Lab Technician

Zeromatter Technologies Inc; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Zeromatter in Mountain View, CA, seeks a hands-on lab-focused professional to operate optical and RF measurement systems, run large sample campaigns, and troubleshoot data for high-precision material characterization. You will work with the lab manager and engineering teams to bring up new devices and optimize data collection workflows.

Proficiency with Python for automation, plus a strong eye for measurement accuracy and safety, are essential.

Qualifications

• Hands-on lab experience operating optical, RF, or sensor equipment daily.
• Familiarity with measurement error and lab procedure to catch bad setups early.
• Comfort with sensitive equipment and keeping sensors clean.
• Experience with optics and RF equipment such as spectrometers, cameras, radar or lidar.
• Python for automating data collection and processing.
• Interest in tinkering and building hardware, e.g. cloud chambers or rigs.

Responsibilities

• Operate spectrometers, radar scanner, and radar chamber to collect data.
• Run large sample campaigns and catalog data meticulously.
• Troubleshoot data from equipment and adjust setups as needed.
• Take radar baselines and optimize chamber setup for clean captures.
• Collaborate with lab manager and engineering teams on new devices.
• Work across two labs with data collection as top priority.
• Coordinate with ML team to understand usable data and feedback.

Skills

Python for lab automation

Hands-on lab experience

Education

Engineering or science degree

Tools

Spectrometers

Radar equipment

Optical/RF measurement systems

Job description

We're Zeromatter. Our mission is to accelerate how robotics and autonomy is built, tested, and trained by leveraging simulation to the fullest extent possible. Part of what we're building to accomplish this is a cloud-based sensor simulation platform that is beyond the state of the art.

We are looking for an individual who can support us in accomplishing this mission. Working at Zeromatter gives you an opportunity to work on technology that will soon be used by various well‑known companies who have strong simulation needs.

At Zeromatter, we believe in evaluating candidates based on their skills, experience, and potential. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and believe that having a diverse team spanning a wide variety of backgrounds, academically as well as in general, is a key asset. If you're passionate about robotics and simulation and eager to make a difference in the field, we'd love to hear from you!

Role description

• Operate our spectrometers, radar scanner, and radar chamber to collect high-accuracy material and device characterization data

• Run large sample campaigns (200 to 500 fabric samples at a time), including capture, photos, and cataloging

• Troubleshoot the data coming off the equipment and adapt when a sample or setup isn't behaving as expected

• Take radar baselines and adjust the chamber setup to minimize reflections for clean captures

• Bring up and characterize new devices as they arrive, working alongside the lab manager and engineering teams

• Split time between two labs, with data collection as the top priority Work with our ML team to understand what data we can capture and feed it back quickly

• Grow into broader characterization work across rotary encoders, cameras, lidar, and radar

Responsibilities

• Hands‑on lab experience operating optical, RF, or sensor equipment day to day, not only supervising or designing it

• Solid understanding of measurement error and lab procedure, so you can spot a bad setup or sample before it becomes hundreds of bad samples

• Care and precision with sensitive equipment and reference materials, including knowing what not to touch and how to keep sensors clean and dust‑free

• Experience with optics and RF equipment such as spectrometers, fiber optics, cameras, radar, or lidar, or telecommunications lab work using similar lasers and optics

• Working knowledge of physics, including light and the light spectrum, and what the equipment is actually doing

• Python for automating data collection and processing

• Comfort with repetitive, detail‑heavy work at scale, and the initiative to solve problems on your own, including sourcing the parts and supplies you need to get a setup working

Qualifications

• Ideally, you have an engineering or science degree in a related field (e.g. physics, optics, electrical engineering, robotics, etc.). A degree is not required for someone with the right hands‑on background

• Experience building, setting up, or characterizing a spectrometer or similar optical or RF measurement system is a strong plus

• Background working with cameras, radar, or lidar, or in a telecommunications or optics lab

• Familiarity with fiber optics and spectral measurement

• Python for lab automation and data handling

• Interest in tinkering and building, for example hobby projects like cloud chambers or custom hardware rigs

• Awareness of safety practices for non‑destructive testing methods such as X‑ray and gamma, if you have worked with them

• Experience at a robotics, AV, or sensor company in a hardware‑focused role is a plus, but not required

• Metrology or mechanical measurement experience is a plus