Senior Vacuum Engineer

Senior Vacuum Engineer

Caltech

Job Category: Fulltime Regular

Exempt Overtime Eligible: Exempt

Benefits Eligible: Benefit Based

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

Caltech's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) seeks a highly motivated and skilled Senior Vacuum Engineer to join its Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) team at the Richland, Washington observatory site. This position is a fulltime in-person role located at LIGO Hanford in Richland, WA.

The selected applicant will join an elite team charged with conceiving, designing, building, and testing advanced technology for the CE vacuum systems, destined to be the largest ultrahigh vacuum systems ever built. The chosen candidate will take a lead role in forging results of these investigations into a conceptual reference design, construction plan, and parametric cost estimate for CE.

Essential Job Duties

• Collaborate with research scientists and engineers in modeling and investigation of UHV techniques, welding and fabrication technology, structural statics and dynamics, thermal processing, surface preparation, residual gas characterization, material surface analysis, and related disciplines.
• Establish, track, and maintain team workplans, schedules and budgets to accomplish mission objectives.
• Supervise and mentor junior engineering and technical staff.
• Plan and oversee specification and procurement of instruments and equipment, including budget development, scheduling, technical requirement definition, competitive vendor selection, contract monitoring, and quality assurance.
• Responsible for professional communication (written and verbal) internally within the organization and externally to parties outside the organization.
• Liaising, collaborating, and exchanging information with LIGO Laboratory vacuum teams concerning best practices, organization standards and methods.
• Serve as a contributing member or chair on Design, Technical, Installation and other internal Review panels as may be required.
• Initiate and collaborate in writing and delivering research papers and technical presentations.
• Develop, oversee, and evaluate UHV material preparation and test facilities, including cleaning plants, bake ovens, and outgassing test chambers used to prepare or characterize UHV components and instrumentation.
• Travel as requested to other LIGO campus and observatory sites, major vendor facilities, and collaborating institutions, both domestic and international.
• Undertake additional leadership or contributing responsibilities as needs of the program may require.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering, Physics, Material Science, or a related scientific or engineering field.
• 8 or more years of direct vacuum engineering or research work experience in relevant industrial or scientific applications.
• Demonstrated proficiency in practical design, analysis, and performance characterization of high- or ultra-high vacuum systems.
• Thorough knowledge and experience in selection and application of UHV-compatible materials.
• Demonstrated proficiency in application and interpretation of spectra from residual gas analyzers.
• Experience in application of helium mass-spectrometer leak detection (MSLD) apparatus.
• Effective English-language written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to mentor junior engineering and technical staff.
• An automobile driver's license valid in the United States, or ability to obtain one once employment begins.
• Ability to lift at least 20 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or Doctoral graduate degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering, Physics, Material Science, or a related scientific or engineering field.
• Certificate, coursework, or other professional qualification in Project Management.
• Demonstrated expertise in application of industrial automation to large-scale vacuum systems.
• Hands-on experience in building, improving, and maintaining high- or ultra- high vacuum systems.
• Experience related to fluid, cryogen, pressure, flow rate, and gas sensors and instrumentation.
• Computer-aided design (CAD) experience and demonstrated proficiency (SolidWorks preferred).
• Finite-element analysis (FEA) experience and demonstrated proficiency (e.g., Ansys, COMSOL or equivalent).
• Gas dynamical modeling expertise (e.g., using MOLFLOW or equivalent Monte Carlo codes).

Required Documents

• Cover Letter summarizing your relevant experience to this role and also your interest in LIGO Lab.
• Resume.

To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link:

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.