience working in an engineering field. In the absence of any formal qualifications you should have significant relevant expertise in many of the specific engineering fields.

In addition, you will have experience working in mechanical engineering or a multi-disciplinary engineering environment. A good understanding of fundamental engineering principles around materials, manufacturing and assembly, is also essential.

A broad understanding or experience in one or more of the following areas would be beneficial:

• Vacuum technology to attain 10^-6 mbar vacuum
• Gas and pressure systems
• Leak testing using helium
• Motion control systems
• Cryogenics.

The role requires the candidate to be self-motivated, to work well in a team and to be able to operate independently. You will work closely with research scientists, electrical engineers and leading university research groups from Europe and the UK.

You will demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a highly organised approach to work, be innovative and inquisitive, with a desire to gain new skills in a broad range of areas.

To Apply

Applicants are required to include a cover letter outlining their suitability for this role. Please also state where you saw this role advertised.

Applications are handled by UK SBS; to apply please click the apply button. Applicants who are unable to apply online should contact us by telephone on +44 (0)1793 867000.

The closing date for applications is 3rd January 2021, however applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.