Trials Technician - Potatoes

Location: NIAB Park Farm, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9NZ
Closing date: 1 April 2024 with interviews being held on 17 April 2024
Salary: from £22,011 per annum, depending on experience
Contract: Permanent
Working hours: 37 per week, Monday-Friday; part-time over 5 days, minimum 25 hours considered
ABOUT THE JOB
Join our team - use your skills to deliver field trials that put potato science into practice.
We are recruiting a technician to work as part of our friendly NIAB Potatoes team. The role will support delivery of field trials, monitoring and post-harvest processing, as well as liaison with farmer hosts and customers. We are looking for a good team worker with an interest in agriculture/plant sciences who is willing to learn and develop new skills. A good eye for detail is essential, along with the ability to follow strict protocols.
As Trials Technician, your key duties include:
• technical support to the NIAB Potatoes team and other NIAB teams as required.
• practical aspects of field and glasshouse experiments, including assessments of soil, crops and disease.
• operating field, laboratory and research equipment.
• carrying out protocols and processing data
The role offers a opportunity to develop a range of practical and professional skills in team working, time management, communication and practical problem solving. Please note that the work is often physically demanding with a range of daily physical activity required – walking, standing, bending and manual handling of items up to 20 kg. It will be necessary to work flexibly in response to fluctuations in workload.
We are happy to discuss flexible hours (e.g. to fit around caring roles) and/or to explore the opportunity for the role to support apprenticeship training at Level 4 or 5.
Location
The role is based at NIAB Park Farm, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9NZ, 4 miles from Cambridge city centre. Free on-site parking and linked by cycle ways and regular buses to Cambridge city centre and railway station. Close to Junction 32 of A14, with easy access to M11, A10 and A11.
Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact Joanna Gray, Technician Supervisor (Joanna.gray@niab.com).
Benefits include 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays and 3 days off during the Christmas period, some opportunity for flexible working, generous sick pay, attractive pension scheme, income protection, life assurance, employee discount scheme, free on-site parking.
ABOUT YOU
Essential requirements
Ideally you have:
• Experience of practical work preferably related to agriculture or environmental sciences
• A levels in science subjects or equivalent qualifications/experience
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Good IT skills – email, word processing, spreadsheets, document sharing
• Good organisational and planning skills, able to prioritise and organise time and work tasks
• Flexibility – able to work alone and as part of a small team
A driving licence or access to independent means of transport. NIAB have a pool of vehicles for use.
Ideally you will also have:
• Good numeracy and data handling skills
• Experience of field experimentation or ecological monitoring
• Experience in a customer-facing role (employment or voluntary position)
If you want to take up Apprenticeship funding, you must meet eligibility criteria, including valid residency status.
See full Job Description on our website for more details.
ABOUT US
NIAB is a dynamic, research led and market driven plant bioscience organisation, with an emphasis on innovative applications for end-users in the agricultural, horticultural and food sectors. With over 100 years’ experience of research and knowledge exchange, NIAB is a leading research centre for potato agronomy and also provides a range of technical services and training for the potato industry. The NIAB Potatoes and Analytical Services teams provide research support services and analysis for NIAB research and a range of external customers.
Further information.
About potato research at NIAB https://www.niab.com/potatoes
Cambridge Park Farm site https://www.niab.com/about/locations/park-farm
NIAB actively promotes equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. As a Disability Confident Employer we have a positive approach to employing people living with a disability.
TO APPLY
Click the ‘Apply’ button or visit our website https://www.niab.com/careers for further details and to apply directly. In your application, please indicate your preferred working pattern (e.g. full-time; school hours in term time, with 2 full days per week in the holidays) and whether you are interested in undertaking an Apprenticeship programme. Any questions? Email jobs@niab.com or call Human Resources on 01223 342282.