Physics Teaching-Laboratory Manager and Instructor

Job Summary

We seek a highly skilled and motivated individual to teach professional-level experimental physics, laboratory methods, and data-analysis techniques to undergraduate and graduate students at Caltech. Responsibilities include organizing courses and schedules, training and supervising teaching assistants, and maintaining a physics laboratory complex of sophisticated, research-grade hardware and software. Our teaching-lab experiments cover many areas of modern physics research, including classical and quantum electrodynamics, atomic, optical, and condensed-matter physics, and elementary-particle and nuclear physics. This role requires both technical expertise and teaching skills, with opportunities to develop innovative laboratory experiments and instructional materials. Opportunities to conduct original research may also be available.

Key Responsibilities

Teaching & Student Support

• Provide lecture and in-lab instruction to undergraduate and graduate students, both individually and in small groups, in several laboratory courses covering introductory, intermediate, and advanced experimental physics.
• Generate and update extensive written instructional materials regarding experimental apparatus, laboratory techniques, and data analysis.
• Support students in mastering the scientific method and tests of physical theories, experimental techniques, data analysis tools, and scientific communication.
• Supervise and mentor undergraduate and graduate student teaching assistants.

Laboratory Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the physics teaching laboratories.
• Maintain, troubleshoot, and upgrade laboratory hardware and instrumentation.
• Manage, update, and create new laboratory and data analysis software, ensuring smooth integration of data-acquisition and analysis tools.

Experiment Development

• Design and implement new laboratory experiments in areas such as optics and photonics, condensed-matter, and quantum physics.
• Write proposals for funding new experiments to keep our courses relevant for modern physics research.

Basic Qualifications

• A Master's degree in physics, Applied Physics, or a closely related field.
• Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with modern laboratory environments, equipment, and safety protocols.
• Effective communication and teaching skills, with the ability to work with diverse student populations.
• Ability to assemble, test, and repair delicate mechanical and electronic apparatus, and to move equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.
• Proficiency in:
• Mathematica (for data analysis, modeling, and simulation).
• Electronics test equipment and computer data acquisition systems.
• Electronics system maintenance and design (analog and digital circuits, instrumentation for data acquisition and experiment control).

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. preferred.
• Prior experience teaching or mentoring experimental physics at the college level.
• Experience developing new instructional laboratory experiments.
• Proficiency in:
• Optics techniques (laser systems, interferometry, spectroscopy, etc.).
• High energy photon and electron detection techniques.
• High vacuum and cryogenic systems and techniques.
• LabVIEW (for data acquisition and control software).
• Additional scientific computing tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, C++).

Required Documents

• A cover letter describing teaching experience and technical expertise.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) and publication list (if appropriate).
• Names and contact information of at least three references.

To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link: https://apptrkr.com/6706936

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.