Technician II/III: Drafter and CAD specialist

National Laboratory of the Rockies•Golden, CO

9d•$51,200 - $95,500•Onsite

About The Position

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is seeking an experienced Design Drafter and CAD Specialist to create, revise, maintain, and control technical drawing files supporting research operations. In this role, you will collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders—including engineers, technicians, and project managers—to ensure research equipment is accurately designed, approved, fabricated, installed, and maintained. Your work will span a diverse range of projects, from high-level facility layouts to component-level detail drawings. This position requires strong technical drafting knowledge alongside advanced CAD proficiency. The successful candidate will produce accurate, organized, and reusable drawings. Effective documentation will support ongoing design, maintenance, troubleshooting, and project planning efforts. Maintaining organized files will enable long-term record documentation and utilization. This position is based in Golden Colorado at the South Table Mountain Campus. The successful candidate will be expected to work primarily on site.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent and 4 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.
Full knowledge of specialized focused support functions.
Complete acquaintance with and understanding of the general and detailed aspects of the supported activities, and their practical applications to problems and situations ordinarily encountered.
Proficient in research techniques and practices.
Solid communication, interpersonal, project management and customer relations skills.
US citizenship.
Strong proficiency in architectural drafting, facility documentation, and CAD best practices.
Proven machine-design drafting capability, fabricated parts, fixturing, and equipment modifications.
Familiarity with industry drafting standards (e.g., ASME Y14.5).
Practical understanding of fabrication methods, mechanical assembly requirements, fasteners, and tolerances.
Ability to interpret complex technical drawings, redlines, field sketches, and vendor documentation.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
Strong attention to detail, communication skills, and organizational habits.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience building, troubleshooting, or maintaining mechanical, electrical, or process piping systems.
Ability to read, create and revise electrical schematics.
Knowledge of fluid/pressure systems and components (specifically Swagelok components).
Experience with Unistrut, 8020 or other modular industrial framing systems.
Experience with metal fabrication tools, such as drill presses, bandsaws, Bridgeport style mills, and or lathes.
Experience with 3D printing or other rapid prototyping.

Responsibilities

Develop and update detailed 2D drawings and 3D models using AutoCAD and SolidWorks from field measurements, redlines, sketches, vendor data, and physical photographs.
Maintain comprehensive drawings of facility layouts, architectural backgrounds, equipment arrangements, and process systems.
Apply core architectural drafting principles to existing facility conditions to develop floor plans, elevations, and section views. Detail drawings to include equipment dimensions, and appropriate clearances to assist in planning efforts.
Create and maintain internal schematics documenting compressed gas lines, flow paths, valves, regulators, instrumentation, and other components(internal P&ID equivalents).
Design 3D models, fully dimensioned 2D drawings for fabrication, and develop bills of materials (BOMs) from assemblies. Examples would include simple bracket development, custom in vacuum hardware or fixtures, and full compressed gas panel BOMs.
Maintain drawings as structured technical documents utilizing disciplined layer control, XREFs, blocks, viewports, and strict file-naming conventions. Adhere to use of Model Space for physical design geometry and Paper Space for sheet layouts, annotations, and plotting documentation.
Support record drawing control by preserving historic files, separating active project work from master files, and incorporating approved revisions into the record set.
Work within laboratories to review drawings against physical field conditions to identify and correct discrepancies.
Collaborate with engineers, technicians, and maintenance personnel to clarify design intent and verify technical data.
Champion internal CAD standards and procedures while providing technical guidance and knowledge transfer to staff without a formal drafting background.