Job Purpose

To manage and deliver high quality technical services in histology within Veterinary Diagnostic Services (VDS) to enable commercial diagnostics, research projects and teaching laboratories, including providing specialist technical expertise in the relevant discipline. You will have responsibility for the organisation and efficient usage of the Histology Laboratory in support of all 3 activity streams: diagnostics, research and teaching. In addition, the postholder may be responsible for overseeing practical skills laboratory workshops for undergraduate students as part of their degree courses and individual tuition of post-graduate students.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.       Maintain the high-quality rapid turnaround in both histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) while remaining cogniscent of changing stakeholder needs. Perform core histology techniques, trimming tissues, routine processing and embedding, microtomy, staining and IHC. Responsibility for the development and maintenance of new revenue streams, thereby developing novel and extending the current commercial diagnostic, research and teaching capabilities of the service.

2.       To maintain the groups laboratory equipment, diagnose and troubleshoot day to day problems relating to equipment, techniques, procedures and protocols and carrying out appropriate maintenance as required.

3.       In liaison with the laboratory manager, monitor technical standards, advise, implement and evaluate improvements to existing protocols as required.

4.       Plan and organise day to day workload to ensure that all diagnostic and research deadlines are delivered within previously agreed timescales.

5.       Contribute to the well organised function of the laboratory and assist in maintaining stock levels, purchasing of consumables and supplies.

6.       Ensure accuracy and precision of results and that agreed methods of both internal and external quality control are fully operative and followed. Accurate maintenance of results database. Ensuring logbooks and documentation of analysis are accurate and up to date.

7.       Supervise the training of junior technicians in histology techniques, theory, safe laboratory practice and sample handling.

8.       Keep abreast of recent advances in techniques, including available markers to improve current practice and widen the range of available histology and immunohistochemistry testing which may be provided. Validate new antibodies using recognised laboratory methods.

9.       Maintain and update COSHH assessments, risk assessments, health and safety policies. Production and maintenance of standard operating procedures and production of laboratory quick-start user guides.

10.  Teach undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and other persons including junior colleagues in histology theory and techniques. Plan, organise and prepare teaching material for undergraduate practical classes and examinations. Act as the main point of contact between the technical team, teaching staff and undergraduate school administrators.

11.  Identify and engage in professional development as appropriate, developing diagnostic, teaching and research support skills to help disseminate these skills to colleagues.

12.  Where required, supervise staff and delegate workload to other members of the team, monitoring progress and performance.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential

A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 8 [Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4, Higher National Diploma] or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role

A2 In depth theoretical knowledge and extensive practical skills in a wide range of diagnostic and research techniques and extensive knowledge of the operation of diagnostic laboratory equipment relating to histology.

A3 Up to date knowledge of relevant Health and Safety legislation

Desirable

B1 Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent in a relevant subject.

Skills

Essential

C1 Demonstrable specialist technical skills aligned to the specified discipline including specialist equipment/systems/techniques. Details of the discipline are as described in the post-specific information and advert.

C2 Significant IT skills, including proficient user of relevant specialist or bespoke software packages, digital slide scanning and image manipulation.

C3 Significant analytical and problem-solving capability, including a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

C4 Excellent teamworking skills and the ability to work independently when required.

C5 Proven interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to understand, conceptualise and interpret technical requirements of a range of service users with varying degrees of ability and adapt own style to meet the needs of others.

C6 Ability to plan and prioritise work of self and others, along with allocation of resources, to meet the needs of service users.

Desirable

D1 Experience of teaching practical skills.

D2 Monitoring, documenting and understanding internal and external Quality Control (QC) systems.

Experience

Essential

E1 Significant relevant experience of providing high quality technical services in a busy and complex laboratory environment.

E2 Experience of working with a range of technical service users, with varying degrees of ability, ensuring their experience is optimal.

E3 Experience of establishing and managing Standing Operating Procedures to ensure the smooth, efficient and legally compliant running of the laboratory, including experience of establishing Health and Safety procedures for service users, or other legal requirements (where applicable).

E4 Proven experience of managing competing demands in a fast-paced technical service environment.

Desirable

F1 Knowledge of veterinary diseases and their disease pathogeneses.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 6, £33,951 - £37,694 per annum.

This post is full time and open ended.

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.  If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

Closing date: 23:45 on  Wednesday 1st April 2026