For 75 years, Charles River has helped advance the discovery, development and safe manufacture of life-changing medicines. We are now looking for an experienced Maintenance Electrician to join our Facilities team in Tranent.
This is an exciting opportunity to work within a highly regulated scientific and research environment, supporting critical electrical infrastructure that enables world-class research and development activities.
As a key member of the Facilities team, you will be responsible for planned preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance, fault finding and repair activities across a diverse range of electrical systems and site services. The role also includes participation in an on-call rota to ensure critical site operations remain fully supported.
Whether your background is in manufacturing, facilities management, healthcare, higher education, pharmaceuticals or another regulated environment, this role offers the opportunity to apply your electrical expertise within a stable global organisation committed to improving human and animal health.
Job Overview
We are delighted to be recruiting for a Maintenance Electrician to join our Site Services Engineering team based in Tranent.
This is an excellent opportunity to work within a large, technically diverse environment, supporting critical infrastructure across our sites in Tranent, Elvingston and Riccarton. You’ll play a key role in maintaining electrical systems that support world-class scientific research and laboratory operations.
The role offers a varied workload, combining planned preventative maintenance, reactive repairs, installations and fault finding across a broad range of electrical systems and equipment. No two days are the same, making this an ideal opportunity for an electrician who enjoys problem solving and working within a dynamic environment.
Whether you’re currently working in manufacturing, facilities management, industrial maintenance or a similar environment, this is an opportunity to join a stable global organisation where you’ll work on a wide variety of electrical systems across multiple sites.
Reporting to the Site Services Engineering Supervisor, you will be responsible for carrying out electrical maintenance, repairs and installations across our facilities. While primarily based in Tranent, the role supports electrical maintenance activities across our three Edinburgh-area sites.
This is a permanent, full-time position operating on a varied shift pattern, including evenings.
What you'll be doing
Key Responsibilities:
- Deliver electrical repair and maintenance services across our sites in Tranent, Elvingston and Riccarton.
- Carry out electrical installations, maintenance and repairs in accordance with current regulations.
- Install electrical and data cabling systems.
- Perform fault finding, diagnostics and corrective maintenance activities.
- Undertake portable appliance testing (PAT) and maintain accurate records.
- Maintain and service electrical infrastructure and equipment.
- Participate in generator testing and equipment restart procedures.
- Manage and update work orders through our maintenance management system (Maximo).
- Support operational teams by responding to site maintenance requirements.
- Liaise with external contractors and service engineers.
- Maintain accurate electronic and written maintenance records.
- Support high-voltage maintenance activities where appropriately qualified.
Skills, Experience & Qualifications
- Qualified Electrician with a minimum of 18th Edition Wiring Regulations certification and relevant industry qualifications.
- Experience working as an Electrician, ideally within an industrial, manufacturing, facilities or engineering environment.
- Strong fault-finding and diagnostic skills.
- Full UK Driving Licence and access to your own transport.
- Right to work in the UK.
- Excellent communication and customer service skills.
- Methodical approach to work with a strong focus on safety and risk assessment.
- Collaborative team player who can also work independently when required.
- Ability to work to deadlines and manage changing priorities.
- Comfortable working at height and in confined spaces when required.
- Willingness to participate in overtime when necessary to support business needs.
Please note: Due to the nature of this role, you will be required to participate in a rotational out-of-hours on-call service following successful completion of your probationary period. Access to your own transport is essential to enable attendance at site when required.
What You Can Expect From Us
At Charles River, we recognise that our people are our greatest asset. In return for your expertise, we’ll provide:
- World-class training and structured career development opportunities
- Competitive salary
- Private Healthcare
- Pension scheme with 8% employer contribution
- Life assurance of 6x annual salary
- Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
- Employee discount platform with savings across hundreds of retailers
- One paid volunteering day per year
- Free onsite fitness suite and fitness classes
- Subsidised staff canteen
- Free onsite parking
Join a skilled engineering team supporting a diverse and technically challenging environment while building a long-term career with a global organisation.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organisation (CRO) providing discovery, safety assessment and manufacturing support services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government and academic clients worldwide.
With more than 20,000 employees across over 20 countries, we play a critical role in helping our clients accelerate the development of therapies that improve health outcomes globally.
Helping you find your moment
You take great care and effort when you apply for a job with us. Rest assured that we’ll be just as diligent in finding the role that’s right for you. Here’s how our hiring process works:
Job Search
Learn about CRL, our culture, and why we do the work we do while also searching for roles that match your interests and expertise.
