Scientific Officer

University of Sussex; Brighton; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned research university in the UK seeks a skilled Scientific Officer to lead its Bioengineering Facility. This full-time role involves managing advanced imaging and analysis of animal behavior for cutting-edge neuroscience studies. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in bioengineering, excellent collaboration skills, and technical expertise. You will help support training and promote open science methods. Competitive salary for this challenging and rewarding position, with flexibility considered for the right candidate.

Benefits

Cycle to work scheme

Access to South Downs

Friendly and supportive environment

Qualifications

• Expertise in bioengineering or related areas.
• Experience advising on experimental design.
• Technical confidence and engagement in research.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Bioengineering Facility.
• Ensure safe and efficient operation of the facility.
• Contribute to ongoing technical and strategic development.

Skills

Bioengineering

Instrumentation

Imaging

Collaboration

Prototyping

Education

Relevant degree in bioengineering or a related field

Tools

Multiphoton microscopy

3D printing

Job description

Scientific Officer (Open Science & Bioengineering) Ref: 42251

Brighton, UK

Hours

37.5 Hours a week - Full Time. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need). Minimum FTE would be 0.6 FTE

Grade 8 starting at £47,389 to £56,535 per annum, pro rata if part time.

Contract Type

Permanent

About the role

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Scientific Officer to lead and develop a state-of-the-art Bioengineering Facility supporting cutting-edge neuroscience research. The role enables the quantitative analysis of animal behaviour and advanced imaging of neural processes in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems, building on established strengths in multiphoton microscopy and behavioural and circuit-level neuroscience. Working closely with academic staff, researchers and postgraduate students, you will ensure the facility operates safely, efficiently and to a high scientific standard, while contributing to its ongoing technical and strategic development.

About you

This role will suit a technically confident and research-engaged specialist who enjoys working at the interface of science and technology. You will bring expertise in bioengineering, instrumentation, imaging or related areas, alongside a collaborative approach and enthusiasm for enabling high-quality research. You will be comfortable advising on experimental design and best practice, motivated by developing research infrastructure and keen to support training and open science approaches, including prototyping, electronics and 3D printing. Proactive, adaptable and forward-looking, you will act as a trusted technical and scientific partner within a dynamic research environment.

About our School

In the School of Life Sciences we strive to understand the mechanisms that drive biological and chemical processes and to develop innovative and diverse approaches to enhance human health, technology and the environment. We undertake multidisciplinary research, teaching and engagement across a wide range of subjects, from Chemistry through Cellular and Molecular Biosciences to Conservation Biology.

The School comprises five Departments: Biochemistry & Biomedicine, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Neuroscience, Ecology & Evolution and Chemistry. We also house the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre which works to deliver the bench-to-bedside translation of our discoveries. The breadth and depth of our cutting-edge research and innovative teaching practice is delivered by a diverse community who work across boundaries to deliver excellence, engage with real world problems and produce impact.

We pride ourselves on our world-leading research and have a strong research economy, with approximately 50% of our income stemming from research and an active grant portfolio of over £50 million. We host or form part of three University Centres of Excellence : the Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Sussex Neuroscience and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 90.6 % of our Biological Sciences outputs and 84.8% of our Chemistry outputs were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. We are proud that in both areas, 100% of our Impact cases were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

The School is committed to the University’s core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage. We believe that equality, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility and aim to provide a friendly and supportive environment for all who work, study and visit the School of Life Sciences.

The School of Life Sciences is proud to hold a Silver Athena Swan Award.

Why work here

Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.

Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

Please contact Dr. Rob Fowler, [e-mail] for informal enquiries.

The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.

Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. The assigned SOC code is 2161 Research and development (r&d) managers, and the going rate is £54,400. Eligibility for sponsorship will depend on the salary offered, whether a candidate can make use of tradeable points to meet the

salary offered, and/or whether the candidate holds an existing Skilled Worker sponsorship which began before 4 April 2024.

If you are experiencing any issues using our application portal or if you require adjustments to be made to the selection process, please contact us on [phone] or [e-mail] to discuss your requirements.