Director of Micro/Nano Fabrication & Research Infrastructure

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech's Micro-/Nanofabrication Cleanroom and Laboratory seeks a Technical and Research Infrastructure Director to provide strategic and operational leadership. You will translate institutional priorities into equipment upgrades, data-acquisition systems, and shared-user operations, guiding the technical roadmap and major equipment programs.

The role supervises staff, manages budgets and user fees, and coordinates with vendors, academic labs, and external partners to advance

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in engineering, physical science, applied science, or a related field, or a bachelor's degree with significant relevant professional experience.
• Professional experience in semiconductor fabrication, microfabrication, nanofabrication, scientific instrumentation, advanced manufacturing, or research infrastructure.
• Experience commissioning, integrating, modifying, troubleshooting, or managing sophisticated equipment.
• Experience with vacuum systems, lithography, plasma processing, thin-film deposition, instrumentation, controls, sensors, networking, laboratory automation, or a comparable technical area.
• Experience leading complex technical projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience with budget or resource-management responsibilities.
• Experience developing technical specifications, procedures, configuration records, or engineering documentation.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating technical personnel.

Responsibilities

• Lead the facility’s technical roadmap, major equipment programs, and infrastructure modernization.
• Oversee budgets, cost-recovery and user-fee structures, and the lab information management and billing platform.
• Coordinate with external partnerships, and approved user projects, across multiple labs and vendors.
• Supervise technical personnel and ensure configuration control and engineering standards.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Budget management

Technical documentation

Education

Advanced degree in engineering/physical science

Bachelor's degree with significant relevant experience

Tools

Vacuum systems

Lithography

Plasma processing

Thin-film deposition

Instrumentation

Controls

Sensors

Laboratory automation

Networking

Job description

Virginia Tech's Micro-/Nanofabrication Cleanroom and Laboratory seeks a Technical and Research Infrastructure Director to provide strategic and operational leadership. You will translate institutional priorities into equipment upgrades, data-acquisition systems, and shared-user operations, guiding the technical roadmap and major equipment programs.

The role supervises staff, manages budgets and user fees, and coordinates with vendors, academic labs, and external partners to advance