Engineered Systems Technician - MHz HPRF team

What You Will Do

The 201 MHz High-Power RF (HPRF) team at LANSCE is seeking an Engineered Systems Technician for the High Powered Radio Frequency (HPRF) team.

The AOT division maintains, operates, and upgrades all accelerator systems used at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) complex. These consist of two 750-keV Cockcroft-Walton-based injector systems (H+ and H- systems), a 201.25-MHz drift-tube linear accelerator (LINAC) utilizing high-power diacrode tubes, an 805-MHz coupled cavity LINAC utilizing high-power klystrons as the primary power source, a proton storage ring, and roughly a kilometer of beam transport lines that deliver beam to the five independent research programs.

The RFE group is principally responsible for all radio frequency (RF) systems. The group consists of three teams: (1) Low-Level RF (LLRF) focused on real-time phase and amplitude controls; (2) High-Power RF (HPRF) systems at 201 MHz; and (3) High-Power RF systems at 805 MHz. The two HPRF teams are also responsible for the high-voltage systems for the amplifiers.

As a member of the AOT-RFE High Power Engineering team you will support operation, maintenance and upgrades of high-power Radio Frequency amplifier systems around the accelerator as well as collaborate in the design of new equipment for future upgrades. The successful candidate is also expected to provide "on call" support for the LANSCE high power RF amplifier systems after hours and on weekends.

The "on-call" assignment will typically be for one week out of every four-six, while the accelerator is operating (approximately 7 months per year).

The successful candidate will be offered a position on the AOT-RFE 201 MHz team and will perform technical installation and/or maintenance functions supporting engineering activities relating to RF amplifiers and their ancillary equipment. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with engineers and other technicians both within and outside the group to design, upgrade, maintain and troubleshoot amplifier systems involving high-voltage and high-current power supplies and high complexity control systems.

Additional duties involve purchasing and tracking of spare count, participating in hazard analysis and safety document creation and the production of documentation tracking changes and installation efforts. The successful applicant would be encouraged to pursue further RF and electronics training.

In addition to what was outlined at the lower level (EST
4), at this level (EST
5), this is what is needed:
The successful applicant will be required to quickly undertake the lead in troubleshooting efforts. In addition, a deep understanding of electronics is required, to the level of troubleshooting circuits based on their schematics and making modifications accordingly as well as prototyping electronics designs based on hand drawn schematics.

• The use of electronic and RF test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, signal generators, power meters, network or spectrum analyzers.
• Producing electronic and/or electrical drawings from paper drawn schematics or descriptions with a design software (AutoCAD, Visio, Altium, Eagle, etc.).
• Producing simple mechanical drawings for supports and chassis to be manufactured by an external manufacturer.
• Working within safety documentation and participating in hazard analysis.
• Producing clear written documents and communications.
• Participation in and planning of installation, maintenance, commissioning and troubleshooting on electrical and/or electronic equipment and/or systems.
• Control systems such as PLCs (Shneider Electric, Allen Bradley, etc.), FPGAs or microcontrollers.

• Prototyping an electronic chassis including mechanical changes such as the installation of panel mount connectors, terminal boards and PCBs inside metal containment and wiring of connections between the different components.
• Leading in the participation of hazard analysis and safety documentation.
• Leading installation, maintenance, commissioning and…