Creative Lab Technologist
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
The Creative Impact Lab is an exciting new initiative within the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences to develop and support the use of, and innovation in, creative methodologies across the School. The lab aims to nurture collaboration and co-creation with researchers, communities and creative industries, providing catalysts for impact pipelines and engaged practice research.
The Creative Lab Technologist role is a diverse and innovative post to support the multilayers of impact and creative practice research requirements across the School and will sit within and be aligned with the College’s wider Research Support function and strategy. The post holder will provide lab-based and field-based technical and practical support to research, knowledge exchange/impact and methods related to research impact and engagement projects in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences. They will work extensively with members of the Human Geography and Earth Systems Science Research Groups, developing strong relationships with the Impact Champions for each research group.
The postholder will undertake planned and reactive work and respond efficiently to changing team priorities in line with the service orientated ethos of the team.
Main duties & responsibilities
- To act as a central point of contact for providing specialist expertise, advice and training to research and scholarship staff and students on the use of creative methodologies and outputs, including the use of specific equipment and their application in research/impact activities.
- To provide technical support and training to assist academics and other professional services colleagues with maintaining digital resources, supporting proposal submissions and rectifying faults/problems with technology working to a safe, professional standard.
- To support academic staff in planning, preparation and delivery of creative methods for impact and research activities. Domestic and international travel for impact and engagement projects when needed.
- To maintain and continually update knowledge of advancements in relevant creative methodologies and technologies and their applications.
- To contribute to documenting and interpreting research results in relation to impact/engagement work with communities and for inclusion in papers and reports and contributing to research projects within the School.
- To manage the Creative Impact Lab budget and advise on purchasing of equipment/software/materials and training events following consultation with appropriate staff.
- To contribute to the production of draft impact narratives, including planning and gathering relevant evidence to facilitate submission to future research assessments
- To work alongside colleagues in the Communications Support Office to support academics in the development of impact plans for new and existing research projects in order to maximise the potential for wider societal impact, working across research disciplines as appropriate, both within the UK and overseas.
- To work with a range of stakeholders to support the planning of strategic research marketing campaigns and activities that target key audiences including, but not limited to, policy makers in local, national and supra-national governments, private and third sector organisations, our major research funders, researchers within other Colleges in the University of Glasgow, and researchers at other institutions.
- To support the design and implementation of specific social media action plans to create an appropriate and sustainable social media presence in relation to research, and support colleagues to implement this.
- To provide support for the delivery of professional websites, from design, creation, and maintenance to supporting and training of ‘non-technical’ colleagues enabling them to create and upload their own content.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- A Masters or PhD qualification, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline/business area with evidence of continued professional development in creative methodologies/practice.
- Significant experience in the design and delivery of creative methodologies, techniques, approaches and strategies, including electronic and web-based approaches.
- Understanding of academic environment including the complex mix of pressures, constraints and motivations of academic staff, schools, research institutes, the college and the institution.
- Understanding of the structures and priorities of research users, partners, collaborators and funders.
- Knowledge and understanding of the impact agenda, specifically linked to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) or funding councils.
- Knowledge of methods and models of knowledge exchange and research impact.
- Knowledge of the funding environment for academic research.
- Knowledge and/or qualifications in the use of photo and video production and editing equipment and software as well as website design and editing.
Skills
Essential
- Highly developed creative methods/practice skills with a critical eye for detail.
- Strong written communication skills with the ability to interpret complex ideas and communicate them through a variety of channels to a range of audiences.
- Strong oral and aural communication skills, with the ability to engage with a wide range of researchers to tell compelling stories about them and their research.
- Ability to work as part of a distributed team, exercising judgement on which modes of partnership working are best suited to each team, group or school.
- Ability to exercise initiative, set priorities and solve problems.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to understand, interpret and summarise complex information to be understood by a broad audience of non-specialists.
- Strong organisational skills.
- Ability to use a broad range of communication methods and systems to disseminate and promote information and guidance related to research impact.
- Ability to engage with and secure co-operation from both academic colleagues and users of research.
Experience
Essential
- Typically 3 years relevant experience with qualification as in A1 or evidence of progression and development gained in a relevant role.
- Experience of impact work either in a private, public, third sector and/or HE setting.
- Experience of successfully developing research with a range of media.
- Experience of successfully developing and implementing marketing campaigns and action plans, targeted at a range of specific audiences.
- Experience of creating website content as well as managing, developing and maintaining websites.
- Experience of project management, successfully delivering projects on time and on budget.
Desirable
- Experience of the Higher Education research environment and supporting/advising academic staff.
- Experience of working with MSc and MRes students to support research design.
- Previous experience of working with users of research (lay public and/or policy and practitioners)
- Experience of working in Higher Education in a research impact or other relevant role, e.g. Communications, Researcher Development, Knowledge Exchange, Community or Public Engagement.
- Experience of managing information using databases and administrative records.
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 13 October 2025.
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 6, £33,951 - £37,694 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours per week), and has funding for up to 3 years in the first instance.
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension , benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community here.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/benefits-salary-and-flexible-working for more information.
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created a guide to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability