Senior Technician - Psychology

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

In collaboration with the Technical team leader you will be responsible for the management of the day to day activity of the Psychology technical team and providing technical expertise for students, academics and researchers in Psychology.

Job details

Responsible to

Technical Team Leader

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Closing date

Sunday 9 February 2025

Salary

£31,814 to £35,750 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £41,113 per annum).

Job grade

ATOS 6

Reference

0539-24

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Full-time

Adaptive working type

Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes. 

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

As the Senior Psychology Technician you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of teaching and assessment in Psychology . In collaboration with the Technical team leader you will be responsible for the management of the day to day activity of the Psychology technical team and providing technical expertise for students, academics and researchers in Psychology. The post holder will assist the Technical Team Leader in managing Technical Support, ensuring the effective provision and availability of specialist equipment and work areas to facilitate academic delivery and student learning in Psychology.

We are bold, bright, and driven in the School of Psychology. We are seeking an individual who shares our enthusiasm for shaping the future of the subject by empowering students to reach their full potential.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications, values, and expertise:

  • Degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience in a technical role in HE
  • Demonstrable experience of providing technical support in Psychology in a Higher Education environment
  • Knowledge and experience of working with survey and experimental software used to support teaching and research
  • Knowledge and experience of delivering classroom support and demonstrations for experimental psychology including BIOPAC’s, Cold Pressor, Portapres and eye tracking hardware and software as well as teaching these techniques to researchers
  • Excellent and proven verbal communication skills and able to communicate effectively to undergraduate, post-graduate students and staff
  • Highly organised and efficient with the ability to organise, plan and prioritise in an often complex and demanding role
  1. Assist the Technical Team Leader in planning, development, management and maintenance of high-quality technical support in Psychology.
  2. Act as the key point of contact between technicians in the area and the academic and research staff, referring issues to the Technical Team Leader.
  3. Principal responsibility for raising Purchase Order Requests and monitoring delivery and invoicing of goods in support of teaching and research.
  4. Contribute to writing bids for external funding for equipment, where appropriate.
  5. Provide an outstanding technical service to researchers in Psychology.
  6. Work with the Technical Team Leader to ensure all Health and Safety (H&S) documentation and processes are adhered to and are reviewed and updated for the assigned research labs and specialist facility.
  7. Ensure the maintenance and upkeep of equipment and spaces in Psychology are managed efficiently and effectively in line with School and Discipline procedures.
  8. Ensure that equipment inventories are regularly updated.
  9. Participate in relevant Discipline and School, groups and committees.
  10. Engage in external professional networks and keeping up to date with knowledge and developments in the sector relevant to service planning and delivery.
  11. Undertake any other duties as required in agreement with the Technical Team Leader for the College

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Degree (or equivalent qualification) in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience in a technical role in HE

Experience

  • Experience of Health and Safety management
  • Demonstrable experience of providing technical support in Psychology in a Higher Education environment
  • Knowledge and experience of using and maintaining equipment used in teaching and research in Psychology
  • Knowledge and experience of working with survey and experimental software used to support teaching and research
  • Knowledge and experience of delivering classroom support and demonstrations for experimental psychology including BIOPAC’s, Cold Pressor, Portapres and eye tracking hardware and software as well as teaching these techniques to researchers

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Excellent and proven verbal communication skills and able to communicate effectively to undergraduate, post-graduate students and staff
  • Highly self-motivated with the confidence to work independently and willingness to take on varied responsibilities
  • Manage own time/prioritises work of others in the team effectively
  • Highly organised and efficient with the ability to organise, plan and prioritise in an often complex and demanding role
  • Change oriented approach
  • Self-motivated and innovative
  • Commitment to the University values and behaviours

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications

  • A postgraduate qualification such as a Masters degree or PhD
  • Associate Fellowship of the Advance HE (AFHEA)

Experience

  • Experience of people management/team leadership
  • Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
  • Local Government Pension Scheme
  • Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
  • Discounted onsite gym
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Mr John Shacklock, Technical Team Leader via j.shacklock@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.

 

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.

 

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

 

Environment and sustainability

Be part of something extraordinary, apply now.

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

 

Further details

Download Senior Technician - Psychology job descriptionDownload Senior Technician - Psychology job description

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy here.