Imperial College London
Job Description
Job Title:
Research Technician
Section:
Investigative Medicine Section
Division:
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Department:
Department of Medicine
Job Family and Level:
Technical Services, Level 2b
Salary Range:
£24,070 - £26,690 per annum
Responsible To:
Professor Mohammad Ghatei
Works Closely With:
Other members of the Section
Working Relationships:
Other Research Technicians, post-doctoral researchers and
PhD students.
Location:
Hammersmith campus
Duration:
Fixed-term for one year
Summary of Post
The Investigative Medicine Section is a laboratory at the forefront of endocrine research, in
particular the study of regulatory peptides in health and disease. The lab is currently involved
in research into obesity and appetite circuits. Techniques used in this Section include
molecular biology, radioimmunoassay, receptor binding assays, cell culture and techniques
for the study of whole in vivo physiology.
The post-holder will primarily assist with all aspects of running the diagnostic service which
operates in the lab. The diagnostic service specialises in the measurement of hormones
secreted by neuroendocrine tumours and is a Clinical Pathology Accreditation compliant lab.
Responsibilities will also include providing radioimmunoassay technical support for the
research conducted by the Section. Research programmes involve studying the mechanisms
controlling appetite. Under the overall direction and supervision of the line manager,
Professor Mohammad Ghatei, and the Head of Section, Professor Steve Bloom, the postholder will gain experience and extend his/her knowledge of relevant laboratory techniques.
In addition to research support, the duties include laboratory administrative responsibilities as
commensurate with the post.
Essential skills for this post include experience with radioimmunoassays, accredited
phlebotomist and working in an accreditation compliant lab.
Research Duties
Under the direction of the line manager the post holder will be involved with:
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Assisting in all aspects of the diagnostic service offered by the lab. This ranges from
radioimmunoassay to processing samples and generating reports.
Assisting in the technical day-to-day running of research programmes. which utilise
radioimmunoassay.
Administrative Duties
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General laboratory administrative duties including ordering laboratory equipment
Maintaining stock of routine supplies.
Documentation and analysis of experimental data.
Participating in local laboratory meetings.
Ensuring good laboratory practice is in place.
Assisting with presentation of results to the group, collaborators, and to the research
community in general.
Assisting with preparation of grant reports and scientific publications.
Other Duties
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Some routine laboratory work (ie cleaning of equipment) is shared among the
members of the group. The post-holder will be expected to participate in this.
To help maintain a highly efficient working laboratory.
To undertake any necessary training as required.
Any other duties commensurate with the grade of this post as directed by the line
manager/supervisor.
Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and so the post holder may be required to
undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.
The post holder is expected to observe and comply with all College policies and
regulations, for example Health and Safety, Data Protection etc.
Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating
discrimination. All employees are expected to adhere to the principles set out in our
Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy and
Disability Policy and all other relevant guidance/practice frameworks.
Personal Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
 The candidate should have a qualification in a relevant biological discipline or
equivalent vocational qualification or relevant laboratory based experience
 Certified training in phlebotomy
Desirable
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Personal licence
Experience
Essential
 Experience with radioimmunoassay work
 Previous experience of working in an accredited compliant lab
 Experience of HPLC analysis of peptides
 Experience of solid phase extraction
 Experience in laboratory-based research and basic lab procedures
 Experience in collection, preparation, processing and/or storage of specimens
Desirable
 Experience in some or all of the following techniques: ELISA, Western Blotting, Cell
Culture
 Experience in immunocytochemistry
 Experience in quantitative PCR
Training will be provided as necessary
Skills and Abilities
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Methodical approach
Close attention to detail
Good computer skills in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Good interpersonal and organisational skills
Good verbal and written communication skills
Accuracy and dependability
Ability to work with limited supervision and keep meticulous records
Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines
Ability to work as part of a team
Willingness to assist in contributing to reports and preparation of results for
publication
Flexible approach to working hours according to the requirements of the technical
procedures
Application Guidance
Please read the person specification carefully and describe, as part of your application, how
much you feel you meet each of the criteria. If you need more space, please attach additional
sheets to the application form.
The recruitment monitoring section of your application will be detached and will be used only
for monitoring and audit purposes as a basis for supporting our commitment to Equal
Opportunities.
An application form and full CV quoting reference number HM2012017 should be sent, by
the closing date of 23 February 2012, online via the Imperial College iRecruitment website.
The interviews will be held on 7 March 2012 between 10:30 – 13:00.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted as soon as possible after the closing date.
Thank you for your interest in this post. We look forward to receiving your application.