Quantum Photonics Lab Engineer — Equipment & Maintenance

California Institute of Technology; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 63,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena seeks a Laboratory Engineer to support day-to-day operations of its nanofabrication facilities. You will maintain, troubleshoot, and train users on advanced equipment, including deposition/etch systems, SEM, and cleanroom PPE.

The role emphasizes proactive maintenance, protocol development, and documentation to sustain peak lab performance. Ideal candidates hold a Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree with hands-on semiconductor

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering.
• Relevant experience in semiconductor fabrication equipment operation, maintenance, repair, and installation.
• A high level of craftsmanship and thorough knowledge of mechanical design, materials, tools, units, and basic measurement techniques.
• Attention to detail and excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Willingness to maintain highly organized data records.
• Ability to learn quickly and transfer that knowledge to others through teaching/documentation.
• Desire to meet high standards.
• Ability to work independently with a high level of responsibility.
• Strong communication skills with the supervisor, vendors, and lab users.
• Teamwork skills and ability to collaborate with coworkers having diverse skills and backgrounds.
• Must be on-site during peak hours (8 am-5 pm, Monday through Friday), and must be able to work evenings and weekends, when necessary.
• Must be able to work in a cleanroom setting, following all established protocols for gowning, PPE, and safety.
• The ability to lift up to 20 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Follow established protocols to perform qualifying runs on equipment on a daily or weekly basis to ensure that equipment is operating at peak performance for the lab users.
• Assist in developing new protocols for equipment that do not yet have them, setting the standard by which peak performance can be evaluated.
• Help maintain organized data records that can be used to verify peak performance and to indicate when maintenance and/or alignments of equipment components are necessary.
• Work with the lab engineer to administer preventative maintenance plans on equipment to keep performance at the established high standard; this includes performing instrument alignments.
• Perform routine repairs of mechanical, electrical, and vacuum systems to address day-to-day problems; aid in diagnosing and fixing problems by reading through equipment and utility schematics, soliciting advice from vendors, and communicating with other lab staff, the lab PI, and lab users.
• For repairs that rise to the level of needing attention from vendor service people (most equipment will be covered under service contract), first coordinate the service, and then follow through until the service is complete. This includes documenting the service visit and communicating results to the other lab staff, the lab PI, and lab users.
• Lead in creating, updating, and maintaining equipment troubleshooting documents that can be used to address commonly encountered problems.
• Carry out quality control practices, such as lab walkthrough checklists; help to improve these practices.
• Create, update, and maintain standard operating procedures for lab equipment.
• Train lab users on the safe and successful operation of equipment, up to the standard of achieving peak performance.
• Participate in the discussion of laboratory protocols and objectives with lab users, other lab staff, and the lab PI.
• Communicate progress and problems to other lab staff and the PI via email/phone, in meetings, and in reports, depending on the urgency and scope.
• Respond to new technical challenges, research and reference - and then implement - established scientific/technical practices, standards, and/or policies.
• Contribute to the planning, installation, and commissioning of new equipment in the laboratory, then establish operational protocols and maintenance plans for such equipment.
• Assist in the maintenance of stock levels and inventory of lab supplies such as consumable materials, gas bottles, solvents, wet etchants, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other general supplies, as needed; communicate this information to the Lab Manager.
• Help to maintain, upgrade, and back up computer systems in the lab (e.g., computers for individual instruments, login terminals, and new computer networking projects).
• Maintain awareness of laws and regulations affecting the management of the laboratory; ensure compliance with Institute policies, scientific protocols, regulatory agencies, and safety practices.
• Help the Lab Safety Officer promote lab safety by training lab members on the safe use of equipment and processes; be aware of all relevant safety protocols in the lab.

Skills

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Data recording

Teaching/documentation

Communication skills

Independence

Teamwork

Cleanroom work

Physical lifting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Word

Outlook

PowerPoint

Job description

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena seeks a Laboratory Engineer to support day-to-day operations of its nanofabrication facilities. You will maintain, troubleshoot, and train users on advanced equipment, including deposition/etch systems, SEM, and cleanroom PPE.

The role emphasizes proactive maintenance, protocol development, and documentation to sustain peak lab performance. Ideal candidates hold a Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree with hands-on semiconductor