Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell
Salary: £19,514 per annum (rising annually throughout the apprenticeship)
Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 48 months
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours
Location: Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD
Closing Date: 28th June 2026
Interview Date: W/C 13th July 2026
Start Date: W/C 7th or 14th September 2026

Before applying to this position, please ensure you have read the job description in full, including information on eligibility requirements and the selection process.

Are you passionate about how things work and love solving technical problems? Join us as an Engineering Apprentice and kick-start your future in a dynamic, hands-on role.

The Medical Research Council’s Mary Lyon Centre (MLC) based at Harwell has an exciting vacancy for a Level 3 Engineering Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship. You’ll earn while you learn, gain real-world experience on exciting projects, work alongside expert engineers who will mentor and support you and build skills that open doors to a rewarding career in engineering where every day is different.

The support of scientific research through high-quality technical skills and training is paramount to robust, reproducible research. In genetics science we are faced with the challenge of unravelling and ultimately developing therapies for many human diseases. Central to all scientific progress is the delivery of high-quality technical support. This apprenticeship is an excellent pathway for someone who is keen to support the maintenance of the MLC’s facilities and equipment. You will be fully supported throughout your apprenticeship, with opportunities to grow your experience and confidence.

About The Department

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) is located in an expanding science and innovation campus in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of research groups across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders and neuro-degeneration.

The MRC is an excellent place to develop yourself further and a range of training & development opportunities will be available to you, including professional registration with the Science Council.

The Medical Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the largest public sector funder of research and innovation with an annual budget of over £8bn and includes seven research councils. Click here to find out more about UKRI.

About an Apprenticeship at UKRI

With training and support from experts in their fields, you’ll relish the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours whilst making a real difference in your role. You will be able to develop both professionally and as a critical member of the team in an environment you won’t find anywhere else.

We will support you every step of the way, helping you make the most of your opportunities and to achieve the goals you already have – and those you have yet to discover!

We provide an opportunity to really pursue your interests and passion, with access to a dedicated UKRI Early Careers Network. UKRI offers the following:

A benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays and an exceptional pension scheme
Cycle-2-work scheme
Discount vouchers for high street stores and attractions

A full list of our benefits can be found here: https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/working-at-ukri/

About the Role

As an engineering maintenance apprentice at the Mary Lyon Centre, the appointed individual will gain experience. They will learn to maintain and install many different engineering systems, including but not limited to:

Air Handling Plant
Hot & Cold Water Piped Systems
Low Temperature Hot Water Boilers
Steam Boilers & Associated Plant
Robotic Cage Cleaning & Automation Process Equipment
Low Voltage Electrical Systems
Building Management System Controls monitoring

Throughout the apprenticeship, the successful candidate will work with our in-house team of experienced engineers to deliver first-class levels of service and maintenance to one of the world’s leading facilities in animal research.

What You Wil Learn

Level 3 Engineering Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship – Dual Discipline

You will undertake your apprenticeship training with Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS), developing engineering maintenance competencies in both electrical and mechanical maintenance knowledge, skills and behaviours

In partnership with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and OAS you will also have the opportunity to undertake the QuEST programme building a strong foundation in high-value skills such as:

Scientific Vacuum Technology and Cryogenics
Precision fitting, milling and turning
High purity gas systems and machine welding

Throughout the apprenticeship you will gain hands-on experience in world-class facilities, helping to maintain the equipment and facilities that support cutting-edge science and innovation whilst building skills that will open doors to a rewarding career in Engineering.

Programme Structure

Year 1: Block-release training at OAS in Culham, rotating through 4-6 week blocks combined with on-the-job training at the MLC
Year 2: Continued block-release training at OAS supplemented with QuEST modules delivered by STFC staff in collaboration with UKAEA, covering technologies for Quantum, Fusion and high-tech engineering. On-the-job training at the MLC
Year 3-4: Fully embedded in the workplace, applying your skills in real-world engineering environments as you progress toward becoming a qualified Engineering Technician.

Travel to OAS is required, with excess costs covered.

For more information about Oxfordshire Advanced Skills, please visit: Level 3 Apprenticeships | OAS

What We Are Looking For

To apply for this apprenticeship, you will need to demonstrate within your CV that you meet the following criteria. Evidence may be used from current or prior paid employment, voluntary roles or educational experiences.

Where indicated, this detail will be assessed at shortlisting (S), interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential:

5 GCSEs including Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) or equivalent qualifications (S)
An awareness of basic health and safety (I)
Enthusiastic and motivated to learn, both in the workplace and through formal training (I)
A genuine interest in science, engineering, or technology and the work of MRC (S&I)
An interest in how things work and a willingness to develop technical skills through hands-on experience (S&I)
Enjoys solving problems, thinking things through, and coming up with ideas that work (I)
Passion for technical projects related to this apprenticeship (S&I)
IT literacy and working with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint (S)

We encourage you to be clear and specific about what motivates you about this apprenticeship role and how your interests align with the work of the MLC.

Apprenticeship Core Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to be considered for the apprenticeship programme you must:

Have evidence of 5 GCSE including Maths and English GCSE at grade 4/C or above (or equivalent i.e. Level 2 Functional Skills).
Have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 consecutive years prior to the apprentice start date. Please check your eligibility here
Confirm that this apprenticeship offers substantive new skills and knowledge and that you have not already achieved an equivalent or higher-level qualification in a similar or related subject. If you already hold a Level 3 Engineering qualification i.e. BTEC Extended Diploma, or an Engineering T-Level, please include as an attachment your transcript(s) outlining the grade(s) achieved and modules covered.

As part of our shortlisting process, we may be required to determine your eligibility to undertake the programme based on the information provided within your application. By applying for this apprenticeship, you are giving permission for your details to be shared with the relevant training provider.

We will be in touch after the closing date, however, please reach out on apprenticerecruitment@ukri.org if you have any questions. 

Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received. 

Selection Process

As part of our application process, you will be required to submit a CV and a cover letter. Your CV should include your GCSE results and details of any other relevant qualifications and units covered, and information on your skills, experience, or achievements that relate to the role.

If you already hold a Level 3 Engineering qualification i.e. BTEC Extended Diploma, or an Engineering T-Level, please include as an attachment your transcript(s) outlining the grade(s) achieved and modules covered.

If your qualifications were obtained outside the UK, please attach your UK ENIC certificate of comparability to show the UK-equivalent level.

Your cover letter should state why you want to join this apprenticeship. It should cover how you meet all criteria listed in the advert. Include your reasons for joining UKRI/MRC-MLC and the role. Highlight any relevant experience, including part-time work, school projects, volunteering, or extracurricular activities

Interview

Your application will be shortlisted against the essential criteria outlined in this role. Interviews will also be conducted in line with the essential criteria. If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to a final interview which may be held on site in person.

Outcome and Feedback

Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application and any interviews as soon as practicable. Feedback will be provided only to candidates who attend an interview or assessment.

Screening

As part of the pre-employment checks, there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment, and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded.

Right to Work

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the apprenticeship in line with funding rules. Holding a time‑limited visa does not automatically make a candidate ineligible, as some visa types allow permission to be extended. Eligibility will be assessed based on evidence of current and permitted right to work.

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y

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 rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.

The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) is located in an expanding science and innovation park in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of distinct research clusters spread across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders and neurodegeneration.

The MRC is a great place to work and progress your career, be it in scientific research or the support functions. There is a range of training and development opportunities that will be available to you, including professional registration with the Science Council.

UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.

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