Technical Manager

Job description

King’s College London, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences (SCMMS) provides an outstanding multi-disciplinary environment for the pursuit of cutting-edge cardiovascular and metabolic research (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/scms). We study the fundamental molecular, cellular, and physiological processes that underly normal and abnormal cardiovascular and metabolic function in state-of-the art core facilities. We drive the translation of this strong basic science into advances in clinical practice to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment, across Guy’s, FWB, St Thomas’ and Denmark Hill campuses. 

 

We are looking to recruit a Technical Manager who will be responsible for providing comprehensive technical services to support the smooth running of the SCMMS research labs, especially for the groups based at the James Black Centre at our Denmark Hill campus. 

 

The successful applicant is expected to liaise with SCMMS Principal Investigators (PIs), research staff, students and external stakeholders (engineers, delivery staff, maintenance and security personnel etc.) to ensure a safe working environment is maintained and complies with Health & Safety regulations, maintain SCMMS infrastructure including laboratories, be responsible for planning the maintenance & servicing of equipment and act as point of contact for staff queries. 

 

The post would suit someone looking to pursue a career in technical operational delivery. The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic and motivated team player and able to work well with a technical team to deliver a comprehensive technical service . The successful applicant will be able to work independently, possessing excellent planning and communication skills and able to prioritise their own workload effectively. They will be expected to build relationships with a wide set of stakeholders across academic, technical, finance, health & safety, estates & facilities directorates to support the research and educational objectives of the School. 

A research background in cell biology and technical support to laboratories or research facilities and previous line-management experience would be an advantage. 

 

This post will be offered on an permanent basis. 

This is a full-time, on campus post - 100% full time equivalent.

 

Key responsibilities

The post holder is a member of the School’s Professional Services Team, providing high quality technical support to the School and specific support to its research activities. Working closely with their line manager and SCMMS Core Technical Team, the post holder will:  

1.       Provide advanced technical expertise to SCMMS - gained through experience and/or formal qualification - in a broad range of relevant scientific/technical areas, with a thorough understanding of the underlying technical/scientific theory and recent advances. 

2.       Manage technical facilities, budgets, and operations, including a team (one technical staff), in line with established standards and regulations to support research activity within the School. 

3.       Monitor staff performance, providing feedback and identifying training opportunities that will expand the colleague’s knowledge/skills. 

4.       Liaise with facility users to refine the service to align with changing priorities and needs and coordinate activities across a broad area. 

5.       Plan and manage/supervise the installation, monitoring, maintenance and security of facilities, equipment, systems and software, with control over small budgets, stocks/stores equipment and supplies. 

6. Be responsive to changing priorities and an evolving environment/context, maximising the efficiency of the technical support being provided and, using critical evaluation and problem-solving capabilities to review and identify solutions, and make improvements to technical services and protocols. 

7.      Ability to organize work time efficiently and work independently based on an agreed work plan, setting own priorities and those of the team, handle conflicting demands for technical support personally and for team members, being able to assess the balance of priorities effectively and work cooperatively to deliver results to the required high standards and deadlines.  

8.      Take collaborative and independent decisions in a timely way that have a moderate effect on own work and that of others for more than a year and contribute to collaborative decisions that have far-reaching (i.e. beyond the immediate area of responsibility), complex and long-lasting impact.

9.        Forge relationships with colleagues in the university and external to the university, to (i) collate and disseminate information and (ii) coordinate and deliver the required service. 

10.      Provide advice and training on technical/scientific area of expertise, making the content understandable to a non-expert, and ensuring that this complies with university policies and processes in supplying information and support for colleagues to facilitate their work and research.  

11.       Regularly gather and analyse data, report findings and using these to determine priorities to support research activities within the School, as directed by Technical Operations Manager.

12.      Consistently communicate highly complex concepts and information, both orally and in writing, in a clear fashion.

13.      Be responsible for implementing safe working practices, managing the impact of the environment on the work and safety of users, ensuring the compliance with Health & Safety and other relevant regulations and approved Code of Practices (ACoPs) governing the facility, monitoring safe working practice, completing and reviewing risk assessments and adapting the working environment to manage identified hazards and reduce the level of known risks. 

14.      Keep informed about developments in relevant technical/scientific fields and adopt and adapt new approaches/ methodologies to meet and support School’s needs. 

15.      Report School-related accidents/incidents and participate in accident investigations, as directed by Technical Operations Manager. 

16.      Nurture and encourage sustainable practices and leadership within the team and networks. 

17.      Deputise for line manager(s) and/or Department Manager as required, working with colleagues and networking within and beyond King’s. 

18.      Facilitate and support an inclusive culture and ethos across the School teams and work in partnership with academic staff in departments/ centres/ institutes and Professional Services colleagues within the university and external functional networks. 

19.      Participate in cross-School/ Faculty/ university projects and initiatives for up to 10% FTE. 

20.      Engage actively in Continuing Professional Development and training initiatives, in line with the Technician Commitment and Research Concordat for a minimum of 10 days pro rata per year.

 

The post holder will report to SCMMS Technical Operations Manager (JBC) and line manage/supervise one member of staff. 

 

The detail on tasks and responsibilities of the post will be provided in the job work plan, which will form the basis of the discussion during the post holder’s probationary review and subsequent PDR discussion. 

 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria  

1.         Level 6 qualification, e.g., relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent, plus substantial work experience in relevant technical/scientific service posts OR Extensive work experience in relevant technical/ scientific posts with management experience and/or qualification. 

2.         Excellent spoken and written communication skills, with advanced computer use and strong interpersonal and influencing/behavioural skills to build a strong network to support the delivery of the service. 

3.         Comprehensive technical experience and knowledge of a range of scientific procedures and the underpinning scientific theory applicable to the work area and their environmental impact.

4.         Solutions-focused self-starter, with excellent planning and analytical skills, able to manage staff and facilities, setting performance standards, and establishing protocols to deliver these. 

5.         Comprehensive knowledge of regulations and best practice governing area of work, including Health & Safety and environmental sustainability. 

6.         Evidence of an active commitment to professional development, such as working towards CSci and clear progression in increasingly demanding jobs. 

7.         Knowledge of environmental impacts of laboratory work and an interest in reducing the negative impacts. 

 

Desirable criteria

1.         Formal Health & Safety qualification e.g. NEBOSH/IOSH. 

2.         Able and willing to provide support beyond core hours, as required. 

3.         Experience of supervising/advising junior team members, giving feedback on performance levels and training/coaching where necessary.