Senior Research Technician, Step 1

University of Alabama in Huntsville; Huntsville (AL); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Alabama in Huntsville is seeking a staff engineer to provide measurement science and instrumentation expertise for Research Institute-sponsored programs. You will develop and evaluate measurement systems, including thermal, optical, and high-speed instrumentation, and support calibration and validation of experimental data.

The role involves collaborating with scientists and engineers to design experiments, select sensors, integrate data acquisition, and optimize measurement

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or 2 years of college with 2–4 years of full-time work experience in instrumentation or engineering research.
• Coursework in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering or Physics relevant to measurement systems.
• Ability to apply engineering principles to design and analyze experimental measurement systems.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to support experimental design, data analysis, and measurement capability development.
• Develop, implement and evaluate data acquisition systems for thermal, optical, material-response, circuit, and high-speed measurements.
• Design and operate instrumentation, including sensors, data-acquisition equipment, conditioning, and triggering systems.
• Plan laboratory and field experiments, including calibration, data collection, troubleshooting, and performance characterization.
• Develop new instrumentation solutions to meet research requirements and reduce technical risk before field testing.

Skills

Instrumentation

Experimental testing

Data acquisition

Engineering research

Education

Associate's degree or 2 years of college

Coursework in Electrical/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or Physics

Job description

Job no: 504417

Department: Research Institute

Work type: Staff Full-time Non-Exempt

Location: Alabama

Categories: Research - Engineering

Purpose of the Position

This position provides engineering expertise in measurement science, instrumentation, and experimental design in support of Research Institute-sponsored research programs. The position will develop, implement, and evaluate measurement and data-acquisition techniques, including thermal, optical, material-response, circuit/signal, and high-speed measurement systems. Responsibilities include selecting and integrating instrumentation, designing custom measurement and triggering solutions, troubleshooting experimental systems, and conducting calibration, noise analysis, and performance characterization. The position will support laboratory and field testing by developing and validating experimental configurations prior to deployment, helping reduce technical risk and improve the quality and reliability of research data. The incumbent will also collaborate with research teams to develop new and innovative instrumentation and measurement approaches to meet emerging research requirements.

Duties / Responsibilities

• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, students, and other research personnel to support experimental design, instrumentation selection, test execution, data analysis, and continued development of Research Institute measurement capabilities.
• Develop, implement and evaluate experimental measurement and data acquisition systems supporting Research Institute-sponsored research, including thermal, optical, material-response, circuit/signal, and high-speed measurement applications.
• Design, select, integrate, and operate instrumentation and experimental systems, including sensors, data-acquisition equipment, signal conditioning, high-speed imaging and specialized triggering systems.
• Plan and support laboratory and field experiments, including test setup, instrumentation, calibration, data collection, troubleshooting, noise analysis, and performance characterization to ensure reliable and accurate research data.
• Develop and evaluate new or customized measurement and instrumentation solutions to address unique research requirements, improve experimental capabilities, and reduce technical risk prior to field testing.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or 2 years of college and 24 -48 months (2 to 4 years) of full-time work experience (2-3 years of experience in instrumentation, experimental testing, data acquisition, or engineering research)
• Coursework in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering or Physics
• Ability to apply engineering principles to the design, setup, operation, and analysis of experimental measurement systems

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with data-acquisition systems, oscilloscopes, sensors, signal conditioning, circuit and signal analysis, thermal measurements, strain gauges/load cells, optical instrumentation, and high-speed imaging or triggering systems is preferred.
• Experience developing custom instrumentation, electronics, or specialized circuits and integrating sensors and instrumentation into experimental systems is highly desirable.

Published Salary (if available)

50,000 - 55,000

Advertised: Sep 17 2026 Central Daylight Time

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an equal opportunity employer (EOE), including an EOE of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.