ZEUS Facility Director — Laser Lab Operations

University of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Michigan seeks a ZEUS Facility Manager to oversee the NSF ZEUS user facility, supervising staff and coordinating with ZEUS faculty to ensure safe, efficient daily operation and long-term development.

Responsibilities include managing schedules, facility maintenance, budgeting coordination, and reporting to NSF. The role requires a PhD in laser science or related field and a minimum of 8 years of experimental research leadership.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in laser science, plasma physics or related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in an experimental research environment.
• Excellent leadership and communication with faculty, staff, students and others.
• Excellent organizational and prioritizing skills.
• Experience in managing people and teams.
• Experience with complex optics and vacuum systems.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Proficiency in office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Ability to document technical data clearly.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operation of the NSF ZEUS facility and coordinate with staff and users to ensure smooth operation.
• Plan and coordinate meetings with users, NSF panels, and advisory boards.
• Manage staff schedules and facility calendars including experiment allocations and maintenance periods.
• Coordinate system and infrastructure maintenance, including external vendors.
• Ensure facility safety for users and staff.
• Lead annual proposal calls and NSF reporting efforts, including assembling the annual NSF report.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Organization

People management

Problem-solving

Documentation

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Education

PhD in laser science or related

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Google Workspace

Job description

University of Michigan seeks a ZEUS Facility Manager to oversee the NSF ZEUS user facility, supervising staff and coordinating with ZEUS faculty to ensure safe, efficient daily operation and long-term development.

Responsibilities include managing schedules, facility maintenance, budgeting coordination, and reporting to NSF. The role requires a PhD in laser science or related field and a minimum of 8 years of experimental research leadership.