Electrical Technician

Periodic Labs; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

Periodic Labs in Menlo Park, CA seeks a hands-on electrical technician to support engineers and scientific staff with instrumentation, controls, and lab automation for high-throughput materials discovery.

You will wire 208V systems, interpret drawings, maintain documentation and BOMs, and help integrate sensors, valves, and fieldbus devices. Comfort with safety programs (LOTO) and adapting to startup workflows is essential for the evolving lab environment.

Qualifications

• Prior experience as a qualified electrical worker for 208V or above.
• Hands-on instrumentation & controls experience, including low-voltage wiring and enclosure fabrication.
• Experience with field wiring and panel wiring.
• Familiarity with electrical schematics.
• Experience with Lock-Out-Tag-Out (LOTO) safety practices and procedures.
• Good documentation skills, ability to follow protocols, and write clear notes.
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to evolving processes in a startup/research lab.

Responsibilities

• Provide electrical, instrumentation, and controls technician support to engineers and staff.
• Assist with integrating custom electrical equipment and fixtures with engineer concepts and sketches.
• Perform basic electrical calculations using standard engineering formulas.
• Interpret electrical drawings and other technical information.
• Maintain systems documentation, BOM, and drawings to keep current and traceable.
• Incorporate redlines and design changes from engineers.

Skills

High voltage 208V+

Instrumentation & controls

Field wiring

Electrical schematics

LOTO safety

Documentation

Startup adaptability

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

Beckhoff IPCs

Job description

About Periodic Labs

Periodic Labs is building an autonomous laboratory for high-throughput materials discovery. Our work combines advanced chemistry, robotics, automation, AI, and materials science to accelerate scientific discovery while maintaining high standards of environmental, health, and process safety.

We are seeking a hands-on electrical technician who enjoys working with instrumentation, electro-/mechanical systems, and characterization tools - someone who values attention to detail, documentation, and a dynamic lab environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide electrical, instrumentation, and controls technician support to engineers and scientific staff

• Assist with integrating custom electrical equipment and fixtures, electrical enclosures, and instrumentation/hardware with engineer-provided concepts, sketches, and verbal direction

• Perform basic electrical calculations using standard engineering formulas

• Interpret electrical drawings and other technical information

• Maintain systems documentation, bill-of-materials, and drawings to keep documentation current, visible, and traceable

• Incorporate redlines and design changes from engineers
  

Qualifications & Skills

Required:

• Prior experience as a qualified electrical worker for 208V or above

• Hands‑on instrumentation & controls experience, including low-voltage (24VDC) wiring and controls enclosure fabrication

• Experience with field wiring and panel wiring

• Familiarity with electrical schematics

• Experience with Lock-Out-Tag-Out (LOTO) safety practices and procedures

• Good documentation skills, ability to follow protocols, and write clear notes/task summaries

• Flexibility and ability to adapt to evolving processes and workflows typical of a startup/ research‑oriented lab

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in wiring and integrating mass flow controllers (MFCs), pressure transducers, solenoid valves, thermocouples, and various control instrumentation and hardware

• Comfort with physically wiring various digital and analog input/output devices, lab instrumentation, and controls fieldbuses (e.g., EtherCAT, RS-232/-485, Modbus)

• Experience selecting appropriate electrical supplies, wire/cable, enclosure components (e.g., relays, circuit breakers, terminal blocks)

• Comfort troubleshooting instruments or basic electro-/mechanical maintenance

• Familiarity with NFPA70 (NEC), UL508A, or NFPA79

Nice to Have

• Experience with vacuum systems, gloveboxes, and inert atmosphere processing

• Familiarity with AutoCAD (preferably electrical), redlining schematics, and building to print

• Familiarity with Beckhoff IPCs, input/output modules, and EtherCAT fieldbus

What You'll Gain

• Hands‑on experience working at the cutting edge of materials discovery (superconductors, novel compounds)

• Exposure to a broad set of material characterization techniques and workflows (from synthesis to cryogenic measurements)

• Opportunity to help build lab SOPs, workflows, and influence lab design and automation controls development/deployment strategy

• Collaborative environment with scientists, engineers, and automation experts — good learning and growth potential

• Satisfaction of bridging materials science, synthesis, measurement, and data-driven R&D

• Hands‑on experience designing, fabricating, and troubleshooting cutting-edge electrical systems for laboratory instrumentation and automation

Mechanics

• Role Type: Contract position. Initial term of 12 months with potential to extend or convert based on lab needs and performance

• Location: Menlo Park, CA

• Compensation: The annual compensation range for this role is $124,000-$153,600

• Work authorization: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for the duration of the contract. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

We’re building a team of the world’s best - the scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers who don’t just follow the frontier; they define it. If you’re driven to bring AI to life in the physical world and make discoveries that have never been made before, you belong here.