Job vacancies at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Join our friendly international community of over 150 staff here at Sainsbury Wellcome Centre where we support extraordinary people to tackle extraordinary problems.
Comprising of 12 research groups made up of Postdoctoral Researchers, PhD Students, Research Assistants and Master’s Students who all are working towards understanding how the brain drives behaviour. Alongside, are professional and scientific staff who provide indispensable expertise to support SWC’s mission.
Current vacancies
Find the latest vacancies below and apply online via the UCL jobs website. You can also follow us on Twitter @SWC_Neuro for the latest job opportunities or sign up for regular job alerts on the UCL application portal.
Senior Research Technician - Internal applicants only
Reference: B02-09586
Salary: £43,981 - £52,586 per annum inclusive of London Allowance
Working Type: Onsite
Closing date: 28th October 2025
About the role
We are looking for a motivated and organised Senior Research Technician to join the O'Keefe Lab at SWC. The labs current research is directed toward unravelling the role of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus in spatial memory and navigation, and understanding the mechanisms underlying short term memories in the amygdala. We employ a range of technologies including tetrode and high density neuropixels electrophysiological probes, two photon imaging in conjunction with virtual reality environment, and novel maze tasks. You will contribute to the work of the O’Keefe laboratory, participating in all aspects of the team’s work, supporting the O’Keefe group’s research programme and directly contributing to research projects. You will primarily work on projects looking at the role of the rodent hippocampal system in spatial language and navigation. As part of this project, you will run rodent behavioural experiments, collect and analyse behavioural data, and contribute to computational models. You will also have the opportunity to assist in collecting and analysing in vivo electrophysiological recordings.
This post is for internal applicants only and funded for one year in the first instance.
Download the job description and person specification (PDF) here.
About you
You will hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in neuroscience, molecular biology, engineering, physics or a related field. Experience of working in a research laboratory and running rodent behavioural assays are essential, as well as programming experience (C++, Python, Matlab). We are looking for an excellent communicator with the ability to prioritise and integrate demands of a range of different activities and deadlines in parallel.
What we offer
The SWC offers staff an award-winning work environment in the heart of Fitzrovia with access to pleasant outdoor spaces. The Centre also offers the full range of UCL staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement, occupational pension schemes, excellent family-friendly policies such as occupational shared parental pay, a work-life balance policy, and a range of financial benefits such as a season ticket loan scheme and staff discounts. SWC prides itself on offering a high quality administrative, technical and operational support function, and fully supports the professional development and progression of its staff, actively encouraging colleagues to learn new skills and broaden their experience. The SWC is supported in this aim by UCL’s Organisational Development team who run a wide range of training programmes for all staff types and grades.
How to apply
Visit UCL Jobs and search for vacancy reference:B02-09586. Click on “Apply Now” to enter the recruitment portal and start your application.
Your application must explain how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. More information on this can be found in the candidate guidance.
Want to know more? Read our Why join SWC? page to learn about our values and commitments, state of the art Centre, staff benefits and awards.
Interested in joining us? Find out more about How to Apply.
For general enquiries please contact the SWC HR team swc.hr@ucl.ac.uk, +44 (0)20 3108 8011.
Our commitment to Equality Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia. SWC is delighted to have received an Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2021. We stand by our commitment to positive action to improve equality and accessibility in the workplace. We will provide reasonable adjustments to enable people to work and flourish with us.
SWC is proud to uphold both UCL’s Dignity at Work and Work-Life Balance policies. As Centre we commit to fostering a positive cultural climate where all staff and students can thrive and actively support Wellbeing@UCL, UCL community, supported by our Wellbeing.