Application
Create a profile and apply to as many roles as you have an interest.
Note: Depending on the role, you may be required to include a resume in your application.
Assessment and application review
Complete assessments, if requested, to determine whether the role is likely to be a good fit for you – and vice versa. The recruiter will review your resume and qualifications against the requirements of the role and will determine next steps.
Note: At any point in the process, you can log into your profile to review the status of your application.
Interview
Engage in our interview process by meeting with a group of interviewers who will provide information on the company, culture, and your role while also asking you questions to assess your skills, interests, and expertise. This is also a great time for you to ask questions and better understand how we foster a sense of belonging at Charles River.
Note: Charles River leverages technical and behavioral-based interview questions based on our DNA (Care, Lead, Own, and Collaborate). Please familiarize yourself with the DNA and be prepared to relate your experiences to them.
Job offer and onboarding
Receive a competitive offer either by phone or email from a Charles River recruiter or hiring manager. The offer will include your title, salary, location, and other relevant information.
Note: Upon acceptance, you will work with your recruiter to confirm a start date and will receive paperwork to electronically complete prior to your start. For US-based roles, upon your acceptance, you will be required to take a pre-employment drug screen and pass a criminal background check.
Job Search
Learn about CRL, our culture, and why we do the work we do while also searching for roles that match your interests and expertise.
Application
Create a profile and apply to as many roles as you have an interest. Note: Depending on the role, you may be required to include a resume in your application.
Assessment and Application Review
Complete assessments, if requested, to determine whether the role is likely to be a good fit for you – and vice versa. The recruiter will review your resume and qualifications against the requirements of the role and will determine next steps.
Note: At any point in the process, you can log into your profile to review the status of your application.
Interview
Engage in our interview process by meeting with a group of interviewers who will provide information on the company, culture, and your role while also asking you questions to assess your skills, interests, and expertise. This is also a great time for you to ask questions and better understand how we foster a sense of belonging at Charles River. Note: Charles River leverages technical and behavioral-based interview questions based on our DNA (Care, Lead, Own, and Collaborate). Please familiarize yourself with the DNA and be prepared to relate your experiences to them.
Job offer and onboarding
Receive a competitive offer either by phone or email from a Charles River recruiter or hiring manager. The offer will include your title, salary, location, and other relevant information. Note: Upon acceptance, you will work with your recruiter to confirm a start date and will receive paperwork to electronically complete prior to your start. For US-based roles, upon your acceptance, you will be required to take a pre-employment drug screen and pass a criminal background check.
Featured jobs
Important things are happening every moment at Charles River. This means exciting new career opportunities for you to explore. Take a look and apply today!
Looking for something else? Search all jobs.
Moment by moment
At Charles River, you’ll be able to contribute to incredible breakthroughs while experiencing exciting opportunities for growth and development.
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UX/UI Designer
Advocate for user-centered design solutions. Create distinctive, consistent, branded digital experiences across multiple platforms, devices, and channels.
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Sr. UX/UI Designer
Define and drive UX/UI strategies and interaction designs – from scratch and for scale – that solve business and user problems.
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Associate Director
Work with Sr. UX/IX Designers and developers to assess problems and develop solutions. Execute on plan by building coding standardisations and automating processes.
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Director, Digital Data Enablement
Lead UX management and operational teams across business units and technical teams. Identify and define fit-for-purpose strategies to integrate best practices.
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Sr. Director UX/UI Design
Mentor, coach, and guide designer teams on design strategy related to research insights, execution, continuous integration, and automated deployment.
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Animal Care Technician I-IV
Maintain the well-being of our animals by providing food, water, and a clean environment.
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Animal Care Technologist I-IV
Provide specialised care to maintain and monitor our animal's health and physical environment.
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Veterinary Technician
Help monitor, document, and triage all laboratory animal health cases.
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Team Leader / Supervisor
Supervise, train, mobilise, empower, and develop a high-performing team.
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Research Associate
Coordinate and plan activities according to study plan guidelines.
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Intern Level I
Support process/procedure improvement based on site and department needs. Gain knowledge of our corporate environment to navigate cross-functional department collaboration.
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Intern Level II
Complete comprehensive departmental projects incorporating mentorship of Level I interns as a professional development component.
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Biomanufacturing Technician I-III
Oversee the production, formulation, and banking of cellular products while maintaining compliance with GMP, GDP, and aseptic guidelines.
