Research Technician in Microbiome

Research Technician in Microbiome

Requisition ID: 29811

Location

Newcastle, GB

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Working Pattern: Full Time

Posted Date: 16 Oct 2026

Salary: £32,722 to £33,662 with progression to £35,302 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 16 November 2026

The Role

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated and enthusiastic technician to support our research on the microbiome in early life.

The successful candidate will carry out research as part of a wider team working on optimising microbial therapy in preterm infants. This project will involve working with clinical samples including stool, urine, blood, tissue, and human milk, alongside lab-based microbiology, organoid tissue culture, molecular biology, and multi-omic data analysis.

Our research group aims to understand how the gut microbiome develops from birth in preterm infants, what factors influence this, and how this impacts health and disease. In doing so, we aim to translate these findings into the development of new biomarkers and treatments to improve health and outcomes in the babies.

You will be responsible for maintaining the sample biobank and the day-to-day management of experimental work including making media, culturing bacteria, DNA extractions, PCR, and organoid culture maintenance. Additionally, there will be opportunities to support data analysis and results presentation (image production, oral presentations, and manuscript writing) from a range of research collaborations.

Reporting to the Institute Technical Manager team and Professor Christopher Stewart, the successful applicant will display an in-depth knowledge of technical or scientific practices, methods and procedures gained through either experience and/or formal qualification, and will deploy this knowledge to provide a range of technical support activities.

Duration of the post is full time, fixed term for 7 years.

For informal enquiries contact: Christopher Stewart, [email protected]

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institute here: Translational and Clinical Research Institute | Faculty of Medical Sciences | Newcastle University

Key Accountabilities

Perform microbiology and human primary cell line culture

Perform molecular biology

Support data analysis and manuscript drafting

Contribute to the training and mentorship of students and other group members.

Complete a range of routine and complex maintenance activities and repairs

Liaise with suppliers and manufacturers to resolve both routine and complex problems and investigate replacement options

Advise on equipment capabilities, demonstrating how results can be achieved

By developing local procedures, establish and maintain a safe/compliant working environment

Hold specific safety responsibilities relevant to the specialism

Oversee compliance tasks ensuring timely completion and maintenance of appropriate records

Maintain in-depth and up-to-date health and safety knowledge relevant to the specialist

Assist with the completion and updating of a wide range of safety paperwork

Schedule, prioritise and monitor work in line with demands and deadlines

Hold delegated responsibility from the academic lead for the planning, operation and supervision of laboratory spaces occupied by the specialism

Be a key contributor to specialism development, delivery and planning

Contribute to and support change

Manage one or more budgets monitoring resource usage

Source and negotiate with suppliers for a range of items including specialist parts/equipment

Create, update and implement procedures to deliver an aligned, efficient and effective service

Prepare and manufacture specimens/samples requiring specialist skills with limited direction

Manage equipment bookings, calculate charges/costs and assist with re-charging

Design, develop and deliver inductions, demonstrations and training covering complex techniques and specialist equipment

Assist managers with the identification of training and development needs and mentor junior staff

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Experience and understanding general microbiology and molecular biology techniques

Experience of working with clinical research samples

An understanding of microbiome science

Thorough working knowledge of Health and Safety procedures

Excellent team working skills

Demonstration of technical and problem-solving capacity

Demonstration of good organisational ability to meet deadlines, with a positive and proactive approach to duties and diligence and attention to detail

Ability to adapt to changes in laboratory research priorities

Specific lab or workshop experience specific to the role

Desirable

Understanding and experience of primary cell culture models

Attributes and Behaviour

Tact, diplomacy and able to handle difficult situations

Ability to meet deadlines with effective time and resource management

Clear communicator and active listener

Consistent and appropriate approach to staff and situations

Use of feedback for process improvement and staff development

Team player, self starter and able to manage complex workloads

Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to undergraduate students

Willingness to undertake some limited travel locally and internationally and a readiness to work flexibly by mutual arrangement, including outside normal office hours on occasion if required

Qualifications

BTEC HNC / HND; or A’ level (or equivalent) qualification; or broad work experience acquired through a combination of vocational training and considerable on-the-job experience, demonstrating development through progressively more demanding relevant roles

Desirable

A BSc or Masters in a relevant subject area

Professional registration with an accredited professional body (including HEA) or working towards this on appointment

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29811