CNRE Laboratory Engineer – Nanotechnology & Materials Research

University of the District of Columbia•Washington, DC

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Laboratory Engineer will support research, education, innovation, and workforce-development activities at the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for Nanotechnology Research and Education (CNRE). The position is primarily in person at CNRE laboratory facilities and is responsible for keeping laboratories functional, safe, organized, and ready for research and instruction. The engineer will support cleanroom and micro/nanofabrication equipment, vacuum and deposition systems, laboratory utilities, and research instrumentation, developing the expertise to perform routine operations, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, minor repairs, user training, and laboratory support. Working with CNRE faculty, students, researchers, grant staff, technical personnel, and collaborators, the engineer will also conduct experiments in support of grant objectives; assist with prototyping, experimental setups, fabrication, and characterization; and support courses, workshops, demonstrations, and outreach. The role includes maintaining procedures, training and equipment records, inventories, and maintenance documentation; coordinating equipment access and vendor or University support; and contributing to economical, sustainable, and safe operation of CNRE resources. Reasonable flexibility in working hours may be considered when compatible with laboratory operations and grant objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in materials science, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, nanotechnology, applied physics, chemistry, or a closely related STEM discipline.
Academic or professional experience with experimental research instrumentation.
Ability and willingness to learn new research equipment through manuals, vendor training, hands-on instruction, and independent technical study.
Basic understanding of vacuum systems and laboratory utilities.
Basic understanding of laboratory electrical safety and equipment power requirements.
Demonstrated hands-on problem-solving and troubleshooting ability.
Ability to distinguish routine or minor troubleshooting that can be performed safely in-house from repairs requiring specialized technical service.
Strong organizational and documentation skills.
Ability to develop clear operating and training materials.
Ability to train students and researchers patiently and effectively.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently while maintaining appropriate communication with CNRE leadership.
Ability to work professionally, respectfully, and collaboratively with people from different technical and professional backgrounds.
Strong interpersonal competencies, including self-awareness, constructive communication, teamwork, professional judgment, and conflict management.
Commitment to maintaining a safe, orderly, productive, and collegial research environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant discipline is preferred; fresh PhD graduates in materials science, nanotechnology, engineering, applied physics, or related fields are encouraged to apply.
Familiarity with cleanroom operations, photolithography, thin-film deposition, sputtering, vacuum systems, SEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, electrical characterization, or nanoscale materials or devices is highly desirable.
Familiarity with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or comparable programming or instrument-control software is preferred.

Responsibilities

Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and perform appropriate minor repairs on photolithography and related micro/nanofabrication equipment.
Support CNRE cleanroom operations and uphold cleanroom practices, safety protocols, and user procedures.
Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and perform minor repairs on sputtering systems, vacuum deposition equipment, vacuum pumps, gauges, gas-delivery components, and associated vacuum systems.
Operate and maintain laboratory utilities, including air compressors, nitrogen generators, chillers, cooling-water systems, vacuum infrastructure, regulators, pumps, tubing, filters, and supporting equipment.
Perform routine preventive maintenance and identify when specialized vendor or facilities support is needed.
Understand equipment electrical requirements and work with UDC personnel when dedicated circuits or electrical modifications are required; help prevent unsafe connections and electrical hazards.
Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and support applicable research instrumentation, including Raman spectroscopy, SEM, AFM, optical microscopy, thin-film characterization systems, electrical and nanoscale measurement equipment, and temperature-dependent and low-temperature measurement equipment.
Develop familiarity with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or comparable instrument-control environments; assist with instrument integration and develop or modify control routines within technical capabilities.
Learn to operate newly acquired equipment using vendor training, manuals, SOPs, and technical instruction.
Develop and maintain SOPs, quick-start guides, safety instructions, troubleshooting guides, and user-training materials.
Train students, faculty, staff, and approved external users; help establish equipment qualification requirements and maintain training and authorized-user records.
Manage and monitor equipment scheduling to promote efficient use and minimize conflicts.
Maintain inventories of equipment, accessories, consumables, spare parts, tools, gases, and laboratory supplies.
Maintain equipment maintenance logs, usage records, service histories, and records of problems and corrective actions.
Coordinate specialized repairs, installations, calibrations, and preventive maintenance with vendors and University personnel.
Conduct research experiments in consultation with CNRE faculty to support approved grant objectives.
Assist faculty, researchers, and students in developing and testing experimental setups; support fabrication and characterization of materials, nanoscale structures, devices, and prototypes.
Support proof-of-concept prototypes and CNRE innovations consistent with assigned grant objectives.
Troubleshoot experiments and help improve the repeatability and reliability of laboratory procedures.
Support hands-on laboratory activities for courses, workshops, demonstrations, summer programs, and outreach; prepare equipment and experimental stations and restore laboratories afterward.
Enforce CNRE policies for safe, responsible, authorized, and appropriate use of laboratory resources; promptly report significant hazards, equipment failures, facility deficiencies, and inappropriate use.
Identify practical ways to reduce operating costs without compromising research quality or safety; where practical, develop economical in-house solutions for fixtures, sample holders, experimental components, maintenance, upgrades, and laboratory organization.
Promote efficient use of consumables, gases, utilities, service contracts, equipment, and laboratory resources.
Collaborate professionally with faculty, students, research staff, coordinators, University personnel, and external collaborators.
Assist with installation and commissioning of newly acquired equipment and laboratory reconfiguration and equipment-placement optimization.
Assist with equipment specifications and technical procurement information, and with vendor quotations and technical comparisons when requested.
Support preparation of technical documentation for grant reports, publications, presentations, equipment-utilization reports, and facility descriptions.
Assist with laboratory tours and demonstrations for visitors, workshops, students, collaborators, and funding agencies.
Participate in laboratory safety inspections and corrective actions, and perform other laboratory-related duties assigned by CNRE leadership consistent with the sponsored project.