Senior Lab Technician

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Job Summary

Under minimal supervision, the successful candidate will be required to fabricate and test low noise amplifiers and subsystems using standard practices, including mechanical assembly, soldering, connector crimping, and cable harness installation. Basic testing with power supplies, multimeters and oscilloscopes will be required, along with detailed documentation and record-keeping. Key qualities are the ability to do careful and consistent work, attention to detail, and an ability to work closely in a small team.

The candidate should have the ability to work quickly and accurately on tasks such as working under a microscope, soldering, replacing small scale (0402) components, quickly and accurately dispensing solder paste and populating parts from a BOM, and wire bonding.

The position is based in Pasadena, CA

Essential Job Duties

Under direction of the PI and working from drawings, engineering sketches and verbal instructions using appropriate technical data and manuals, candidate will:

• Assemble cables and wiring harnesses using solder or crimp connections. Observe standard procedures for lacing and strain-relief.
• Take standard enclosures and modify with mounting holes, bushings, etc., to house a variety of electrical and electronic components and assemblies.
• Carry out basic troubleshooting procedures using multimeters, oscilloscopes and schematics or wiring lists.
• Document work using standard word-processing and spreadsheet software.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Develop and maintain an inventory system for ongoing supplies and orders
• Manages fabrication waste streams, cleans equipment, oversees documentation, and supports in other fabrication duties as required
• Conduct analyses to characterize performance or determine reasons for failure of tools, materials, parts or processes
• Produce specifications and other documents to manage the deployment of tools, equipment, materials, parts and processes

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering.
• 3-4 years of experience working in a lab environment.
• Exceptional level of dexterity and organizational skill in electronic assembly, including soldering, crimping, mechanical mounting, etc.
• Familiarity with basic electronic instruments, such as digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and signal generators.
• Basic knowledge of low voltage handling and circuits.
• Ability to work in a small engineering team, as well as meeting the needs of visiting scientists.
• Highly self-motivated with good verbal and written skills.
• Good organizational and record keeping skills.
• A current valid driver’s license and maintain it throughout the course of employment.
• The ability to lift, push, and pull heavy objects of at least 70 lbs.
• Ability to test, clean and inspect FEB fiber optic connections.
• Ability to modify test script in Python, adding code to generate additional bookkeeping documentation.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks for hardware 3D modeling
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with CAD packages for electronics and/or mechanical design, such as Cadence and AutoCAD, KiCAD.
• Ability to design basic analog and digital circuits such as digital buffers, analog amplifiers, etc.
• Experience using PCs to record and display data from instruments and data acquisition hardware.
• Troubleshooting skills for basic circuits based on schematics and other material, combined with an understanding of fundamental electronic principles.

Required Documents

• Resume