Instrumentation Engineer

at  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) Engineering Division has immediate openings for an Electronics Engineer at the Advanced Light Source (ALS).
The ALS (https://www.als.lbl.gov) is a world-class accelerator based user facility that provides high intensity high energy photon beams for science. A 200 meter circumference electron accelerator generates photon packets that feed the more than 40 independent beamlines where more than 2000 scientists per year perform their experiments. The ALS has recently started a major accelerator upgrade project to rejuvenate the facility for many years to come.
As a member of the ALS Instrumentation Group, you will perform a variety of interesting and challenging engineering tasks related to state-of-the-art electronic instrumentation and data acquisition systems for particle accelerators and other scientific applications. The primary responsibility will be to support the Advanced Light Source programs. This work may range in complexity and scope, and can cover all phases of a system’s life cycle: conceptualization, design, planning, implementation, and commissioning. Assignments will be chosen to maximize the team’s effectiveness in developing analog and digital board designs for digital signal processing systems (typically using FPGAs) for real-time monitoring and control applications, including simulation and software support.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEER LEVEL 3:

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years experience; or advanced degree; or equivalent work experience.
• 3+ years experience in electronic instrumentation systems design, construction, implementation, and maintenance.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering or a related field. Advanced degree is desirable.
• Knowledge/experience in accelerator physics and control systems.
• Experience with Mentor xPedition/PADS or Cadence Allegro.
• Experience with Embedded Processor or System-On-Chip FPGA systems.
• Proficient in Python or Matlab.
• Experience with network analyzers, data acquisition systems, frequency synthesizers, and oscilloscopes.

LEARN ABOUT US:

Berkeley Lab (LBNL) addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 16 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
Working at Berkeley Lab has many rewards including a competitive compensation program, excellent health and welfare programs, a retirement program that is second to none, and outstanding development opportunities. To view information about the many rewards that are offered at Berkeley Lab- Click Here.
Berkeley Lab is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) and strives to continue building community with these shared values and commitments.
Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We heartily welcome applications from women, minorities, veterans, and all who would contribute to the Lab’s mission of leading scientific discovery, inclusion, and professionalism. In support of our diverse global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
Equal Opportunity and IDEA Information Links: Know your rights, click here for the supplement: “Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law” and the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision under 41 CFR 60-1.4.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Perform a variety of engineering activities, including:
• Develop high-speed data acquisition systems based on the latest FPGA technologies.
• Design >500MHz analog RF front-ends to interface with accelerator diagnostic systems.
• Design printed circuit boards, including schematic entry, simulation, and layout.
• Perform advanced test & measurement tasks using commercial network analyzers, data acquisition systems, frequency synthesizers, oscilloscopes, etc.
• Develop software, scripts, and applications for evaluation, control, and measurement of commercial and custom electronics.
• Write and contribute to technical documentation and reviews.
• Apply electronic system design principles, practices, standards, and research techniques toward the solution of challenging technical problems in accelerator instrumentation.
• Perform work for various project phases, which may include design, implementation, review, integration, test, and commissioning.
• Contribute to project planning activities and the maintenance of large projects
• Define scope and provide cost and schedule estimates
• Participate in design reviews, and documentation.
• Contribute to generating documentation, baseline data, and operating and maintenance procedures.
• The ALS division employs a large number of people with diverse skills.
• Interact with a broad range of engineers, scientists, graduate students and post-docs, technicians, operators, and administrative staff.
• Work collaboratively with scientists and engineers to provide recommendations, requirements and specifications, and implement engineering solutions in your area of expertise.
• Provide guidance and direction for less senior technical staff.
• Participate in the global community of accelerator instrumentation engineers
• Track the field of accelerator instrumentation and related technologies and introduce new technologies, methods, and tools to accelerator instrumentation.
• Actively participate in conferences, collaboration meetings, design reviews, and workshops.
• Document ongoing and completed work and present it at conferences and workshops. Publish in relevant journals.
• Since the ALS is a 24/7 operational user facility, providing occasional off-hours support when needed to install, troubleshoot, repair, and commission systems is required.
• Be diligent about safety. Adhere to the Berkeley Lab’s safety policies and stay current on all required training.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS NEEDED:

• Contribute to accelerator physics and/or control systems areas of projects.
• Contribute to external collaborations.
• Work on self-contained sub-projects.