Lead Materials Characterization & Failure Analysis Engineer

Nano Lab, LLC; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 172,000; Part time

Job summary

Nano Lab, LLC in San Diego is seeking a senior materials characterization and failure analysis engineer on a contract basis, approx four to eight hours per week. You will own client work end to end—from initial inquiry to delivered report—across EM, spectroscopy, and failure analysis methods.

You’ll coordinate with partner labs, design scopes, and ensure defensible, client-ready results. The role suits an independent expert who can handle multiple projects and travel for site visits if needed.

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on materials characterization experience with real depth in electron microscopy, roughly ten years
• Experience running jobs for external clients: scoped, priced, delivered
• Competence across SEM, EDS, FIB, TEM, XRD, XPS, FTIR, Raman, optical metallography, thermal analysis
• Writing that clients can act on and withstand expert review
• Based in San Diego County, able to reach UCSD and other facilities
• UCSD Nano3 authorization or willingness to get authorized
• Own general and professional liability insurance naming Nano Lab as additional insured
• Comfortable working independently with a founder eight time zones away

Responsibilities

• Own client work from start to finish: scope, feasibility, pricing, execution, and reporting
• Coordinate analysis or perform it, and write defensible reports
• Ensure data is interpretable and reproducible for clients and experts
• Instrument time at Nano3 or partner facilities when needed
• Sample receiving, packing, shipping, and client meetings/site visits

Skills

Hands-on materials characterization

External client projects

Technical writing for clients

Independent work across time zones

Tools

Electron microscopy

SEM

EDS

FIB

TEM

XRD

XPS

FTIR

Raman

Optical metallography

Thermal analysis

Job description

Nano Lab, LLC in San Diego is seeking a senior materials characterization and failure analysis engineer on a contract basis, approx four to eight hours per week. You will own client work end to end—from initial inquiry to delivered report—across EM, spectroscopy, and failure analysis methods.

You’ll coordinate with partner labs, design scopes, and ensure defensible, client-ready results. The role suits an independent expert who can handle multiple projects and travel for site visits if needed.