Senior Equipment Maintenance Technician

Planet Pharma Group; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Planet Pharma is seeking a Senior Equipment Maintenance Technician in Menlo Park, CA to support high-throughput R&D operations. This 6-month contract role is onsite, with a swing shift and weekend flexibility, focusing on preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, utilities, and automation systems.

You will troubleshoot complex lab equipment, install and commission new assets, manage utilities, and ensure safe, compliant operations in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing, industrial maintenance, chemical processing, pilot plant operations, or advanced manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Execute preventive maintenance programs and maintain CMMS records.
• Troubleshoot and repair equipment down to the component level.
• Perform maintenance on vacuum systems, chillers, cooling water systems, gas systems, and related infrastructure.
• Conduct inspections, calibration checks, cleaning, and routine equipment upkeep.
• Coordinate vendor service visits and maintenance activities.
• Identify recurring equipment issues and implement corrective actions to improve uptime.
• Maintain equipment records, service histories, manuals, and schematics.
• Track equipment performance metrics and maintenance history.
• Update equipment layouts, utility matrices, and infrastructure documentation.
• Manage asset labeling and equipment tracking systems.
• Maintain compressed gas, vacuum, cooling water, exhaust, gas detection, and laboratory utility systems.
• Build and modify gas and fluid handling systems from P&IDs and engineering drawings.
• Install tubing, regulators, gauges, valves, sensors, and associated hardware.
• Support utility planning and infrastructure expansion projects.
• Support installation, startup, and commissioning of new laboratory equipment.
• Coordinate utility hook-ups including power, gas, water, vacuum, and networking.
• Verify installations and document equipment configurations.
• Support controls and automation engineers with equipment integration.
• Install and maintain instrumentation including thermocouples, RTDs, pressure transducers, flow meters, solenoid valves, gas sensors, safety interlocks.
• Assist with wiring, sensor replacement, panel modifications, and troubleshooting activities.
• Fabricate fixtures, brackets, guards, adapters, and custom hardware.
• Operate machine shop equipment including mills, lathes, drill presses, band saws, grinders, and sanders.
• Support custom equipment builds and modifications.
• Maintain inventory of spare parts, maintenance supplies, PPE, chemicals, and laboratory consumables.
• Coordinate receipt and storage of equipment, gases, and chemicals.
• Support gas cylinder management and hazardous waste activities.
• Assist with laboratory expansion projects and equipment moves.
• Follow laboratory safety procedures and lockout/tagout (LOTO) requirements.
• Participate in safety inspections and identify unsafe conditions.
• Maintain clean, organized, and compliant work areas.
• Utilize required PPE and promote safe laboratory practices.

Skills

Semiconductor manufacturing

Industrial maintenance

Chemical processing

Pilot plant operations

Advanced manufacturing environments

Troubleshooting

P&IDs

Mechanical drawings

Electrical schematics

Equipment manuals

Hand tools

Power tools

Reading technical documentation

Technical degree

Military technical training

Trade apprenticeship

Education

Technical degree

Tools

CMMS MaintainX

Job description

Senior Equipment Maintenance Technician

Location: Menlo Park, CA (100% onsite)
Duration: 6-month contract with extension/possible conversion
Schedule: Swing shift with weekend flexibility

Position Overview

Seeking a highly hands-on Senior Equipment Maintenance Technician to support laboratory operations, equipment reliability, utilities, automation systems, and infrastructure within a high-throughput R&D environment. This individual will be responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting complex laboratory equipment, supporting new equipment installations, managing utilities and facility systems, and ensuring safe, efficient laboratory operations.

Key Responsibilities

Equipment Maintenance & Reliability

• Execute preventive maintenance programs and maintain CMMS records.
• Troubleshoot and repair equipment down to the component level.
• Perform maintenance on vacuum systems, chillers, cooling water systems, gas systems, and related infrastructure.
• Conduct inspections, calibration checks, cleaning, and routine equipment upkeep.
• Coordinate vendor service visits and maintenance activities.
• Identify recurring equipment issues and implement corrective actions to improve uptime.

Asset Management & Documentation

• Maintain equipment records, service histories, manuals, and schematics.
• Track equipment performance metrics and maintenance history.
• Update equipment layouts, utility matrices, and infrastructure documentation.
• Manage asset labeling and equipment tracking systems.

Utilities & Infrastructure

• Maintain compressed gas, vacuum, cooling water, exhaust, gas detection, and laboratory utility systems.
• Build and modify gas and fluid handling systems from P&IDs and engineering drawings.
• Install tubing, regulators, gauges, valves, sensors, and associated hardware.
• Support utility planning and infrastructure expansion projects.

Equipment Installation & Commissioning

• Support installation, startup, and commissioning of new laboratory equipment.
• Coordinate utility hook-ups including power, gas, water, vacuum, and networking.
• Verify installations and document equipment configurations.

Automation & Controls Support

• Support controls and automation engineers with equipment integration.
• Install and maintain instrumentation including:
  • Thermocouples
  • RTDs
  • Pressure transducers
  • Flow meters
  • Solenoid valves
  • Gas sensors
  • Safety interlocks
• Assist with wiring, sensor replacement, panel modifications, and troubleshooting activities.

Machine Shop & Fabrication

• Fabricate fixtures, brackets, guards, adapters, and custom hardware.
• Operate machine shop equipment including mills, lathes, drill presses, band saws, grinders, and sanders.
• Support custom equipment builds and modifications.

Inventory & Laboratory Operations

• Maintain inventory of spare parts, maintenance supplies, PPE, chemicals, and laboratory consumables.
• Coordinate receipt and storage of equipment, gases, and chemicals.
• Support gas cylinder management and hazardous waste activities.
• Assist with laboratory expansion projects and equipment moves.

Safety & Compliance

• Follow laboratory safety procedures and lockout/tagout (LOTO) requirements.
• Participate in safety inspections and identify unsafe conditions.
• Maintain clean, organized, and compliant work areas.
• Utilize required PPE and promote safe laboratory practices.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in:
  • Semiconductor manufacturing
  • Industrial maintenance
  • Chemical processing
  • Pilot plant operations
  • Advanced manufacturing environments
• Strong troubleshooting experience involving mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, vacuum, and fluid handling systems.
• Ability to read and interpret:
  • P&IDs
  • Mechanical drawings
  • Electrical schematics
  • Equipment manuals
• Experience using hand tools, power tools, and maintenance equipment.
• Technical degree, military technical training, trade apprenticeship, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Semiconductor equipment maintenance experience supporting:
  • Thin Film Deposition
  • PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition)
  • ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition)
  • High Vacuum Systems
  • Metrology Equipment
• Experience with:
  • Swagelok tubing and fittings
  • Gas manifold assembly
  • Vacuum systems
  • Compressed gas systems
  • CMMS platforms (MaintainX preferred)
  • Forklifts and material handling equipment
• Electrical troubleshooting to the PCB/component level.
• Experience handling hazardous chemicals.
• Process piping and instrumentation installation experience.