Academic Lab Engineer: Instrumentation & Research Support

Diplomatic Congress of Franklin & Marshall College; United States; On-site; USD 78,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA seeks a full-time Instructional and Research Support Engineer to maintain, repair, and upgrade physics lab instruments and equipment used in undergraduate courses.

The role collaborates with Physics & Astronomy faculty to design new demonstrations, support research projects, and manage lab spaces, safety, and inventory. Strong troubleshooting, repair skills, and cross-disciplinary teamwork are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
• At least 5 years of instrumentation, laboratory support, or research engineering experience.
• Ability to diagnose and repair electronic/electromechanical systems.
• Strong organizational and communication skills; ability to work across disciplines.
• Excellent oral, written, interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Google Suite (Docs, Gmail, Sheets, Slides, Drive).
• Commitment to community and belonging.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, repair, and upgrade laboratory instruments and equipment for undergraduate Physics and Astronomy courses.
• Set up instructional labs during the academic year and manage inventory of supplies and equipment.
• Coordinate procurement, repairs, and vendor relationships; train students and staff in equipment use.
• Collaborate with faculty to develop and implement new laboratory exercises and demonstrations.
• Support research projects with instrumentation design, data collection, and troubleshooting.
• Maintain a safe, organized lab/workshop environment including electronics and machine shop spaces.

Skills

Instrumentation

Diagnostics

Communication

Teamwork

Google Suite

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Python

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA seeks a full-time Instructional and Research Support Engineer to maintain, repair, and upgrade physics lab instruments and equipment used in undergraduate courses.

The role collaborates with Physics & Astronomy faculty to design new demonstrations, support research projects, and manage lab spaces, safety, and inventory. Strong troubleshooting, repair skills, and cross-disciplinary teamwork are essential.