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Job Summary

The Caltech Seismo Lab seeks a candidate who is interested in doing technical work in the southern California outdoors. The ideal candidate should be an outdoors person (such as avid hiker, biker, or camper) who enjoys working in the remote desert or mountains maintaining equipment that detects earthquake signals. This electronic technician will participate in the upgrade and operation of the Caltech/USGS southern California earthquake monitoring network (SCSN). The duties include long drives, sometimes off road, field work and prep-work for deployment and maintenance of solar panel power systems, seismic sensors, dataloggers, digital data communications, including radios, satellite systems, cell-phone modems, DSL, and the Internet.  

Job Duties

• Work with the SCSN field team to perform technical and other field work at seismic stations in southern California.  
• Prepare equipment for field deployment, including testing the performance of individual components. Troubleshoot various aspects of the seismic station equipment, power system, and data communication links.
• Work with the team to verify instrument calibrations such as sensor gain, orientation, and polarities, and identification of malfunctioning sensors or other equipment.
• Track and document inventory of equipment as well as materials and supplies. Maintain laboratory space in good order.
• Perform all other duties as assigned, including varied technical assignments requiring the use of standard scientific principles, techniques, and process. 

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of an Associate Degree (or equivalent) with an emphasis in electrical engineering, computer science, earth science, or a STEM-related field
• Some experience in electronic and mechanical troubleshooting of scientific instrumentation and/or IT equipment
• Interest in doing technical work in the southern California outdoors
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain by the date of hire a valid California driver's license, and be able to drive long distances alone
• Demonstrate a high level of initiative, interest in field work, and problem solving, and adapting new technologies
• Be able to carry, push, and/or pull heavy loads (50lbs), sometimes under adverse conditions
• Excellent task management and interpersonal communication skills and must also be self-motivated and capable of problem-solving, both individually (unsupervised) and as a team member

Preferred Qualifications

• Diversity of electronic and mechanical troubleshooting skills desirable.  This would include experience with electronic test equipment (Volt-ohm meter, oscilloscope, radio spectrum analyzer, LAN tester, etc.), analog-to-digital conversion dataloggers, RF data transmission, electronic cable construction, solar panels, and data communications networking skills
• Some experience with diverse data communications hardware and transmission media such as WIFI routers, packet radios, DSL, satellite, and cellular communications
• Experience working with seismic sensors, and dataloggers in both lab and field situations
• Having worked for a seismic network or participated in other scientific field experience is desirable
• Experience with using and updating scripts for Linux, OSX, or Windows computers

Required Documents

• Resume
• Three references