Staff Engineer 3

Slac-National-Accelerator-Laboratory; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University’s SSRL at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory seeks an experienced Accelerator Controls Engineer to operate, develop and modernize EPICS-based control systems for the 3 GeV SPEAR3 storage ring. You will own assigned controls, interface with accelerator hardware, and contribute to machine studies and reliability enhancements.

The role requires hands-on development, real-time problem solving, and collaboration with physicists, technicians and operators.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, physics or related technical discipline with 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience developing, integrating and troubleshooting complex control systems interacting with physical equipment.
• Experience with EPICS or similar distributed control systems in accelerator or industrial contexts.
• Ability to own systems/projects through design, implementation, testing and operational support.
• Strong safety, reliability and collaboration mindset in multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to learn and apply new technologies and engineering approaches.

Responsibilities

• Support safe and reliable accelerator operation, troubleshooting control-system issues and assisting startup and machine studies.
• Take technical ownership of assigned control systems, maintaining reliability and documentation.
• Design, develop and maintain EPICS-based control systems, IOC development, device interfaces and operator tools.
• Integrate accelerator equipment across hardware and software boundaries (diagnostics, RF, power, networking).
• Evolve SSRL controls by moving to modern, maintainable platforms and architectures.
• Contribute to projects from requirements through commissioning and support, including AI/ML explorations where relevant.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers, and engage with the accelerator-controls community.

Skills

EPICS

Control systems

Hardware integration

Software development

Team collaboration

Learning new tech

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics

Tools

EPICS IOC

Python

C/C++

Linux

VME/CAMAC legacy tech

PLC/Instrumentation

Job description

Position Overview

The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a major U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility, supporting approximately 1,700 researchers each year from universities, national laboratories and industry across the United States and around the world. Research at SSRL spans materials science, energy, chemistry, environmental science, physics, engineering, biology and medicine.

At the heart of the facility is the 3 GeV SPEAR3 electron storage ring. It’s safe, reliable and highly stable operation enables a broad scientific program and provides a platform for continued development of accelerator technologies and capabilities.

We are seeking an experienced Accelerator Controls Engineer to help operate, develop and modernize the control systems that underpin this facility and its future. This is an opportunity to work on a complex operating accelerator while helping shape the technologies and engineering approaches that will support the next generation of synchrotron light-source science.

The Accelerator Controls Group supports day-to-day accelerator operation while developing the systems needed for the future. Our work spans equipment interfaces, real-time controls and EPICS IOCs, operator applications, accelerator software, data acquisition, archiving, alarms, save/restore, servers and supporting services. It ranges from solving problems on an operating machine to modernizing established systems and researching new controls technologies that improve reliability, performance and capability.

This is a hands-on role spanning control-system hardware and software, with a particular focus on EPICS, equipment integration, operational support, reliability and modernization. You will work directly with accelerator equipment and instrumentation as well as the software that controls it.

As a Level 3 engineer, you will work across the full engineering lifecycle, take ownership of assigned systems and projects, make sound technical decisions, and collaborate with engineers, physicists, technicians and accelerator operators.

Your specific responsibilities include:

• Support safe and reliable accelerator operation, including troubleshooting control-system problems and supporting startup, commissioning and machine studies.
• Take technical ownership of assigned control systems, including their reliability, maintenance, documentation and future development.
• Design, develop and maintain EPICS-based control systems, including IOCs, device interfaces, databases, operator applications and engineering tools.
• Integrate and troubleshoot accelerator equipment across hardware and software boundaries, including instrumentation, power supplies, RF systems, diagnostics and networked devices.
• Help evolve the SSRL controls environment by moving systems onto modern, maintainable and supportable platforms.
• Contribute to projects from requirements and design through implementation, testing, installation, commissioning and operational support.
• Research, evaluate and develop new controls technologies that can improve accelerator performance, reliability, automation and maintainability, including emerging applications of AI and machine learning where appropriate.
• Work across scientific and engineering groups to develop practical solutions, contribute to technical reviews and improve common controls architectures and engineering practices.
• Engage with the wider accelerator-controls community through collaboration, technical exchanges, conferences and visits to other facilities.

To be successful in this position you will bring:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, physics or a related technical discipline, with at least four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience developing, integrating and troubleshooting complex control systems that interact with physical equipment.
• Experience with EPICS or a comparable distributed control-system framework used in accelerator, scientific or industrial environments.
• Experience taking technical ownership of systems or projects through design, implementation, testing and operational support.
• Sound engineering judgement, including consideration of safety, reliability and operational impact, and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to learn, evaluate and apply new technologies and engineering approaches.

In addition, preferred requirements include:

• Experience developing and supporting EPICS-based control systems, particularly IOC development, device support, equipment integration and troubleshooting operational systems.
• Experience integrating, commissioning or supporting one or more types of equipment such as power supplies, RF/LLRF systems, beam diagnostics and digitizers, motion control, PLCs, instrumentation, timing, and protection or interlock systems.
• Experience in areas such as embedded or real-time systems, Linux-based controls, equipment communications, or controls software development using C/C++ , Python, Matlab.
• Experience supporting accelerator, scientific, industrial or other high-availability control systems.
• Experience supporting or modernizing long-lived control systems, including legacy platforms and technologies such as VME, CAMAC and VMS-based systems.
• Experience with controls commissioning, automation, advanced diagnostics, machine learning or related R&D.

Physical requirements and Working conditions:

• Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.
• Given the nature of this position, SLAC will require onsite work.

• The role requires access to accelerator technical areas, equipment racks and controlled areas, including radiological areas, in accordance with SLAC training and safety requirements.

• The position participates in the Controls Group's 24/7 on-call rotation, with occasional shift duties or work outside normal business hours during commissioning, shutdowns, startup and machine development.

• Occasional domestic and international travel may be required for collaboration, technical meetings, training, conferences and engagement with other accelerator facilities.