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Biomanufacturing Lead / Specialist
Maintain in-depth knowledge of specialised equipment to address questions as a Subject Matter Expert for the required equipment.
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Clinical Veterinarian I-III
Responsible for delivering professional veterinary services and helping to manage all phases of health care for the animal colony.
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Senior Clinical Veterinarian
Utlise knowledge of laboratory animal medicine to optimise the scientific objectives of animal research protocols.
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Principal Veterinarian / Associate Director
Conduct veterinary consultations, make treatment recommendations, communicate with study directors, and follow cases through to resolution.
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Director, Laboratory Animal Medicine
Provide technical and professional oversight of all animal care and use functions involving site laboratory animals.
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Technician I-III
Follow SOP and protocols in the areas of animal handling, husbandry, and blood/urine collection.
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Technician IV-V
Handle advanced technician duties, including anesthesia, leadership and specialised sample collections.
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Project Leader (Scientific)
Serve as a scientific expert for the Lab with responsibility for staff-conducted studies.
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Team Leader (People Leader)
Oversee team activities and gain leadership skills on the path to becoming a Team Supervisor.
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Team Supervisor (People Leader)
Responsible for overall employee supervision, staff development, and team success.
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Financial Analyst
Help analyse financial data, extract/define relevant information, and interpret data.
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Financial Analyst II
Responsible for analysis, forecasting, budgeting, accounting administration, and reporting of projects.
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Senior Financial Analyst
Handle weekly and monthly forecasting and annual budget preparation. Prepare financials and key indicators for business reviews.
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Manager, Business Finance
Partner with operating businesses to raise standards in key decision areas. Present a dynamic industry, competitor, and economic context.
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Finance Director, Operation
Support all business aspects, working with site teams to direct weekly/monthly forecasting and annual budget preparation.
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Biomanufacturing Technician I
Support the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing).
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Biomanufacturing Technician II
Perform specialised activities in the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing). Train Biomanufacturing Technician 1.
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Biomanufacturing Technician III
Help advance the production, formulation, and banking of novel cellular products (including cGMP, GDP, and aseptic processing) while interacting with clients.
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Biomanufacturing Lead / Specialist
Maintain in-depth knowledge of specialised equipment to address questions as a Subject Matter Expert for the required equipment.
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Biomanufacturing Supervisor
Oversee biomanufacturing personnel, ensuring compliance with cGMP’s, CRL quality systems, and process documents in biomanufacturing.
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Biomanufacturing Manager
Lead biomanufacturing activities in the start-up and cGMP production of novel cellular products. Schedule and manage staff, ensuring a safe and compliant working environment.
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Client Manager
Ensures high-quality customer service through multi-site coordination. Deliver timely, accurate, and comprehensive responses to sponsor requests.
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Business Development Director
Deliver profitable sales growth by targeting and visiting clients to build strong relationships and customer loyalty.
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Senior Business Development Director
Plan and execute a territory-based field sales strategy. Drive growth through targeted long- and short-term account plans.
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Regional Sales Manager
Manage sales team within North America's Safety Assessment sales region to achieve sales and profit goals.
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Director
Partner with site leadership to achieve performance goals, develop staff, and deliver succession planning.
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Senior Director / General Manager
Lead a multi-functional team to ensure integrated operations. Collaborate with senior leadership to form plans, objectives, and policies.
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Executive Director
Lead a global, mutidisciplinary team. Develop short and long-term strategic plans tp maximise growth and profitability.
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Corporate Vice President
Provide leadership, direction, and advice to leadership and finance teams. Accountable for financial planning, directing, and controlling.
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About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage Contract Research Organisation (CRO). Here, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. With 100 sites around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our clients’ unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions around the world.
Supporting your well-being
Your dedication and passion make a life-saving difference in lives around the world. We’re committed to providing you with benefits that elevate your quality of life.
Financial
- Earnings + incentives
- Retirement benefits
- Holidays + time away
- Recognition
- Employee Assistance
Career
- Professional development opportunities
- Career development
- Awards
- Educational support
Health & wellness provision
- Employee well-being support
- Family Support Assistance
- Parental benefits + family formation benefits
- Work-life balance flexibility
Social and Community
- Culture of inclusion
- 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) with >3,000 members
- Opportunities for paid volunteer time off
- Community outreach + matching gift + engagement activities
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage Contract Research Organisation (CRO). Here, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. With 100 sites around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our clients’ unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions around the world.