Vacuum/Pressure and Mechanical Research Technician 4/5

at  Los Alamos National Laboratory

RESEARCH TECHNICIAN 4 ($69,500 TO $110,300)

At the Research Technician 4 level, individuals will work independently but with regular guidance/supervision from mentors and/or engineers/scientists. General job duties include:

• Design, construction, testing, and operation of vacuum/pressure systems and equipment.
• Design and construction of equipment, assemblies, and fixtures.
• Use of hand tools and machine tools (lathe, mill, etc.)
• Working in and maintaining gloveboxes.
• Interfacing with external and/or internal machine shops.
• Electronics troubleshooting and repair.
• Handling, usage, and storage of compressed gas cylinders.
• Documentation of work performed (i.e., in a lab notebook), and communication of results with mentor(s) and/or customers both verbally and in writing.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum Job Requirements for Research Technician 4:

• Strong hands-on mechanical skills.
• Experience collecting and documenting data/information.
• Basic knowledge of design concepts, construction, and operation of vacuum/pressure systems and equipment.
• Experience in design and construction of mechanical fixturing and assemblies.
• Basic machining knowledge and skills (e.g., lathe, mill, etc.)
• Willingness to work in inert atmosphere gloveboxes.
• Willingness to work with radioactive and other hazardous materials, chemicals, and solvents in a rigorous safety environment.
• Experience (1-3 years) with email, word processing, spreadsheets, and data analysis software (e.g., Microsoft Office).
• Written and oral communication skills, and the ability to interact effectively with technical and operations personnel.

• Ability to obtain a Q-clearance, which normally requires US citizenship.

Minimum Job Requirements for Research Technician 5: In addition to requirements outlined for the Technician 4 level listed above, requirements at the Research Technician 5 level include one or more of the following:

• Experience (1-3 years) in design, construction, testing, and operation of vacuum/pressure systems and equipment.
• Ability to develop and modify equipment design, experimental methods, and procedures to achieve prescribed experiment objectives.
• Experience (1-3 years) using computer-assisted design software, such as SolidWorks.
• Ability to support and/or independently perform analytical measurements.
• Ability to assemble data into figures and/or first-draft reports.\

Education/Experience at Research Technician 4 Level: Position requires minimum of an Associate’s Degree and 5 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Education/Experience at Research Technician 5 Level: Position requires minimum of an Associate’s Degree and 7 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:

Desired Job Requirements (Research Technician 4):

• In addition to the minimum job requirements, desired qualifications at the Research Technician 4 level include one or more of the following:
• Experience with computer aided design (CAD) for development of engineering drawings, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• 3-D Printing and prototyping to support realization of engineering designs.
• Experience troubleshooting electrical systems/electronics.
• Familiarity with a computer numerical control (CNC) and 3D printing programming language, such as G code.

Desired Job Requirements (Research Technician 5):

In addition to the minimum job requirements for a Research Technician 5, desired qualifications at the Technician 5 level include one or more of the following:

• Advanced knowledge (3-5 years of experience) in design, construction, testing, and operation of vacuum/pressure systems and equipment.
• Advanced knowledge (3-5 years of experience) using computer aided design (CAD) for development of engineering drawings, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Advanced knowledge (3-5 years of experience) with installation, testing, and operation of computer-based experimental control and data acquisition systems and equipment, such as LabView.
• Experience (1-3 years) using a computer numerical control (CNC) and 3D printing programming language, such as G code.

Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation):

• Ability to apply torque with hands or arms, good hand eye coordination and fine motor control, ability to lift 25 pounds to a height of 3-4 feet and load into an enclosed space.

Note to Applicants: For full consideration, your application must include a resume and a cover letter that addresses how you meet the required and desired skills.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

This position will be filled at either the Research Technician 4 or 5 level, depending on the skills/experience of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.
Sigma-1 is seeking qualified applicants for a research technician. The Sigma Complex is a unique prototyping and fabrication facility that specializes in providing material, components, and manufacturing science to Los Alamos experimental programs. The experimental mission spans the US nuclear weapons program, DOD, work with universities, Intelligence Agencies, and many other customers. As part of this mission, Sigma Division works with a broad range of materials from stainless steel and aluminum to special materials such as ceramics, uranium, and beryllium.
You will work in a highly collaborative team environment, interfacing routinely with other Sigma Division staff as well as deployed personnel (Industrial Hygiene, Health Physics, Shipping, Facility Operations) to complete program objectives. You will work to design, fabricate, and execute a variety of experiments that require the use of vacuum systems, pressure systems, custom-fabricated assemblies and fixtures, as well as conduct pre- and post-experiment mechanical and/or chemical characterization of materials. Daily operations typically require understanding and application of vacuum and pressure technology, mechanical design and construction, preparation of engineering drawings, prototyping (e.g., via 3-D printing), interfacing with internal and external machine shops, and working in a glovebox. You will communicate results through written updates and/or reports to scientists, engineers, technicians, and technologists. Organization skills and working in a team-based environment are required to achieve these goals.

At the Research Technician 4 level, individuals will work independently but with regular guidance/supervision from mentors and/or engineers/scientists. General job duties include:

• Design, construction, testing, and operation of vacuum/pressure systems and equipment.
• Design and construction of equipment, assemblies, and fixtures.
• Use of hand tools and machine tools (lathe, mill, etc.)
• Working in and maintaining gloveboxes.
• Interfacing with external and/or internal machine shops.
• Electronics troubleshooting and repair.
• Handling, usage, and storage of compressed gas cylinders.
• Documentation of work performed (i.e., in a lab notebook), and communication of results with mentor(s) and/or customers both verbally and in writing

A Research Technician 5 will be expected to perform the above activities independently with only occasional supervision from the mentor(s). Further responsibilities include:

• Support for and/or independent performance of mechanical and/or chemical analyses.
• Prototyping of complex mechanical designs, using e.g., 3-D printing
• Assembling data into figures and/or first-draft reports.
• Maintenance of high-quality data collection and archiving.
• Occasional oversight of junior technicians and/or students.
• Installation, testing, and/or operation of computer-based experimental control and data acquisition systems and equipment