Lab Specialist (Junior/Assistant) – PICO Project

University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

The Space Sciences Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley seeks a Junior/Assistant Specialist to support the Plume Ice Capture of Organics (PICO) project. The role focuses on bench tests of subsystems, basic experiment design, data collection and analysis, and progress reporting.

Early career development is encouraged with opportunities to contribute to publications and present results at academic meetings. Start Fall 2026; 100% time; one-year term with potential renewal.

Qualifications

• Candidate must have a Bachelor's degree or be enrolled in a Bachelor's program.
• Strong written and oral communication; ability to present results.
• Willingness to participate in publications and conferences.

Responsibilities

• Perform bench tests on SSL prototype subsystems and collect data.
• Design basic experiments and analyze results.
• Prepare progress reports and participate in weekly team meetings.
• Assist with part fabrication, sourcing, finishing, and cleaning as directed by PICO engineers.
• Contribute to specialized tests including environmental and fluidic evaluations.

Skills

Laboratory experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree in Physics/Chemistry/Engineering

Job description

The Space Sciences Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley seeks a Junior/Assistant Specialist to support the Plume Ice Capture of Organics (PICO) project. The role focuses on bench tests of subsystems, basic experiment design, data collection and analysis, and progress reporting.

Early career development is encouraged with opportunities to contribute to publications and present results at academic meetings. Start Fall 2026; 100% time; one-year term with potential renewal.