Job Category: Fulltime Regular
Exempt/Overtime Eligible: Overtime Eligible
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
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.
Essential Job Duties
Facilities monitoring and coordination:
- 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 escalate deviations quickly.
Inventory and procurement:
- 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.
Lab standards and documentation:
- Maintain the cleanroom's hygiene standards, keeping workspaces 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.
Communication and lab culture:
- 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.
Basic Qualifications
Experience and technical skill:
- 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.
Work style and collaboration:
- 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 users.
- Teamwork skills and an ability to collaborate with coworkers having diverse skills and backgrounds.
Schedule and physical requirements:
- On-site during peak hours (8am–5pm, Monday through Friday), with the ability to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends when necessary.
- Able to work in a cleanroom setting, following all established protocols for gowning, PPE, and safety.
- Able to lift up to 20 lbs.
Required Documents
- Resume
Hiring Range
$23.00 to $27.25 per hour
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.
As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.