Senior Staff Associate III - Cleanroom Director

Overview

The Columbia Nano Initiative (CNI) operates a cutting‑edge nanofabrication clean room lab spanning 5,000 square feet, equipped with 40 advanced fabrication and metrology instruments. The facility serves over 200 active users from Columbia University and beyond, including researchers from other universities and private companies.

• Design, perform, and support research experiments in the cleanroom lab, focusing on device fabrication and process optimization, including photolithography, deposition, dry and wet etch, diffusion, and backend processes.
• Provide guidance to students, lab users, and peers from other departments on safe equipment operation, gas and chemical handling, optimal experimental conditions, and efficient data analysis to achieve research goals.
• Manage the operational tasks and projects of the cleanroom staff, offering technical guidance and leadership.
• Perform integrated experiments for various research projects, ensuring fabrication instruments remain stable, operating within specifications, and that process health is optimized while keeping the lab and techniques up to date for advanced research.
• Initiate, write, and actively participate in lab protocols, standard operating procedures, grant proposals, and scientific manuscripts for publication.
• Lead maintenance efforts for cleanroom lab equipment, including preventative maintenance, diagnostic troubleshooting, and repairs; evaluate new techniques and instruments for potential installation and implementation, coordinating with vendors, service providers, and other campus entities.
• Serve as a safety champion, comfortable working with hazardous chemicals and toxic and flammable gases; oversee safety protocols, respond to gas‑leak alarms, troubleshoot root causes, and implement related procedures to ensure lab safety.
• Participate in budget planning and user feedback collection to maintain the financial health of the lab.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field;
  Master’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• 15 years of experience in cleanroom nanofabrication, including photolithography, reactive ion etching, physical vapor deposition, vacuum systems, and gas cylinder handling.
• Expert‑level knowledge and skills in nanofabrication and operations in a cleanroom environment.
• Experience designing and performing experimental research in a scientific field (materials science, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering or similar), including literature survey, experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing.
• Experience managing and leading substantial portions of integrative research projects and leading the technical team of a cleanroom.

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran.

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.