THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH, SPORT & BIOSCIENCE

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1 THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH, SPORT & BIOSCIENCE The University of East London is a dynamic, diverse, multicultural and rapidly expanding University at the heart of Europe s largest regeneration area and immediately adjacent to the sites of the Olympic games in With a record 24,000 students it was rated among the top three modern (post- 92) universities in London for research, and in the top 7 in the UK. The University has invested heavily in its infrastructure and estate over the last few years, such as a new state of the art multimillion pound sports facilities at our Docklands Campus; new computing and conference centre and library at out Stratford Campus, and has recently opening a new campus building (University Square) jointly with Birkbeck, University OF London, in Stratford. Based at our Stratford campus, the School of Health and Bioscience has experienced considerable growth over the last 5 years, approximately 10-15% per annum, and now grown to over 2,300 students! In addition, we are currently rapidly developing our post graduate and research programmes, involving wide collaboration in the UK and overseas. Owing to this continued success and our growing student numbers we are looking for vibrant and ambitious individuals to help us realise our vision for the future. Such individuals will have the opportunity to develop and grow with the School and University. The School of Health and Bioscience brings together UEL s innovative research and teaching in the Fields of Biosciences, Sports, Allied Health Professions (Professional Health Sciences), and Health Studies, and is located in close proximity to the Olympic Park Development zone. In the recent RAE, we were in the top 50% of all submissions in unit 12 and in the top 3 Universities overall in London for Unit 12, with the majority of our research judged at international or international excellence with some world-leading outputs. Current key research themes focus on the health legacy of the London 2012 games, the management of chronic diseases and development of new therapies. Such research is carried out in close collaboration with international and national partners, including local NHS Trusts. The School also has one the most successful research institutes in the University, the Institute of Human Health & Development. ( The School has invested heavily in the Biosciences, which forms one of the largest areas within the School. We are currently completing a rolling programme of refurbishment of all our laboratories to ensure that they are modern and suitable equipped to provide a high quality, internationally excellent teaching and research environment. We offer a range of opportunities to our students through our links with employers, local NHS, profession bodies and other organisations. Previous graduates from the Bioscience area have gone on to gain employment in variety of positions. We have notable successes in that some of our graduates have gone onto to be members of the House of Lords, CEOs in industry and lead roles in PCTs. Other students prefer to continue their studies to include a PGCE, MSc or PhD. We are gradually growing our research profile in the School and in the Biosciences areas this is focused around distinct research groups, currently these are the: Medicines Research Group, with an active programme around phytopharmaceuticals, pre-clinical in vitro toxicity testing and antimicrobial agents; the Infection and Immunity group, working on genomic sequences and relevance of various human and animal parasites, immunological mechanisms of disease focussed on the study of disease mechanisms of major economic and health impact, and the environmental

2 Research Group (ERG), which is mainly concerned with consultancy. In addition, we have a growing interest in exploitation of our research and are keen to develop research into biotechnology. We also engage in an active programme to improve our student experience and success rates, our NSS responses and our league table standing. The School of Health, Sport and Biosciences provides undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes in a range of health and applied bioscience subjects including podiatry, physiotherapy, health studies, sports science, biomedical Science, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and other subjects. Both teaching and research programmes place heavy demands on technical support services. The School now wishes to further develop its technical provision with the aim of producing an enhanced, efficient and flexible and technical support system that meets the short, medium and long term needs of the School. In order to facilitate this, the School desires to put in place a high quality, highly skilled technical services team, ready to respond to change and able to support the diverse teaching, research and income generation activities that are necessary to ensure the School s continued viability. This team will be characterised by flexibility, agility and a commitment to providing a first-class service. As part of this process the School is now seeking to appoint a Scientific Officer. Further details of the School are available at: Details of the School s Research can be found at: Informal inquiries are welcome and can be made to one of the following people: Technical Services Manager: Shanas Choudhury, s.choudhury@uel.ac.uk

