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Job Summary

The Lab Manager will administer the operation of a laboratory/research facility for a Caltech faculty member and research group in Applied Physics and Materials Science (APhMS). This position provides technical support to the students and postdocs in the labs through the fabrication and maintenance of equipment and infrastructure.

Job Duties

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the labs (two optics labs, an electronics lab, and a clean room).
• Maintain inventory of tools, materials, and supplies.
• Schedule and supervise preventive maintenance by Caltech staff.
• Maintain operation of instruments and equipment, and coordinate with vendors to install new equipment.
• Train users on proper operation of instruments. Orient new laboratory members to location of instruments and associated supplies.
• Maintain lab safety, train students in safety procedures, and communicate with campus safety office; document and communicate laboratory and facility procedures.
• Support students and postdocs in the fabrication of new equipment and infrastructure for experiments.
• Participate in classes to learn about new equipment and new machining techniques, and educate the research group about such topics.
• Further the development and maintenance of the laboratory machine shop.
• Provide lab tours.
• General support of all research efforts in the lab .

Basic Qualifications

• At least 2 years of Trade–Technical College, with a focus on courses such as: automotive, machining, information technology, computer aided design, and computer coding.
• 3 years of experience.
• A high level of craftsmanship, and a thorough knowledge of mechanical design, materials, tools, units, and basic measurement techniques.
• Attention to detail, excellent problem-solving, and debugging skills.
• An ability to learn quickly and transfer that knowledge to others through teaching/documentation.
• Ability to work independently, with very minimal supervision. A high level of responsibility and organization.
• Teamwork skills and an ability to collaborate with coworkers having diverse skills and backgrounds.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Must be on-site during peak hours (10am-4pm, Monday through Friday), and must be able to work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Proficiency with the following software: Word, Excel, Gmail, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or sciences or equivalent education and experience a plus.
• Experience in using Solidworks for CAD a plus.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter