Instrumentation and Controls Technician

Kforce has a client that is seeking an Instrumentation and Controls Technician in Menlo Park, CA. Overview: Our client is building an autonomous laboratory for high-throughput materials discovery. Our work combines advanced chemistry, robotics, automation, AI, and materials science to accelerate scientific discovery while maintaining high standards of environmental, health, and process safety. We are seeking an I&C technician who enjoys working with materials, instrumentation, electro-/mechanical systems, and characterization tools - someone who values precision, documentation, and evolving lab processes. Responsibilities:

• Provide electrical, instrumentation, and controls technician support to lead engineers, scientific, and technical staff, utilizing CAD tools where design parameters and specifications have been established
• Create and manage large, complex electrical CAD assemblies for custom electrical equipment and fixtures, electrical enclosures, and instrumentation/hardware from engineer-provided concepts, sketches, and verbal direction
• Produce detailed 2D engineering drawings with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing
• Generate accurate bills of materials (BOMs), drawing packages, cut sheets, and RFQ-ready documentation to support procurement and fabrication
• Perform basic calculations using standard engineering formulas to support dimensioning, fitment, and material selection
• Interpret electrical drawings and other technical information
• Maintain systems documentation, bill-of-materials, and drawing archives to keep documentation current, visible, and traceable
• Manage CAD file organization, naming conventions, and revision control
• Incorporate redlines and design changes from engineers, updating models and drawings through revision cycles
• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, or experience

• Experience with superconducting/magnetic materials, cryogenic sample handling, and magnetometry or resistivity measurements
• Experience with vacuum systems, gloveboxes, and inert atmosphere processing
• Familiarity with lab automation, data logging, or LIMS/LES systems integration
• Comfort troubleshooting instruments or basic electro-/mechanical maintenance
• Familiarity with NFPA70 (NEC), UL508A, or NFPA79
• Familiarity with Beckhoff IPCs, input/output modules, and EtherCAT fieldbus
• Familiarity with ASME Y14.5 standards

• Hands-on experience working at the cutting edge of materials discovery (superconductors, novel compounds)
• Exposure to a broad set of material characterization techniques and workflows (from synthesis to cryogenic measurements)
• Opportunity to help build lab SOPs, workflows, and influence lab design and automation controls development/deployment strategy
• Collaborative environment with scientists, engineers, and automation experts - good learning and growth potential
• Satisfaction of bridging materials science, synthesis, measurement, and data-driven R&D
• Hands-on experience designing, fabricating, and troubleshooting cutting-edge electrical systems for laboratory instrumentation and automation