Laboratory Technician (Swing Shift)

OSI Engineering, Inc.; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

OSI Engineering, Inc. seeks a hands-on Laboratory Technician to support a high-throughput materials experimentation facility in Menlo Park, CA. You will perform calibrations, QC workflows, and manual material handling while helping improve workflows and SOPs.

The role suits someone with a science or engineering background who can follow SOPs, document procedures, and collaborate with scientists and engineers to optimize reliability and throughput.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, materials science, mechanical or chemical engineering, or related technical field.
• Strong ability to follow SOPs with meticulousness and cleanliness.
• Experience with XRD, SEM, VSM, and TGA.
• Familiarity with LIMS/LES/MES/SCADA and metrology tools.
• Comfort performing physical, repetitive tasks with precision and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Perform regular calibration and verification of instruments and sensors.
• Execute and refine QC workflows to ensure data integrity.
• Handle and prepare materials manually (weighing, labeling, packaging) and optimize these steps.
• Assist with inventory tracking and lab organization.
• Collaborate to develop and document SOPs for routine procedures.
• Identify inefficiencies in manual workflows and propose improvements.
• Support onboarding of new technicians and train on best practices.
• Contribute to QC and metrology protocols for new processes and instruments.
• Participate in test runs and validation of new labware or methods.
• Troubleshoot equipment or process anomalies as needed.

Skills

Calibration

QC workflows

SOP development

Data documentation

Attention to detail

Communication

Excel

Lab organization

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or related field

Tools

XRD

SEM

VSM

TGA

LIMS

LES

MES

SCADA

Job description

We are seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented Laboratory Technician to support the daily operations of our high-throughput materials experimentation facility. This role is ideal for someone with a science or engineering background who enjoys working with instruments, performing physical lab tasks, and improving workflows over time. You’ll help ensure the lab runs efficiently by performing calibrations, executing quality control (QC) protocols, supporting method development, and contributing to standard operating procedure (SOP) creation. The role involves both manual repetitive tasks (with a mindset for automation and optimization) and technical contributions that improve reliability and throughput.

Responsibilities

• Perform regular calibration and verification of instruments and sensors.
• Execute and refine quality control (QC) workflows to ensure data integrity.
• Perform and optimize manual material handling and preparation steps (e.g., weighing, labeling, packaging).
• Assist with inventory tracking and lab organization.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to develop and document SOPs for routine lab procedures.
• Identify inefficiencies in manual workflows and propose or implement improvements.
• Support onboarding of new technicians by training them on best practices.
• Support development of QC and metrology protocols for new processes and instruments.
• Participate in test runs and validation of new labware, equipment, or experimental methods.
• Assist with troubleshooting equipment or process anomalies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field or equivalent experience in a technical lab setting.
• Demonstrated ability to follow detailed SOPs and maintain high standards of consistency and cleanliness.
• Experience with XRD, SEM, VSM, and TGA
• Familiarity with systems like LIMS, LES, MES or SCADA, metrology tools, or process control
• Comfortable performing physical, repetitive tasks with precision and motivated to make them more efficient.
• Technically curious and excited to learn how to operate, maintain, and improve complex equipment.
• Not afraid to do hands‑on work (moving materials, cleaning tools, prepping batches) as part of daily routine.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable using basic software tools (Excel/Google Sheets, lab inventory systems, etc.).

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in a robotics‑integrated lab, pilot plant, or high‑throughput R&D environment.
• Prior work in cleanroom, semiconductor, battery, or analytical chemistry settings.
• Powered machinery and power tools familiarity (pallet jacks, impact wrench, etc…)