Senior Technician - Digital/Architecture

Role: Digital/Architecture Senior Technician 

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£37,174 - £46,735)

Contract Type: Full Time, Open Ended)

Location: Edinburgh Campus

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

Detailed Description

Heriot-Watt University seeks to appoint a full-time permanent Senior Technician to support the delivery of the M.Arch Architecture postgraduate degree at the Edinburgh campus, and contribute to student support across construction and built environment disciplines. The candidate should have significant experience of building modelling, physically and digitally, including expertise in CAD/BIM software, and with an aptitude for IT infrastructure management (eg 2D and 3D printing maintenance and support).

The role is based on the Edinburgh Riccarton campus, and assumes full-time in-person support on campus.

The role-holder will join an established team of technicians working in the Built Environment disciplines, and also be part of the core curricular support for the new Architecture discipline. It is anticipated that the majority of time will be spent working with digital drawing and printing, but there will also be direct engagement with the wood, wet, and large-scale building workshops on campus. The role is predominantly student-facing, with an expectation that this includes support of staff projects or training (curriculum-linked or research-based) outwith term-time.   

Key duties and responsibilities

The role holder will be expected to undertake the following:

• Develop and deliver specialist technical demonstrations / teaching to students, assessing ability and providing feedback. This may include:

1. Developing content for technical demonstrations/teaching/research activities for students, in liaison with the academic course leader.
2. Leading the provision of technical demonstrations/teaching/research activities and advise in the operation of often complex apparatus, equipment and software. 
3. Assessing the technical aspects of student work and providing related feedback to them, all within a framework designed by the academic course leader.
4. Liaising with internal and external contacts to support the organising of student visits and events.

• The role holder will have delegated authority for the functional management and running of specialist work areas for Architecture and related disciplines. This may include:

1. Contributing to the planning and management of a multiuser environment, including specialist resource and equipment. Addressing conflicts across student and staff groups requesting limited resources simultaneously in order to seek a mutually acceptable outcome.
2. Supporting in the recruitment and selection process for technical staff vacancies 
3. Occasionally deputise for line manager to cover emergencies, sickness or annual leave.
4. Understanding and monitoring of health and safety practices for the work environment. Ensuring implementation of and compliance with safe working practices and procedures for apparatus/equipment/machinery/software/safety and storage of substances/hazardous substances, and that there is appropriate use of required PPE for self and others.
5. Developing, implementing and maintaining work area procedures, processes, technique descriptions, risk assessments, COSHH and Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) according to standards set by legislation and professional bodies, as well as providing general health and safety information, ensuring all remain up to date. May be required to participate in institute H&S meetings.
6. Establishing strong working relationships and holding regular meetings with stakeholders to understand and manage user demand and need, to contribute to the planning and organisation of projects and to ensure that the requirements of teaching programmes and research activities are understood, assessed and prioritised. 

• Provide specialist technical support in identified work areas. Liaising directly with students and staff this is expected to include:

1. Acting as the primary contact for students to provide support with modelling, printing and CAD enquiries.
2. Managing, in conjunction with central IT/IS services, 2D and 3D printing facilities in the School.
3. Delivering training and induction sessions for students and staff in the use of printing facilities, and the use of CAD/BIM software programmes for technical drawing. (These may be in-person and online)
4. Advising with academic colleagues, on suitable software, hardware and digital facilities and strategic purchases across the School.
5. Facilitating and assisting practically with model-making and small-scale building projects undertaken by students over the course of their study.

• Collaborate with the Senior Technical Services Manager / Technical Services Manager and academic staff regarding technical resources for teaching/research needs, sharing recommendations based on expertise so as to enable joint decisions to be made. Develop business cases for the upgrading/replacement/purchasing of equipment, Obtain quotations for equipment or services, pricing, and on-site and demonstrations, Produce resources in accordance with relevant procedures, monitoring and maintaining appropriate stock levels once approved by the budget holder. Monitor and maintain related budgets where required.
• Performing a range of duties required to support the overall functioning of the team and to assist in the operation of a clean and safe working environment, e.g. preparation for experiments, hazardous waste disposal, manual handling of heavy or fragile equipment. May support with School/estate/building management issues as directed.
• Monitor changes, trends and scientific/technical advancements in area of expertise and more widely in related areas, engaging the CPD activities inside and outside of the University to maintain and progress knowledge and skills base.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post.  Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• Educated to SCQF Level 7-8 (HNC/HND) and/or relevant degree and/or an Apprenticeship in a relevant subject, plus ideally at least 5 years’ post qualification work experience in a relevant role, or the equivalent comparable relevant work experience. 
• Experience in digital and physical fabrication and model-making, ideally in an architectural environment.
• Competent knowledge of BIM/CAD technology, techniques and software, typically as used within the construction industry today, for example Autodesk Revit, Rhino/Grasshopper, ArchiCAD, visualisation software such as VRay, Twinmotion, and GIS software.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact positively with the postgraduate and undergraduate level students for learning and teaching purposes,
• High level organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and handle conflicting priorities, and to function effectively in a pressured environment.
• Ability to learn and recruit innovative technologies as they develop
• Hands-on installation, configuration and updating and fault diagnosis for relevant software packages and printing hardware.
• Readiness to provide direct support to a large group of users with different backgrounds and level of IT and modelmaking knowledge and experience, and with flexibility to be able to support practical projects in the workshop, around campus and with external partners
• Demonstrable understanding and experience of relevant health and safety protocols/requirements (including producing risk assessments) and other relevant regulations and procedures, and of turning them into good practice

Desirable Criteria

• Architecture or Architectural Technician qualification at any level.
• Expert knowledge or some experience with software applications to meet BIM level 2 requirements of the modern UK construction industry,
• Expertise in any Bentley software (E.g. Synchro, Microstation), ArcGIS, IES-VE and NavisWorks software would be beneficial,
• Prior teaching experience, preferably with adult learners.

How To Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) CV 

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 15th July 2025.

This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. For further information on this please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.