Material Lab Technician

A globally leading consumer device company headquartered in Cupertino, CA is looking for a Materials Lab Technician with an aptitude for fast-paced, hands-on testing and characterization. You will work closely with our engineers to evaluate the properties of materials that go into our products, such as textiles, nonwovens, laminate structures, leathers and adhesives. Applicants should have a solid grasp of mechanical testing of materials and be able to utilize common sense and critical thinking to solve complex problems. We encourage anyone who is passionate about sustainability and the environment, building relationships, developing technical skills, and approaching problem solving with curiosity and imagination to apply. 


Responsibilities:

• Independently perform test set-up, sample preparation and data collection in accordance with test standards.
• Input data collected into our organization’s database for use by materials and modeling engineers.
• Assist with SOP development/improvement activities and perform preliminary data analysis
• Assist with lab maintenance and equipment upkeep on occasion.

Key Qualifications:

• Associates or higher degree in engineering, physics or related scientific/technical field.
• Minimum of 3 years of lab experience required; R&D lab experience preferred
• Experience with laboratory testing, sample preparation and equipment operation for the following:

1. load frames (e.g. Instron), wear / fatigue testers and/or other mechanical testing equipment for materials
2. calipers, scales and/or other dimensional measurement tools
3. optical microscopes (e.g. Keyence VHX)

• Strong drive and passion to provide accurate data with attention to detail, and ability to execute repetitive manual test procedures
• Proficient in using Excel, Keynote and basic word processing
• Ability to juggle multiple projects for several customers in a given week and adapt to frequent changes in testing protocols to meet fast-paced research needs
• Hands-on experience with profilometers (white light interferometry, laser confocal microscopy), softgoods/textile material testing equipment (AATCC, martindale, taber) and spectrophotometers is highly desirable
• Mechanics of Materials background preferred.


Type: Contract
Duration: 5 months with extension
Work Location: Cupertino, CA (100% on site)
Pay range: $30.00 - $39.00/hr  (DOE)