Psychology Lab Technician - Dubai Campus

Role: Psychology Lab Technician

Grade and Salary: Grade 5

Department: School of Business, Design and Social Sciences (BDSS)

Location: Dubai Campus

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE (full-time- 35 hours per week) open-ended.

Job Description

Heriot-Watt University Dubai is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic Psychology Lab Technician. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the daily operations of the research laboratory, including providing support, training and supervision to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the use of research equipment, techniques, and relevant experimental and statistical software.

The postholder will be expected to foster strong links with colleagues at the University’s campuses in Edinburgh and Malaysia, supporting the academic team to provide high-quality learning, teaching and research, and contributing to the continued enhancement of psychology provisions across the institution. Collaboration with colleagues across campuses will support the sharing of technical knowledge and good practice in teaching and research.

The position is based at the University’s campus in Dubai. All programmes are delivered in English, and fluency in English is essential. New staff will participate in a comprehensive induction programme covering Heriot-Watt’s standards, values, and the practical elements of their role.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

- Support teaching and assessment on academic programmes by assisting colleagues in Psychology with laboratory practical classes, workshops and other activities that facilitate the delivery of HWUD’s psychology programmes.
- Plan, prepare and set up laboratory sessions for research methods, data analysis and other practical classes, providing technical assistance during classes and tutorials.
- Provide technical training, instruction and guidance to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the use of research equipment, research techniques and relevant experimental and statistical software, providing effective, well-documented and timely support.
- Maintain laboratory instruments and support the smooth day-to-day operation of the Psychology laboratory.
- Assist undergraduate and postgraduate students with the technical aspects of dissertation projects and support academic staff with ongoing research activities.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in Dubai, at other campuses, and with external networks to exchange information, share learning and build relationships for future collaboration.
- Oversee the safe operation of laboratory activities by liaising with Campus Services and ensuring compliance with University safety policies and statutory regulations.
- Manage and maintain databases associated with Psychology laboratory access and student research participation, including recording and collating credits gained by students through research participation and providing relevant credit records to course teaching teams.
- Administer the laboratory booking system and maintain an inventory of equipment and supplies.
- Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) and participate in staff development activities, including training to enhance technical skills.

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 and its general responsibilities. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Person Specification

Essential

- A broad understanding and background in Psychology
- An undergraduate honours degree in Psychology
- Competence using SPSS/JAMOVI or equivalent analytical software packages
- Competence using NVivo or willingness to learn
- Fluent (verbal and written) in English
- Good communication, interpersonal and technical writing skills
- Ability to work independently and be Proactive and resourceful
- Ability to apply technical and research knowledge to support student learning and laboratory-based teaching activities
- Commitment to continuous professional development, including enhancement of skills.

Desirable

- A postgraduate degree in Psychology or closely related discipline
- Experience in survey and esperimental software paltforms (e.g. PsychoPy, SurveyLab, Testable or equivalent)
- Some programming skills (e.g., /R -statistics /Python/ Matlab/C /Java), preferably with experience in implementing psychological experiments
- Experience of working in laboratory and/or educational environments
- Experience in supporting the learning of others
- Flexible and innovative with the ability to adapt to continually changing situations

Heriot-Watt University Values

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.

We are a vibrant, forward-looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland’s international university with an unsurpassed international in-country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries around the world, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the largest international student cohort in Scotland.

At Heriot-Watt we’ve created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.

We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students. Our focus on careers delivers results and we’ve an excellent reputation for graduate employability.

In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. For all of our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be.

Our values are:

- Belong
- Collaborate
- Inspire
- Celebrate

As learning, living and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot-Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a University community and help us to become the best at what we do.

For full details on our University, please view our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/about.htm

‘How to Apply’

Please submit your CV and a cover letter setting out how you meet the criteria for this role.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to complete an on-demand-video interview as the first stage of the selection process. Successful candidates will then proceed to in-person formal interviews at our Dubai campus.

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.

The appointment is conditional upon successful completion of all Labor and Immigration formalities, and the start date will need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place.