Vacancies

Laboratory Technician Level 2

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Information

ROLE OF THE JOB

The post holder will be a committed member of a small laboratory team working to the rigorous standards laid down by EN ISO/IEC 17025 which are regularly reassessed for compliance.

Contribute to the management of the Laboratory including organisation of staff resources and testing equipment to give maximum service efficiency to Clients.
Assist site supervisory staff concerning testing of materials and workmanship in contract works, other County Council Departments and outside Clients requiring the service of the Laboratory.
Comply with EN ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards in accordance with procedures laid down in the Laboratory Control Manual.
With minimum supervision carry out and supervise technical work in the laboratory and on site in connection with:

Sample materials on site (e.g. concrete, bituminous material, aggregates) and carry out basic testing on site
Assist, under supervision, in testing materials in the laboratory, with geotechnical and other site work
Log and prepare samples for testing and carry out basic laboratory tests
Carry out basic maintenance of equipment and apparatus and administrative procedures in the laboratory
Assess results and discuss applications
Present clear and concise reports of findings and recommendations
Mentor junior staff in all aspects of laboratory work
Calibrate testing equipment

5. Understand and apply all rules governing the EN ISO/IEC 17025 system of work.

6. Comply with procedures and safe systems of working for health and safety, legislation including CDM2007 regulations.

7. Prepare material testing results.

8. Provide health and safety support to the Laboratory Manager and senior staff.

9. Actively adopt effective and constructive relationships with colleagues and external contacts, in order to promote effective partnership arrangements, for the delivery of high quality services.

10. Have an awareness of the County Council and laboratory financial systems to enable costing, tendering for work and the negotiating of fees to be carried out with the support of senior staff.

Other duties appropriate to the nature, level and grade of the post.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB

HNC or equivalent.
Have a knowledge of the properties and usage of construction materials to provide advice to and enable effective working within Highways.
Extensive knowledge of testing procedures, sampling and production of reports, using computers and the Microsoft Office software suite.
Extensive knowledge of relevant British and EN Standards.
Experience of laboratory and site testing procedures, particularly with respect to highway and structural projects.
Knowledge & experience of complying with relevant British & EN Standards.
Experience in an EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited Laboratory
Skilled in the set-up and calibration of a range of scientific technical apparatus.
Working knowledge of the organisation of the County Council.
A knowledge of the technical, professional, legal and commercial issues.
A knowledge of construction and commercial practices in the private sector.
Ability to mentor staff to undertake a range of material testing, inspection duties, including identification of material properties and appropriateness for use in construction.

NCC INFO AND BENEFITS

Northumberland is world-renowned as a visitor destination and an ideal location to strike a perfect work/life balance. There is no better way of enjoying the picturesque scenery and stunning coastline than on an everyday basis!

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is “To make Northumberland a county which you regard as a great place to live, in which you can access the activities you enjoy, whilst having the opportunity to learn and thrive”.

For further information about working for NCC, please visit our website here.

Why choose us?

We have some outstanding benefits to offer you, including:

26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
Flexi scheme (if applicable) – up to 2 days flexible leave available per month (pro rata for part-time employees)
Local government discount schemes available to all employees with offers at local businesses along with various national brands
Commitment to work/life balance offering flexibility through various schemes including job sharing, flexible working, term-time only, and compressed hours
A range of salary sacrifice schemes are available
Staff networks - run by staff, for staff, providing opportunities for peer networking, mutual support, staff development e.g. Apprenticeship, Armed Forces, ASD, Enable (disability), LGBT+, Menopause, Mental Wellbeing, Racial Equality

Further information
Please note that this is a full time position but applications on a secondment or part-time basis would be considered for the right applicant.

For guidance on completing your application and for information about our Equality and Diversity principles, please see the attached guidance notes here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you wish to notify us of your eligibility for this scheme, please email hrrecruitment@northumberland.gov.uk or ring 01670 623930 with your name and the job title you have applied for and one of the recruitment team will ensure this is factored into the shortlisting process and kept anonymous. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.

Alternative application format:

British Sign Language: northumberlandcc-cs.signvideo.net

For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930

Although we advertise on North East Jobs, and other websites, your application process will be directed to our Tribepad system. Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered on Tribepad, including your invite to interview if you are shortlisted. Please check your emails regularly, including Spam/Junk, after the closing dates for notifications.