Technician – Battery Materials Processing & Controlled Environments
- £31,226 - £34,610
- 26 Days Holidays + 4 Days Christmas Break + Bank Holidays
- Excellent Pension Scheme
- Monday to Friday Days (with flexible working)
- Generous Sick Pay Package
- Technicians Commitment Scheme (Training / Progression / Qualification)
- On-Site Parking / Excellent Public Transport Links
- Superb on Campus Facilities – Sports, Leisure, Food
- Multiple R&D & Test Related Projects
- Modern / Clean / High Tech working environments
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced technician to join our engineering and research laboratory and workshop environments in Coventry. Based within our globally recognised WMG Energy Innovations Centre at the University of Warwick, the post will provide hands-on technical support for engineering, research, testing and development activities within laboratory and workshop environments, related to Battery Materials Processing.
The position will support the safe and efficient operation of facilities, equipment and experimental activities, particularly within battery materials processing and controlled environment laboratories, enabling delivery of research, development and testing projects for academic, research and industrial stakeholders.
Duties and responsibilities
- Support the day-to-day operation of laboratory and workshop facilities.
- Assist with the setup, execution and teardown of engineering tests and experimental activities.
- Support researchers, engineers, academics, students and external partners with project activities.
- Order, manage and control consumables, spares and laboratory supplies.
- Support the delivery, handling, storage and change-over of gas cylinders and bottles.
- Participate in laboratory inductions, training activities and facility tours, including delivering training where appropriate.
- Provide mentorship, guidance and technical support to colleagues, apprentices and T-Level students.
- Contribute to Technician Commitment activities, including knowledge sharing and professional
- Operate, monitor, maintain and fault-find laboratory and workshop equipment in accordance with SOPs.
- Assist contractors during equipment installation, servicing and maintenance.
- Carry out first-line fault diagnosis and troubleshooting on technical systems.
- Promote a strong health and safety culture across laboratory and workshop environments.
- Maintain high standards of housekeeping and safe working practices.
- Work safely with mechanical systems, electrical equipment, chemicals, gases and controlled atmosphere systems.
- Ensure compliance with legislation, standards, risk assessments, safe systems of work and local procedures.
- Use appropriate PPE and challenge unsafe practices where necessary.
- Support equipment installation, relocation, modification and reconfiguration.
- Assist with fabrication, modification and assembly of rigs, fixtures and test setups.
- Contribute to preparation and review of Risk Assessments (RA), Safe Systems of Work (SSOW) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Maintain accurate technical records, logs and documentation.
- Support the handling, preparation, and testing of battery cell materials, ensuring safe and accurate execution of laboratory processes.
- Install, configure, and commission test systems including battery cyclers, environmental chambers, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and associated control/monitoring software.
- Operate and maintain laboratory equipment such as gloveboxes, vacuum systems, furnaces, atomic layer deposition (ALD) systems, thermal chambers, and other inert atmosphere equipment, as well as materials characterization tools.
- Diagnose and resolve issues related to gas, vacuum, pressure, and purification systems to ensure reliable operation of controlled atmosphere environments.
Person Specification
This role will suit a Time Serviced / Engineering Apprenticeship qualified technician ideally qualified to a Level 4 Engineering Qualification, with strong laboratory physical testing and processing machinery and equipment experience.
- Good working experience in a related engineering discipline/environment. (Battery / Automotive / Chemical / Pharmaceutical / Food or other similar material processing industry sectors)
- A high level of practical, hands-on experience operating and supporting technical equipment.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to follow technical drawings, procedures, and documentation.
- Conversant in computer software such as Microsoft Office.
- Excellent interpersonal skills to enable professional interaction with academics, interns,
external partners and visitors.
- High degree of flexibility to respond to changing academic and industry-led research needs.
- Excellent team working skills and experience working with multiple project stakeholders.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and respond flexibly to changing priorities.
- High level of health and safety awareness, including ability to create and maintain risk
assessments and safe systems of work.
- Ability to operate and maintain glovebox systems, including inert atmosphere handling.
- Knowledge of safe handling and preparation of sensitive materials (e.g., battery cells)
- Proven experience working safely with chemicals in an engineering or technical facility environment.
Desirable
FLT Counterbalance License (or willingness to obtain).
Experience troubleshooting glovebox and associated gas purification or pressure systems.
Experience operating any of the following characterisation equipment: GC-MS, FT-IR, STA,
Raman Microscope, Particle Sizer analysers, ICP-OES, BET, XRD, Rheology.
This is great opportunity to work at the cutting edge of Battery development within a world leading innovative research environment. Working with leading players in the engineering sectors and academic individuals who are passionate about developing tomorrow’s technologies.
The Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is committed to and invests in the future of its own technical and engineering technician staff. Providing opportunities for career enhancement, gaining industry and academic qualifications and providing a safe and modern working environment with the latest state-of-the-art equipment and machinery to support continuous research programmes.