3 UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Grade: School: Responsible to: Liaison with: Scientific Officer D School of Health, Sport and Bioscience (HSB) Laboratory Manager, Technical Manager and Dean, or delegate. Technical Manager, staff and students Job Purpose: To provide technical expertise and support to students, staff and external partners for the teaching, research and consultation work of the School. Key Accountabilities and or Duties: To provide technical expertise and support for teaching activity, practical classes, student projects and MSc courses during and outside of standard term times To provide technical support to outreach activity, research, consultancy and income generation activity at designated times throughout the year Maintenance and arranging for repair of equipment and maintenance of the laboratory facilities and associated areas To participate in the stock-control, ordering and inventory procedures Responsible under the Technical Services Manager for safety and security in the designated areas, conforming to all legal requirements To carry out other duties which might reasonably be assigned by the Technical Services Manager and Head of Technical Resources General Duties and Responsibilities: Provide technical support to include but not limited to: preparation of materials and equipment for teaching, research, enterprise and School liaison initiatives Preparation, setting up and clearing of equipment and materials for practical classes, project and dissertation work and research experiments Advise and guide students during practical classes on the appropriate procedures for the operation, monitoring, maintenance and security of equipment and facilities Instruct groups of students on the use of specialist facilities and equipment To carry out routine maintenance and PAT Testing of appropriate tools and equipment The post holder will provide first line equipment maintenance and servicing of equipment. Participate in the annual fixed asset register audit and other duties such as day-to-day maintenance of liquid nitrogen dewars, autoclaving duties etc. Carry out routine animal husbandry and general maintenance and care including daily animal health checking, cage cleaning, feeding and watering Responsible for booking systems of specialist equipment and facilities Accurate record keeping; preparation and regular maintenance of inventory of reagents and stocks. Inventory of equipment within specified area/s and keeping a record of its maintenance and assisting with the annual fixed asset audit Identifying current and future resource needs, e.g. equipment, physical resource, and associated consumable items, and maintaining stock levels as appropriate. Requisitioning and purchasing supplies using online ordering system Maintain an up to date knowledge of health and safety procedures and issues relating to their work environment and ensuring compliance. Assisting with risk assessments and completion of COSHH assessments Disposal of waste materials including hazardous waste as directed and in accordance with established laboratory procedures, local regulations and legal requirements Participating in maintaining satisfactory standards of safety and security relating to technical services in the area. Ensure laboratories, other designated rooms and equipment are

4 maintained to be safe and clean including organising of maintenance contracts To attend and contribute in the 1:1 line management meetings and technical team meetings Contribute to the development of a collaborative, collegiate and inclusive culture which includes sharing information and good practice with others Demonstrate a flexible attitude to change which will support the University in meeting existing and future needs Take personal responsibility to develop and maintain a professional knowledge becoming multi skilled. Commitment to achieving Professional Registration and maintaining CPD This document outlines the duties presently required for the post of Scientific Officer and to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exhaustive list and the duties may be varied by the Technical Services Manager, Head of Technical Resources or Dean within the general character and responsibilities of the post.

5 PERSON SPECIFICATION EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Good honours degree incorporating Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences with demonstrable English and Math skills (A/C/I/T) Desirable Criteria Post-graduate qualification or experience in a relevant subject area. Achievement of Professional Registration in a relevant area (A/C/I). KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: Practical knowledge and experience of laboratory techniques and use of laboratory equipment in one of the subject areas above (A/I). Working knowledge of current Health and Safety legislation as it applies in this context, including COSHH and risk assessment (A/I). Desirable Criteria Demonstrable experience of working in UK laboratory/research environment and practical experience in the provision of technical support in a laboratory setting (A/I). TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT: Evidence of ability to provide training to others in scientific knowledge and skills and the use of laboratory equipment (A/I). COMMUNICATION: Good interpersonal skills, with ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with the academic staff and team members; able to deal confidently with students and customer focussed. IT literate with proficiency in the use of office and laboratory IT technology and software (A/I). PLANNING AND ORGANISATION: Demonstrable experience of being able to plan and prioritise workloads, ensuring deadlines is met; keeping clear and appropriate records (A/I). TEAMWORKING, PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES: : Demonstrable commitment and contribution to team working with ability to offer mutual support and provide cover for others (A/I).

6 SERVICE DELIVERY: Evidence of ability to provide a reliable service to students, academic staff and external users through: understanding their requirements, preparing and maintaining practical resources and carrying out related administrative duties (A/I). OTHER ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Able to demonstrate an understanding of equality and diversity, and its practical application (A/I). Ability to cope with physical demands of role e.g. moving equipment and manual handling tasks and Flexible approach to working and willingness to work outside normal hours (09.00 to 17.00) and at weekends/public holidays as and when required (A/I). Criteria tested by Key: A = Application form C = Certification I = Interview T = Test