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JOB DESCRIPTION
Science Technician (0.6 – Term Time only)
Salary GS4 point 7-11
What follows is a list of responsibilities and duties that a Laboratory technician may be required to undertake in the Science Faculty of Ysgol Friars. It represents an agreement between the school's management and the technician that may be subject to renegotiation by either party should there be a change in management or a new postholder appointed. It further represents a list of duties that cannot be carried out simultaneously and is therefore subject to prioritisation by the Head of Science.
Management
Accountable to the Head of Science Faculty.
1. Specific Duties - Science Technician
- To be responsible to the Head of Science Faculty and delegated representatives (the Heads of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and Teacher in Charge of Vocational Sciences) for providing technical support across all sciences, including the preparation of chemical reagents, care of plants and animals, use of technical equipment, etc.
- To prepare equipment and practical resources required for the delivery of KS3, KS4 and KS5 programmes of study as directed by the Head of Science and delegated representatives.
- To clean, maintain and repair all Faculty equipment and resources. Where internal repair and maintenance is not possible, to obtain appropriate spare parts and/or arrange for expert and cost-effective repair by outside agencies.
- To liaise with the school’s Administration Officer and Caretaker for the repair and maintenance of fixtures and fittings.
1.5 To prepare equipment and make up chemical reagents required by the teaching staff of the Science Faculty. Such preparation to be carried out in prep. rooms most appropriate to the laboratories being served, in particular the G1-G2, G6-G7, G9-G10, T2-T4 prep. rooms and G4-G5 greenhouse.
1.6 To set out equipment, chemicals and reagents in laboratories for practical lessons. To remove and put away all such equipment and reagents from laboratories by the end of the working day, including the locking away of chemicals in the appropriate stores.
- To maintain laboratories, resource rooms, stock rooms and prep. rooms in a clean and safe condition. Such maintenance to include the tidying of rooms and cleaning of cupboards and fume cupboards, regularly filling paper towel dispensers, cleaning and putting away glassware, files, books etc., cleaning and unblocking sinks, and ensuring that prep room surfaces are cleared of equipment, glassware, reagents etc. at the end of each working day. The faculty has several dishwashers for general glassware cleaning, but there will be occasions when glassware will need to be cleaned by hand if particularly dirty.
- To regularly maintain stocks of general laboratory and prep. room equipment such as glassware, electrical connectors, reagents etc. at specified levels.
- To have particular responsibility for maintaining the G1-G2, G6-G7, G9-G10, T2-T4 prep. rooms and G4-G5 greenhouse under the direction of the Heads of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Such maintenance to include being proactive in keeping the areas in a clean and safe condition and growing and propagating those plants required for the teaching work of the Science Faculty.
- To monitor equipment and chemical stocks and to advise the Head of Science and Heads of Department of the need for ordering new equipment or stock. To develop and maintain an ICT based record system for each department for the aforementioned stocks and practical requisitions.
- To prepare orders for new stock from the most reliable and economic sources available.
- To advise the Head of Science of any faults and deficiencies in equipment, laboratories, resource
rooms, storerooms and prep. rooms, and to take appropriate measures to deal with them if so
directed.
- To assist in the photocopying, stapling, and binding any papers/teaching resources required in the event of the unforeseen absence of the Head of Science.
- To assist in the development and maintenance of a record system for equipment, reagents and associated worksheets and risk assessments required for the activities specified in the Faculty’s schemes of work.
- To set up computer hardware and/or laptops for use in science teaching. To maintain data logging sensors and ensure that they are stored safely in the designated places at the end of lessons. To use appropriate software as directed by the Head of Science or Heads of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and Teacher in Charge of Vocational Sciences.
- To assist the Head of Science regarding the provision of cover materials (photocopying, stapling,
binding) in the event of multiple unforeseen staff absences.
- To assist cover teachers with class lists, set work and books, room locations and internal referrals
where Head of Science or Heads of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and Teacher in Charge of
Vocational Sciences are teaching or otherwise unavailable
- To assist in the maintenance of Faculty display boards under the direction of the Head of Science or
delegated representatives.
- To assist in the training of other technical staff as directed by the Head of Science.
- To assist science teachers in the demonstration of practical activities, and to trial experiments as required by the Heads of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and Teacher in Charge of Vocational Sciences.