Hardware Lab Technician

The senior engineering team writes the test plans and owns the designs; this role executes the bench work that keeps those efforts moving — setting up and running test stations, executing defined test sequences, collecting and organizing measurement data, reproducing reported failures, and supporting prototype bring-up. The ideal candidate is a seasoned bench technician who works efficiently and accurately with minimal hand-holding on execution, has strong lab discipline, and knows when to stop and escalate.

Job Title: Hardware Lab Technician
Location: North Reading, MA (100% onsite)
Duration: 12 month contract
Payrate: $50 to $60 per hour

Job Description:
We are looking for an experienced hands-on lab technician to support hardware validation and defect investigation for automated test equipment (ATE) instrumentation and power-delivery modules. The senior engineering team writes the test plans and owns the designs; this role executes the bench work that keeps those efforts moving — setting up and running test stations, executing defined test sequences, collecting and organizing measurement data, reproducing reported failures, and supporting prototype bring-up.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned bench technician who works efficiently and accurately with minimal hand-holding on execution, has strong lab discipline, and knows when to stop and escalate. This is a technician role, not a design role — circuit design experience is not expected, and precision measurement techniques specific to our instruments will be taught on the job.

Responsibilities

• Set up, cable, and verify bench test stations using oscilloscopes, bench power supplies, DMMs, electronic loads, and source-measure units (SMUs).
• Execute test plans and procedures written by senior engineers, following each step and recording results as specified.
• Take repeatable measurements across voltage, current, temperature, and load conditions per written procedure.
• Load and swap boards, modules, and test fixtures; run power-on, continuity, and basic functional checks.
• Keep lab equipment organized, cabled, and on calibration schedule; track fixtures and hardware inventory.
• Log measurement data cleanly into provided spreadsheets, templates, and databases with accurate labeling and traceability.
• Compare results against provided specification limits and mark pass/fail outcomes.
• Build basic charts and summary tables so engineers can review trends quickly.
• Flag out-of-spec readings, unexpected behavior, and equipment problems promptly rather than working around them.
• Write clear, factual test summaries describing setup, conditions, and observations.
• Reproduce reported hardware failures and document the exact conditions under which they occur.
• Support root-cause investigations under engineer direction: re-run tests, swap components or boards, vary one condition at a time, and capture supporting data.
• Log and update defects in Jira with clear steps to reproduce, measurement evidence, and current status.
• Perform board-level soldering and rework — wire mods, jumper installs, connector and header replacement, shunt and probe-point attachment.
• Assemble and modify cables, harnesses, loadboards, and test fixtures.
• Attach probes and instrumentation for measurement without damaging hardware.
• Follow ESD, electrical safety, and lab housekeeping practices consistently.
• Assist senior engineers during bring-up of prototypes, engineering builds, and pre-production units.
• Run repeat testing across multiple units to help establish unit-to-unit consistency.
• Support integration checks with firmware, software, and ATE control systems as directed.

Must Have:

• 5+ years of hands-on electronics lab, bench test, or technician experience.
• Military electronics service, vocational/apprenticeship training, and manufacturing or repair-depot bench experience all count.
• Associate degree in Electronics/Electrical Engineering Technology, a technical certificate, or military electronics training — or equivalent hands-on experience in place of a degree.
• Proficient with core bench equipment: oscilloscope, digital multimeter, bench power supply, and electronic loads. Training will be provided on SMUs, thermal chambers, and the precision measurement techniques specific to our instruments.
• Able to read schematics and block diagrams and follow written test procedures accurately and in order, including recognizing when a procedure and the hardware in front of you disagree.
• Solid soldering and rework skills — through-hole and basic surface-mount, wire mods, connector and header replacement.
• Comfortable working in Excel; willing to learn basic Python scripting for data collection and analysis (no prior coding experience required).
• Careful, organized, and detail-oriented, with legible and complete lab notes.
• Works effectively from engineer-defined test plans: executes independently, asks questions early, and escalates when something looks wrong rather than working around it.

Nice to Have:

• Any exposure to Python — reading, running, or lightly modifying existing scripts.
• Working familiarity with analog or mixed-signal circuits, power supplies, or instrumentation hardware.
• Prior use of SMUs, thermal chambers, logic analyzers, or power analyzers.
• Any exposure to semiconductor test, ATE, or high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Fine-pitch SMD rework, board-level probing, or test fixture and cable harness build experience.
• Experience maintaining calibration schedules or lab equipment inventory.
• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, or similar issue-tracking tools.
• Exposure to structured debug or quality methods (5-Whys, fishbone, basic statistics).