Laboratory Technician
Salary £ 27k–30k DOE
Nottingham, UK
Vacancy listed 14/04/2026
Application deadline 31/05/2026
Details
Background:
We at Cerca Magnetics Limited (Cerca) all have a shared goal: to make a real difference to people’s lives through technological advances. If you want to do the same, joining our passionate team of technical, engineering and business experts might be the right career move for you.

Cerca was founded in 2020 and works in partnership with The University of Nottingham and Magnetic Shields Limited. The team have commercialised the world’s most advanced functional brain scanner - a lightweight wearable device that uses Optically-Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) to measure the magnetic fields within the brain. Unlike other scanners such as MRI, our system can be worn by both adults and children as the participant can move whilst being scanned. The information provided could contribute towards medical advances in treating epilepsy and other neurological conditions such as mTBI and dementia. We are currently working towards gaining medical approvals for use in epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.

Following initial sales in the research market, Cerca’s vision is to offer the system to healthcare providers around the world and revolutionise functional brain imaging; to make a real difference to those that suffer from debilitating neurological problems. We share a dream of contributing towards the treatment of a young child who instead of facing a life suffering with daily epileptic seizures, could live their life free from the condition.

Description of the role:
As a Laboratory Technician at Cerca, you will play a central role in ensuring our lab environment operates efficiently to support both R&D and product delivery activities. In this role, you will be actively involved in system assembly and functional testing of our current products. You will also have the opportunity to design and conduct experiments to verify and validate the performance of products under development, as well as operate our scanners for customer-facing demonstrations.
 
You will be responsible for the general upkeep of the lab, ensuring the space is well organised and that equipment is properly calibrated and maintained. A key part of the role is coordinating lab activities and scheduling to maximise utilisation of the space, supporting both ongoing product delivery and R&D work.
 
As a Laboratory Technician, you will enable the successful deployment and ongoing development of wearable OPM-MEG systems, empowering researchers globally. You will make a strong contribution to both R&D and product development, helping to ensure systems are robust, reliable, and ready for real-world use.
 
Key role focus areas:
Hands-on Laboratory Responsibilities
  • Assemble Cerca products to defined specifications, ensuring systems are ready for dispatch. 
  • Operate wearable OPM-MEG systems to collect and analyse data for product quality assurance and to support verification and validation activities. 
  • Support system demonstrations for visitors and prospective customers, and assist with pilot data collection where required. 

Coordination of Lab Activities
  • Coordinate with engineers and technical teams to ensure effective use of lab space across product delivery and R&D activities. 
  • Maintain a clean, organised, and well-functioning laboratory environment. 
  • Manage laboratory equipment, including calibration, maintenance, and record-keeping. 

System & Documentation Support
  • Maintain system and test documentation in line with internal quality processes, with a view toward ISO 13485 compliance. 
  • Support the development of technical files and customer-facing documentation. 

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
  • Work closely with Scientific, Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to support product delivery and ongoing development. 
  • Contribute to improving lab workflows, documentation, and tools to enhance efficiency, repeatability, and quality.

Required skills & experience:
  • A STEM degree (e.g. BSc/HND in Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Electronics) or equivalent hands-on experience in mechanical assembly, system testing, or laboratory environments. 
  • Proficiency with test equipment and diagnostic tools (e.g., multimeters, oscilloscopes).
  • Experience in software environments such as MATLAB or python—particularly signal processing.
  • Strong attention to detail, with the ability to follow procedures and maintain accurate records. 
  • Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team. 
  • Ability to balance hands-on practical work with an understanding of system-level behaviour. 
  • A proactive and organised approach to work, with the ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment.

Desirable (nice to have):
  • Experience in magnetic shielding, sensing, or low noise environments.
  • Background in biomedical device installation, especially neuroimaging.
  • Familiarity with ISO documentation practices and standards (e.g., ISO 9001, 13485).

What you will bring to Cerca:
  • Precision and reliability—ensuring every system performs to specifications before and after deployment. 
  • A collaborative and scientific mindset—balancing technical rigour with real-world usability.
  • Commitment to continuous improvement, both in workflows and software tools.
  • Passion for making advanced brain imaging technologies accessible and impactful.

In line with the Equality Act 2010, Cerca understand and appreciate the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion, both in work and in life. We therefore actively encourage applications from all backgrounds, as we believe a more diverse team is a more successful team! We look forward to hearing from you.

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