FACILITIES TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT

Sanford Burnham Prebys; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanford Burnham Prebys in San Diego is seeking a Facilities Technician Assistant to support the Facilities Department with building maintenance, lab support, preventive maintenance, and emergency response. The role emphasizes safety compliance, documentation, and collaboration with researchers and staff.

The position covers building maintenance, lab support, and preventive tasks, requiring a High School diploma and up to 2 years of related experience.

Qualifications

• Basic computer skills required.
• Preferred 2 years of related maintenance or construction experience.
• California driver's license and forklift certification are required or preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform basic troubleshooting and minor repairs for plumbing, lighting, doors, locks, ceiling tiles, flooring, fixtures, furniture, and general building finishes.
• Complete routine facility inspections to identify leaks, abnormal noises, damaged equipment, safety concerns, or environmental issues.
• Support vendor access, escorting, work area preparation, and follow-up verification.
• Patch, prepare, and paint interior and exterior surfaces.
• Install office furniture, shelving, whiteboards, accessories, and facility fixtures.
• Replace ceiling tiles, floor tiles, weather stripping, and building hardware.
• Assist with facility improvement projects and office renovations.
• Support movement, setup, and relocation of lab equipment, supplies, carts, cylinders, and nonhazardous materials.
• Follow contamination-control expectations, gowning requirements, cleanroom practices, and site-specific lab access procedures.
• Conduct routine maintenance in CMMS and complete maintenance documentation.
• Respond to urgent service calls involving leaks, temperature excursions, or facility hazards.

Skills

Basic computer skills

Teamwork

Education

High School diploma

Tools

CMMS

Job description

Sanford Burnham Prebys

Sanford Burnham Prebys is much more than a research facility and hub for innovation; it’s a vibrant global community of talented scientists and researchers from over 30 countries. This worldwide representation enriches our perspectives and enhances our creative approach to solving complex scientific challenges.

We strive to be leaders not only in biomedical research but also in creating an environment where excellence thrives through collaboration across cultures and backgrounds. Our mission is to advance the biomedical sciences by cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders, providing meaningful opportunities for researchers of all backgrounds to learn, innovate, and make breakthrough discoveries that improve human health.

Together, we translate science into health.

The duties and responsibilities contained in the job description are intended to be examples of the accountabilities for which the person in the position will demonstrate competency through performance. The job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Duties and responsibilities are subject to change and other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Position Summary

The Facilities Technician Assistant, under the direction of the Facilities Manager, will perform a wide variety of general facilities tasks in support of the efforts of the Facilities Department to maintain the facility operations and grounds. The position performs a limited range of building maintenance tasks and general facility repairs while ensuring compliance with applicable safety regulations and institutional standards. The Facilities Technician Assistant will respond and support routine and emergency service requests, performs scheduled preventive maintenance, assists with laboratory support activities, and contributes to maintaining a safe, reliable, and professional research environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Building Maintenance

• Perform basic troubleshooting and minor repairs for plumbing, lighting, doors, locks, ceiling tiles, flooring, fixtures, furniture, and general building finishes.


• Complete routine facility inspections to identify leaks, abnormal noises, damaged equipment, safety concerns, or environmental issues.


• Support vendor and contractor access, escorting, work area preparation, and follow-up verification.


• Patch, prepare, and paint interior and exterior surfaces.


• Install office furniture, shelving, whiteboards, accessories, and facility fixtures.


• Replace ceiling tiles, floor tiles, weather stripping, and building hardware.


• Assist with facility improvement projects and office renovations.

Lab Support

• Support movement, setup, and relocation of lab equipment, supplies, carts, cylinders, and nonhazardous materials.


• Assist with basic lab equipment support, including reporting alarms, documenting equipment status, and coordinating service requests.


• Follow contamination-control expectations, gowning requirements, cleanroom practices, and site‑specific lab access procedures where applicable.

Preventive Maintenance

• Conduct routine maintenance using the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) as assigned.


• Complete preventive maintenance documentation, including labor, materials, observations, and recommendations.


