Instrumentation & Controls - Technician/Electrician
About Periodic Labs
Periodic Labs 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 a hands-on, 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 hand and CAD tools where design parameters and specifications have been established
Build 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
Perform interference checks, fit studies, and assembly verification to identify issues before fabrication
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
Qualifications & Skills
Required:
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent lab experience) in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Control Systems, or related field (or strong background in mechatronics, electronics, solid‑state, materials processing, inorganic chemistry)
Hands‑on instrumentation & controls experience, preferably low-voltage (24VDC) wiring and controls enclosure fabrication
Experience in wiring and integrating mass flow controllers (MFCs), pressure transducers, solenoid valves, thermocouples, and various control instrumentation and hardware
Familiarity with AutoCAD (preferably electrical), redlining schematics, and building to print
Experience selecting appropriate electrical supplies, wire/cable, enclosure components (e.g. relays, circuit-breakers, terminal blocks)
Experience with digital multi-meters (DMMs), volt meters, and current measuring devices
Experience with Lock-Out-Tag-Out (LOTO) safety practices and procedures
Strong attention to detail, record‑keeping, and job/task documentation
Comfort with physically wiring various digital and analog input/output devices, lab instrumentation, and controls fieldbuses (e.g., EtherCAT, RS-232/-485, Modbus)
Good documentation skills, ability to follow protocols, and write clear notes/task summaries
Flexibility and ability to adapt to evolving processes and workflows typical of a startup/ research‑oriented lab
Preferred Qualifications
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
What You’ll Gain
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
Mechanics
Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, or experience
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Compensation: The annual compensation range for this role is $124,000-$153,600
Role Type: Full-time / Contractor