Laboratory Technician

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A Caltech Lab is seeking a Laboratory Technician to support the day-to-day technical operations of its cleanroom facilities on the Caltech campus.

The Technician will help maintain and organize the cleanroom labs — wet/dry labs, mechanical equipment rooms, and supply and chemical storage areas — keeping supplies well stocked and daily operations running smoothly for the lab's research team, while working closely with senior technicians and equipment engineers.

The Technician will assist with routine, hands-on tasks and gradually take on greater responsibility — including nanofabrication equipment maintenance and facilities coordination — as they build experience. Overall, the Technician is expected to contribute to the lab's culture and capabilities and grow into a more developed technician role over time.

• Monitor lab facility systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, compressed gas, and DI water lines) for signs of malfunction — unusual noise, temperature drift, leaks, alarms — and report issues promptly to the Lab Manager and/or Caltech Facilities.
• Track critical environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, particle counts, gas levels) that affect equipment performance and researcher safety, and elevate deviations quickly.

• Organize and perform inventory counts of stockroom supplies, including equipment, maintenance spares, consumables, PPE, chemicals, gas cylinders, and other hazardous and nonhazardous materials.
• Place orders for consumables and coordinate delivery with vendors. Flag vendor issues (communication, quality, lead time) to the lab supervisor and help resolve them.

• Maintain the cleanroom's hygiene standards, keeping work spaces organized and clean. Coordinate routine cleaning with vendors.
• Keep organized data records, troubleshooting documentation, and standard operating procedures to track equipment performance and guide future maintenance.
• Support broader lab safety practices alongside the Lab Safety Officer.
• Help identify and implement process improvements across equipment maintenance and lab operations.

• Communicate progress and problems to the supervisor via email/phone, in meetings, and in reports, matching the format to the urgency and scope.
• Raise difficult or uncomfortable issues (e.g., equipment damage, missed protocols, delays) as soon as they're identified — early transparency protects the lab and its researchers more than a delayed or filtered report.

• Willingness to learn equipment operation, basic maintenance, and lab procedures in a cleanroom environment; prior hands-on experience (school, hobby, work, or military) is a plus but not required.
• Basic mechanical aptitude and comfort using hand tools and basic measurement instruments.
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

• Attention to detail and a willingness to learn problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Willingness to maintain highly organized data records.
• Ability to learn quickly and take direction from senior technicians and the lab supervisor.
• A desire to meet high standards and grow into greater responsibility over time.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks, with increasing responsibility.
• Strong communication skills with the supervisor, vendors, and lab…