Laboratory Manager

Job summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science? Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis? Forest Research (FR) is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways. Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet. And you will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit forestresearch.gov.uk.

We are seeking to appoint a Laboratory Manager to manage the tree health diagnostic and research laboratories at Alice Holt (including the ISO17025 accredited containment laboratories), and as appropriate to support the equivalent laboratories in Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian. The research activities carried out in the laboratories, which include morphological and molecular methods for pathology and entomology, provide a strong evidence base and expertise to enable decisions on tree and forestry policy and practices.

Job description

The Laboratory Manager will be responsible for overseeing the smooth functioning of several laboratory spaces, which include supporting compliance to health and safety and COSHH requirements, management of equipment, general laboratory hygiene and procurement of consumables and equipment. The role will also be involved in helping to develop plans and processes to ensure the continuous improvement of the laboratories. The job will involve managing existing laboratory technicians and overseeing general laboratory staff competence as well as being responsible for organising and delivering training activities related to the laboratory.

Key Work Areas:

• Responsibile for risk assessments and training of staff to ensure compliance with Health &Safety regulations and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.
• Ensure the good running order of the laboratories including good hygiene and housekeeping, overseeing maintenance, calibration of equipment and procurement of consumables and equipment.
• Support development of plans for chemical safety, emergency response, exposure control, fire and hazard communication, personal protective equipment, equipment operation (and others as required)
• Responsible for developing processes for continuous improvement.
• Support other tree health laboratories (NRS).
• Control of data, documents, records and the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Degree level or equivalent in Chemical, Physical or Biological sciences/ Health and Life sciences
• Experience of working in containment laboratories (Containment level 2/3)
• Good evidence of laboratory management and staff management.
• Good knowledge of Health and Safety and COSHH regulations (IOSH).
• Experience of equipment management (servicing, maintenance, calibration)
• Good standard of verbal and written communication.
• Ability to adapt to changing and developing laboratory and other business systems.
• Competent IT user with experience of MS Office packages and use of databases.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and disciplines to ensure outputs are presented in the most appropriate way.
• An understanding of data management systems and data protection requirements.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of quality management systems in particular ISO17025:2017 (or ISO9001:2015)
• Experience of using or running a LIMS system
• Knowledge of plant pests and diseases
• Awareness of molecular and morphological biology techniques

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Your career

• Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
• access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

• flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
• A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
• Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your benefits

• a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% your salary
• an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
• Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
• Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
• With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Please apply at Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK, you will be asked to supply:

• A CV – setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role
• A Personal Statement – (limited to 500 words). Please make specific reference to the essential criteria in the person specification
• Supply a 250 word response to each of the Behaviours Managing a Quality Service, Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions

  We will use this information to assess your application against the essential criteria in the person specification.

Shortlist
The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the Essential Criteria set out in the Person Specification. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Sift will take place on 16th January 2026

Interviews are planned to take place in person at Alice Holt week commencing 26th January 2026.

** Applicants invited to interview will be required to prepare a 10 minute presentation including slides. Topic: What are the key components that enable the smooth functioning of a laboratory? What are the main problems you may encounter and how might these be overcome?

The presentation will be assessed against your technical experience.

If we receive a large volume of applications, then we will sift on CV and the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours listed at the interview stage.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Visa Sponsorship

FR holds a licence to sponsor Skilled Workers under the Home Office points-based immigration system. Candidates wishing to apply should note that the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship would depend on an assessment of this role against defined criteria, which include:

o Whether the Job role has been identified as being a Critical Role in FR, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan, and / or
o Whether the Job role is a known Capability gap, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan for the relevant Centre, and
o Evidence of significant recruitment challenges in filling the Job role previously

Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available, subject to an application and assessment process and the Home Office points-based system.

For further details, please refer to the Sponsorship for Skilled Workers – guidance for applicants and managers on our website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : HR Services
• Email : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FR HR Services by email: hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Success Profiles_ Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK Opens in new window (pdf, 502kB)