Michalina Mazurczyk writes about her experiences as a Technician Champion, helping to deliver the University's Technician Commitment; a UK-wide initiative to recognise the valuable work of technical staff and support their professional development.
I have been working at the University of Oxford for nine years at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine Mass Cytometry Facility, based in RDM. In this role, I support researchers across the University and beyond, collaborating with both academic and private sector partners. Alongside this work, I had the privilege of serving as a Technician Champion twice, in 2023–24 and again in 2024–25. The Technician Champion initiative was designed as one of the ways to involve technical staff at the University of Oxford in our institution’s wider Technician Commitment activities.
What is the Technician Commitment?
The Technician Commitment is an initiative for universities and research institutions, focusing on four key areas: visibility, recognition, career development, and sustainability.
As a signatory to the Technician Commitment, the University of Oxford is working on increasing the visibility of technical staff, ensuring the valuable work they do is recognised, and their professional development and career progression are supported and technical staff themselves know how to drive their progression within University. The University developed and is actively implementing Action Plan. One way Oxford has delivered on the Action Plan is the appointment of Technician Champions.
Working at University Level
As a technical staff member, my day-to-day role usually means working within my facility and my own field of expertise. Stepping into the role of Technician Champion gave me the opportunity to represent not only technical staff across the University but also the Radcliffe Department of Medicine.
In 2024, I organised a University-wide conference for Scientific Research Facilities, bringing together more than 35 facilities from across Departments and Divisions. This project enabled me to work closely with the administrative team from People and Organisational Development, secure substantial funding, and gain experience that stretched far beyond running an SRF. It was a huge opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally.
My second project was the launch of a pilot scheme, within the Medical Sciences Division, Tech Shadow and Share, which encouraged skills and knowledge sharing among technical staff. I helped to bring the idea to life, from designing the framework to promoting the initiative through stands and conversations with colleagues. It gave me the chance to develop new skills in networking, marketing, and communications, while also building stronger connections across the department.
What it Meant to Me
These experiences were transformative in many ways. While working to highlight the expertise of the Scientific Research Facilities, I also raised my own visibility within the Department and across the University. As a result, I was invited to join committees, take part in decision-making workshops, and contribute to teaching and talks about my career path.
At the same time, I developed a new set of skills that went well beyond those I use in my day-to-day work. Project management, event organisation, and communications became part of my toolkit, adding to my confidence and professional versatility. Perhaps most importantly, by helping to bring the technical staff community together, I built a University-wide network of colleagues who have become long-term supporters.
Overall, my time as a Technician Champion was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and incredibly rewarding experience.
Getting Involved
You can learn more about getting involved in the University’s work to support technical staff by joining the Teams group or mailing list – find out more on the University’s webpages.