Senior Optical Instrumentation Development Technician

• 41 days' holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 6 closure days)
• Option to purchase 5 additional days' annual leave
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, and immigration loan
• Relocation support for eligible posts
• On-site nursery and gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Staff Support Service (employee assistance programme)
• Discounted medical insurance

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This post offers a unique opportunity to contribute to world-leading biomedical technology development within one of the UK's foremost biomedical optics groups.

This post offers a unique opportunity to contribute to world-leading biomedical technology development within one of the UK's foremost biomedical optics groups. The appointment will be offered on a fixed-term basis for seven years in the first instance, commencing on 1 October 2026, with the expectation that the role will transition into a permanent technical position within the Department, subject to satisfactory performance and departmental requirements.

Applications are invited for a Senior Optical Instrumentation Development Technician to join the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at University College London (UCL). The successful candidate will join the internationally renowned Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL) and work within the programme led by Professor Ilias Tachtsidis, who leads the MultiModal Spectroscopy Group and the MetaboLight Team and is a senior member of BORL. Professor Tachtsidis' work is internationally recognised for pioneering broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bNIRS), a unique technology capable of non-invasively monitoring tissue oxygenation, haemodynamics and mitochondrial metabolism.

The position is funded through the newly established Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Research Excellence for Human Neural Development, a landmark partnership between King's College London, University College London and the University of Manchester. The Centre aims to transform our understanding of early human brain development through the integration of advanced imaging technologies, experimental neuroscience, artificial intelligence and clinical research.

This exciting technical role will focus on the development, integration, testing and deployment of next-generation optical neuroimaging technologies designed to characterise early brain health across multiple biological scales, from vascular function and oxygen delivery to cellular metabolism and mitochondrial activity. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of advanced hyperspectral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) systems and associated instrumentation platforms for laboratory and clinical applications.

The role will involve substantial hands-on work in electronic circuit and PCB design, software development for instrument control and data acquisition, optical system integration, rapid prototyping, 3D printing, testing, calibration and technical documentation. The post holder will work closely with engineers, researchers and clinicians to develop robust and reliable instrumentation suitable for deployment in research and clinical environments, including collaborations with King's College Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. In addition to supporting the Centre's instrumentation activities, the post holder will provide technical support for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching laboratories within the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, including Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics programmes.

This post offers a unique opportunity to contribute to world-leading biomedical technology development within one of the UK's foremost biomedical optics groups.

Key Requirements:

• Essential requirements include:
• Experience in the design, development and testing of electronic and instrumentation systems.
• Experience in electronic circuit and PCB design, prototyping and troubleshooting. Experience in software development for instrumentation control, automation and data acquisition.
• Experience in system integration involving electronic, optical and mechanical components.
• Experience using CAD software and rapid prototyping methods, including 3D printing. Experience using laboratory electronic test and measurement equipment. Knowledge of electrical safety testing and good engineering practice.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and the ability to prepare technical documentation and reports. Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary technical and scientific teams.
• Experience in biomedical optics, medical devices, clinical technologies, and knowledge of medical device, electrical safety or laser/light safety standards would be advantageous.

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Ilias Tachtsidis, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, UCL (i.tachtsidis@ucl.ac.uk).