Instrumentation Technician

Salt; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt in Palo Alto, CA seeks a hands-on Instrumentation & Controls Technician to support process equipment and control systems in a biosciences environment. This is an early-career role for those with instrumentation, calibration, electrical troubleshooting, and process controls experience who want to grow into lab- and pilot-scale technologies.

Responsibilities include calibrating and maintaining process instrumentation, troubleshooting control loops, supporting PLCs (Rockwell, Siemens,

Qualifications

• 1–3 years hands-on experience in instrumentation troubleshooting, repair, and calibration.
• Associate degree in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation Technology or equivalent.
• Strong troubleshooting across instrumentation and control systems.
• Experience with process equipment and basic mechanical systems.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and P&IDs.
• Comfortable working hands-on with industrial/process equipment.
• Willingness to overtime, alternate shifts, and on-call support.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work at heights.

Responsibilities

• Calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot process instrumentation for temp, pressure, level, flow, and weight/load cells.
• Troubleshoot 4–20 mA and 0–10 VDC control loops and electrical systems.
• Support PLC-based systems including Rockwell, Siemens, and GE/Emerson.
• Work with HMI/SCADA systems and read P&IDs and electrical schematics.
• Perform preventive maintenance on process equipment and support lab-scale fermentation systems.

Skills

Instrumentation troubleshooting

Calibration

Electrical troubleshooting

Process controls

Read schematics

P&ID interpretation

PLC systems

HMI/SCADA

Education

Associate degree in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation Technology

Tools

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley

Siemens

GE/Emerson

HMI/SCADA systems

Job description

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM

Employment Type: Full-Time, Hourly / Non-Exempt

Join an Innovative Biosciences Environment!

We are looking for a hands-on Instrumentation & Controls Technician to support process equipment and control systems in an innovative Health & Biosciences environment.

This is a great opportunity for an early-career technician with experience in instrumentation, calibration, electrical troubleshooting, and process controls who wants to grow into advanced lab- and pilot-scale process technologies.

What You'll Do

• Calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot process instrumentation for temperature, pressure, level, flow, and weight/load cells
• Troubleshoot 4–20 mA and 0–10 VDC control loops, electrical and electronic systems
• Support PLC-based systems including Rockwell, Siemens, and GE/Emerson
• Work with HMI/SCADA systems
• Read and interpret P&IDs and electrical schematics
• Troubleshoot electrical, pneumatic, electronic, and mechanical systems
• Perform preventive maintenance on process equipment
• Support lab-scale fermentation systems, with potential exposure to pilot-scale operations
• Maintain accurate maintenance records and follow SOPs and BOMs

What We're Looking For

• 1–3 years of hands-on experience in instrumentation troubleshooting, repair, and calibration
• Associate degree in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation Technology, or equivalent technical training
• Strong troubleshooting skills across instrumentation and control systems
• Experience with process equipment and basic mechanical systems
• Ability to read electrical schematics and P&IDs
• Comfortable working hands-on with industrial/process equipment
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skillsWillingness to work overtime, alternative shifts, and participate in on-call support when needed
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work at heights

Great If You Have

• Experience in biotech, pharmaceutical, fermentation, chemical, food & beverage, or other process environments
• Experience with 4–20 mA instrumentation and control loops
• Familiarity with digital multimeters (DVM), oscilloscopes, or current loop analyzers
• PLC troubleshooting experience with Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or GE/Emerson
• Knowledge of belt drives, pulleys, and torque specifications

Why Join?

• Competitive $70K–$100K salary range, with potential flexibility
• Exposure to advanced bioscience and process technologies
• Opportunities for professional growth into lab- and pilot-scale operations
• Collaborative and supportive team environment
• Strong focus on safety, development, and innovation

If you have strong instrumentation and troubleshooting skills and want to build your career in a

cutting-edge biosciences environment, we'd like to hear from you.