• Identify equipment deficiencies and recommend corrective maintenance or replacement.

Emergency Response

• Respond promptly to urgent service calls involving leaks, temperature excursions, clogged drains, odors, spills, or facility hazards.


• Notify the appropriate facilities, safety, security, or laboratory contacts according to escalation procedures.


• Assist in securing facilities during emergency situations and restoring normal operations following service interruptions.


• Support response efforts during severe weather events, utility outages, and other campus emergencies.


• Participate in fire, earthquake, evacuation, spill, and utility‑loss drills as required by the site.

Safety and Regulatory Compliance

• Perform all work in accordance with OSHA, Cal/OSHA, NFPA, EPA, and institutional safety policies and procedures.


• Follow Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), confined space, ladder safety, and other applicable safe work practices.


• Properly utilize required personal protective equipment (PPE).


• Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas.


• Identify unsafe conditions and promptly report hazards or potential safety concerns.


• Handle maintenance materials and waste in accordance with applicable environmental regulations.

Customer Service

• Provide courteous, professional, and responsive service to faculty, researchers, staff, students, contractors, and visitors.


• Communicate work status, expected completion times, and operational impacts with building occupants.


• Coordinate maintenance activities to minimize disruption to research, teaching, and administrative operations.


• Maintain positive working relationships with internal departments and external service providers.

Performance Expectations

• Complete assigned work orders within established service response times.


• Accurately document work performed using the CMMS.


• Maintain high-quality workmanship while minimizing disruption to campus operations.


• Support campus sustainability and energy conservation initiatives.


• Participate in required safety training and maintain applicable certifications.


• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within the Facilities Department.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: High School diploma

Experience: preferred 2 years related experience in general maintenance or construction

Certifications, Licenses, etc

• California driver's license, and automobile insurance


• Forklift Certification

Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities

• Must have basic computer skills.


• Work independently as well as in a team environment

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct: No

Indirect: None

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

This is an on‑site position. When working in the office, the work environment is in a standard office setting. Frequently exposed to low to moderate noise, various odors, temperature changes, and equipment with moving parts, including but not limited to computers, phones, printers, and other standard office equipment.

Outside of the office, there are multiple campus environments, including occasional presence in office & administrative spaces, scientific research laboratories, mechanical & utility rooms, rooftops, loading docks, parking structures and construction zones to assess conditions and oversee work performed by staff and contractors. This can include, but is not limited to, working around machinery/equipment, walking on uneven ground, exposure to loud noise, extreme temperatures, humidity or wetness, dust, gas, fumes or chemicals, working at various heights, and the use of protective equipment.

Driving Institute fleet vehicles is primarily limited to on-campus travel and occasional trips to Building 12; travel on local roads or freeways is expected to be infrequent.

May require availability outside normal business hours for due to emergencies or critical operational events.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting, Standing and Walking: Ability to frequently (up to 6 hours) sit, stand and walk daily.


• Bending, squatting, climbing, kneeling, crawling or twisting: The ability to perform these activities may occasionally (up to 3 hours) be required


• Lifting and Carrying: The capability to constantly (up to 8 hrs) lift and carry equipment and materials between 0 – 10 lbs. may be required; up to 50 lbs may be frequently (up to 6 hrs) required; but 51+ lbs may only occasionally (up to 3 hrs) be required.


• Manual Dexterity: Simple grasping with their hand will frequently be required, but power grasping, pushing/pulling, reaching above their shoulder and fine manipulation of their hands may occasionally be required.


• Repetitive Motions: The repetitive use of hands for keyboarding/typing is only occasionally required.

Work Location

This is an onsite position; candidates must be willing to work onsite in San Diego. Out-of-state applicants must disclose their willingness to relocate.

Compensation

The expected hiring range for this position is $24.62 - $25.00 /hourly commensurate with relevant experience.

We welcome talented individuals of all backgrounds regardless of gender, sex, religion, race, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, perceived disability, pregnancy, pregnancy‑related condition, reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS, marital status, covered veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer.

As part of this commitment, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our Benefits Team at [phone] or via e‑mail at [e-mail]