Laboratory Technician

SGS Consulting; Redmond; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

SGS Consulting is seeking a Lab Operations Technician to keep prototyping labs and tool stations running, calibrating and maintaining equipment, and training others on the stations. You will manage materials, safety, and compliance while supporting a fast-moving R&D environment with shifting priorities.

Your hands-on role spans optical, mechanical, electrical, and additive tools; you will work independently to ensure readiness and stewardship of lab assets in a dynamic AR/VR prototyping lab

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on experience as lab, test, or manufacturing technician in R&D or prototyping.
• Associate’s degree or technical certificate in engineering or technical field.
• Experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting precision lab equipment.
• Strong lab safety knowledge: chemical handling, SDS, ESD, laser safety (Class 3B/4).
• Experience writing SOPs and keeping accurate equipment logs and inventory.
• Ability to manage multiple requests with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Operate assembly and alignment stations for prototype builds and calibrations.
• Run lens fabrication, metrology, and alignment tools and document results to SOPs.
• Support calibration stations, solar simulators, and data collection workflows.
• Operate rapid-prototyping equipment and manage print queues and post-processing.
• Maintain equipment readiness, perform preventative maintenance, and coordinate service.
• Update lab inventory, SOP docs, and training records for staff.

Skills

Hands-on equipment operation

Lab safety compliance

Documentation & records

Education

Associate’s degree or technical certificate

Tools

R5 Prototyping Tool

R7 MDA Tool

Coburn Surface Generator

Optical Dynamics Q-2100

3D printers (Bambu X1 / Formlabs SLA)

Epilog laser cutter

Keyence VR-6000 profiler

Job description

• Client’s Advanced Development Team (ADT) in Labs is looking for a Lab Operations Technician to keep our prototyping labs and tool stations running. ADT builds AR and smart glasses prototypes (display engines, eyepieces, monocular display assemblies, and full glasses) across several labs and a cleanroom.
• This role owns the day-to-day operation, upkeep, and readiness of that equipment: running process tools for builds, keeping tools calibrated and maintained, managing materials and consumables, keeping the lab safe and compliant, and training others on the stations.
• The ideal candidate is hands-on, organized, and detail-oriented, comfortable with a wide mix of optical, mechanical, electrical, and additive tools, and able to work independently in a fast-moving R&D environment where priorities change often.

Responsibilities

• Operate ADT’s assembly and alignment stations to support prototype builds, including the R5 Prototyping Tool, R7 MDA Tool, display engine (DE) active alignment and DE lens-panel active alignment stations, the BDA tool, and the Nordson ProPlus 3-axis adhesive dispenser.
• Run in-house lens fabrication and Rx support: Coburn Surface Generator, Optical Dynamics Q-2100 lens casting and coating, MEI EasyFit Trend edging, Keyence UV laser marking, and Nidek lensometer verification.
• Support display calibration and characterization stations (Geo-Cal/GDC and IOT calibration stations, solar simulator) and surface metrology (Keyence VR-6000 profiler): set up fixtures, run data collection to SOP, and organize and upload results.
• Operate and maintain rapid-prototyping equipment: Bambu X1/X1 Carbon, Prusa, and Formlabs SLA 3D printers, Epilog laser cutter, ultrasonic cleaner, lab ovens, and solder stations; manage print queues and post-processing.
• Own equipment readiness: preventive maintenance, calibration tracking (last/next calibration dates), first-line troubleshooting and repair, and coordinating vendor service, installs, and new-tool bring-up and training.
• Keep the ADT Hub lab inventory current (equipment status, location, tool owner, trained users, manuals and SOP links, floor-plan pins) and maintain prototype storage and inventory.
• Manage lab materials and consumables (adhesives, solvents/IPA, lens blanks, filament and resin, cleanroom supplies): track stock, reorder, and receive.
• Maintain lab safety and EHS compliance: chemical inventory and SDS, fume hoods and adhesive storage, hazardous waste, laser safety (Class 3B/4 controls, interlocks, signage, PPE), ESD, and cleanroom protocols.
• Write and maintain SOPs, work instructions, and tool user guides; train and sign off engineers and technicians on tools and keep training records.
• Support lab capital equipment purchases with the required documentation (spec sheets, SDS, manuals, EHS classification) and help plan lab layouts and equipment moves.
• Work with ADT engineers and partner teams (Proto machine shop, TCMD metrology, calibration teams) to route work to the right tool or partner.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on experience as a lab, test, or manufacturing technician in an R&D, prototyping, or hardware development environment.
• Associate’s degree or technical certificate in an engineering or technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting precision lab or process equipment (e.g., dispensing, alignment, metrology, or optical fabrication tools).
• Working knowledge of lab safety: chemical handling and SDS, ESD controls, and laser safety (up to Class 3B/4).
• Experience following and writing SOPs/work instructions and keeping accurate records (equipment logs, calibration, inventory).
• Strong organization and attention to detail; able to manage multiple requests and shifting priorities with minimal oversight.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical or ophthalmic lens processing (surfacing, casting, coating, edging, lensometry) or optical alignment.
• Experience with camera- or display-based calibration and metrology stations.
• Experience operating and maintaining 3D printers (FDM, SLA) and laser cutting/marking systems.
• Cleanroom experience; familiarity with adhesive dispensing and UV cure processes.
• Soldering and basic electronics rework.
• Prior work in AR/VR, consumer electronics, or optics.
• Familiarity with inventory or asset tracking tools, Jira, and basic scripting (Python) or AI tools to automate lab workflows.

Must-Have Skills

• Hands-on operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of precision lab or process equipment in an R&D or prototyping lab.
• Lab safety and compliance: chemical/SDS handling, ESD, and laser safety (Class 3B/4).
• Organized, accurate documentation: SOPs, equipment and calibration logs, and inventory records.

Nice-to-have Skills

• Optical or ophthalmic lens processing, or optical alignment and metrology.
• 3D printer and laser cutter/marker operation and maintenance.
• Cleanroom, adhesive dispensing/UV cure, or soldering/rework experience.