Instrument Controls & Data Systems Engineer

Stanfordlivetickets; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is seeking a Controls and Data Systems Integration Engineer to design, implement, and sustain advanced hardware and software for scientific instrumentation in multiple experimental halls. You will lead the instrument's controls and data system roadmap, ensure reliability, and drive scalable architectures for high data throughput at XFEL-like facilities.

Responsibilities span planning, installation, commissioning, and upgrades of PLCs, IOCs, and EPICS-based

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, computer science, engineering, or a related field, with 3+ years in scientific instrumentation or controls.
• Ability to quickly learn and apply a broad range of hardware and software systems.
• Strong programming in C/C++ and scripting (Python) in Linux/Unix environments.
• Strong written and oral communication skills for a research setting.
• Proven skills in project management, planning, prioritization, and organization.

Responsibilities

• Plan, execute, and validate experimental system installations, including requirements and testing.
• Manage full lifecycle of controls and data systems: design, commissioning, operation, upgrades, sustainment.
• Design and maintain controls architectures with PLCs, I/O, embedded controllers, timing, and Linux IOCs.
• Develop EPICS-based control and data acquisition software with device support and interfaces.
• Integrate and support controls and data systems hardware/software (detectors, motion, vacuum, lasers).
• Collaborate to optimize data acquisition, metadata handling, and data workflows.
• Lead system reconfiguration and upgrades with version and change control.
• Support operations and commissioning, troubleshooting during maintenance.
• Participate in subsystem upgrades (laser and timing) and evaluate solutions.
• Diagnose cross-domain issues across controls, software, instrumentation, networking, and timing.
• Translate experimental needs into controls and DAQ specs, test plans, and procedures.
• Serve as primary interface between instrument scientists, engineers, and operations for controls and data systems.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Python scripting

Linux/Unix

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in physics, computer science, engineering, or related field

Tools

EPICS

IOC development

Device integration

Job description

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is seeking a Controls and Data Systems Integration Engineer to design, implement, and sustain advanced hardware and software for scientific instrumentation in multiple experimental halls. You will lead the instrument's controls and data system roadmap, ensure reliability, and drive scalable architectures for high data throughput at XFEL-like facilities.

Responsibilities span planning, installation, commissioning, and upgrades of PLCs, IOCs, and EPICS-based