Lead Project Engineer
California Institute of Technology
Richland, WA
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JOB DETAILS
JOB TYPE
Full-time, Employee
SKILLS
Adobe Acrobat, Aerospace and Defense, Analysis Skills, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Automotive Repair and Maintenance, Best Practices, Budgeting, CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing), Chemical Engineering, Cleanroom, Commissioning, Communication Skills, Conferences, Construction, Construction Design, Construction Planning, Cost Engineering, Cost Estimates, Cross-Functional, Driver's License, Engineering Software, English Language, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Government, Industrial Engineering, Instrumentation, Interpersonal Skills, Laboratory, Leadership, Lift/Move 20 Pounds, Logistics, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Technology, Mentoring, Metallurgy, Microsoft Exchange Server, Operational Audit, Optical Engineering, Performance Testing, Physics, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Procurement Strategy, Project Engineering, Project/Program Management, Prototyping, Quality Assurance, Quality Assurance Methodology, Research & Development (R&D), Research Laboratory, Resource Management, Risk Management, Scientific Publications, Scientific Research, Seminars, Strategic Planning, Systems Engineering, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Leadership, Technical Strategy, Technical Writing, Technology Analysis, Testing, Trade Studies, Vendor/Supplier Selection, Welding, Willing to Travel, Windows CE Systems, Writing Skills
LOCATION
Richland, WA
POSTED
30+ days ago
Caltech'sLaser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) seeks a highly motivated and skilled Lead Project Engineer to join its Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) team at the Richland, Washington observatory site.
LIGO Laboratory is a major U.S. National Science Foundation facility dedicated to observing the newly-discovered gravitational-wave universe. Jointly operated by the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LIGO operates the world's leading gravitational observatories near Richland, WA and Baton Rouge, LA, as well as campus R&D centers in Pasadena, CA and Cambridge, MA.
This position is a fulltime in-person role located at LIGO Hanford in Richland, WA.
LIGO Laboratory's mission supports the young science of gravitational-wave physics and astronomy and includes observatory operations, analysis and dissemination of astrophysical observations, detector science and technology R&D,gravitational-wave astrophysics, and education and public outreach. To learn more about LIGO Laboratory, please visit LIGO.caltech.edu.
LIGO now also leads the effort to expand humanity's gravitational wave horizon with a next-generation observatory, Cosmic Explorer (CE). Slated for construction in the 2030's, CE will be ten times the size and reach of LIGO, able to gather signals from the edge of the observable universe.
The selected applicant will join an elite team charged with conceiving, designing, building and testing advanced technology for CE vacuum systems, destined to be the largest ultrahigh vacuum projects ever built. We will exercise and develop this technology in a new, purpose-built research facility, the Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) Laboratory, located at LIGO Hanford.
Job Summary
As Lead Project Engineer you will spearhead the strategic design and development of large scale next-generation vacuum systems for Cosmic Explorer (CE). Current gravitational wave observatories encompass ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) beamtubes up to 4 kilometers in length, operating at one trillionth of atmospheric pressure (10-9 millibar) with stringent vacuum, optical and mechanical interface constraints. These machines already comprise the largest contiguous UHV volumes on the planet, and are among the largest structures ever built for astrophysical research. CE will be ten times bigger, allowing it to monitor a thousandfold greater volume of the universe. This unprecedented scale presents your team with truly unprecedented engineering challenges.
The Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) will address these challenges by designing, erecting and testing scale prototype CE beamtube systems and supporting infrastructure. Plans include a fully instrumented 1.24 meter diameter, 120 meter demonstration tube, to be integrated in a new, purpose-built 11,000 square foot (1,000 m2) research laboratory at the LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO) site. As Lead Project Engineer, you will join the CEBEX Principal Investigator and Project Manager in guiding a multidisciplinary team to create and exploit this new research tool. Your team will chart the experiment's roadmap and technical framework, execute the development program, and translate research outcomes into an integrated construction strategy and reference design for Cosmic Explorer.
The CEBEX team will perform structural, vacuum, vibration and optical analysis, material selection, characterization, modeling, trade studies,design, material preparation, fabrication, installation, conditioning and performance testing. You will also take charge of key interfaces with observatory facilities and instrumentation, including stray light control, contamination control, mechanical vibration, manufacturing, logistics, assembly and test processes, and cleanroom protocols. In parallel, you will forge your results into a reference design, construction plan, and parametric cost estimate. Delivery of this study, currently slated for late 2028, will set a cornerstone for the upcoming CE Observatory construction proposal.
Your role emphasizes leadership, with responsibility for managing the team, collaborating with institutional and industrial partners, and aligning development with broader CE program objectives. It is ideally suited to a seasoned engineering leader with a background in Project-level aerospace, ultrahigh vacuum, systems engineering, or large-scale scientific research infrastructure.
This is an Essential Reporting position. In the event of an emergency on campus, an employee designated as essential reporting has essential job skills that are needed for response and recovery and is expected to report to Campus as soon as possible.
Essential Job Duties
Technical and Strategic Leadership
Lead the conceptual and strategic design of Cosmic Explorer vacuum systems, translating scientific goals into scalable, cost-effective engineering solutions
Drive design reviews, track milestones, and proactively manage program risk over complex, multi-year development cycles
Orchestrate collaboration with specialists in metallurgy, welding and fabrication technology, structural analysis, surface science, contamination control, residual gas analysis, quality assurance, fault detection and other disciplines to solve novel engineering challenges
Team & Resource Management
Build and mentor a high-performing engineering team, fostering collaboration, professional development and technical excellence
Partner with Project Management to develop and maintain workplans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocations that deliver mission-critical objectives
Lead recruitment efforts to attract top talent in vacuum technology and related disciplines
Oversee procurement strategy from technical specifications through vendor selection, contract execution, and quality assurance
Collaboration & Communication
Serve as a key liaison with U.S. and international collaborators, industrial partners, and the LIGO and Cosmic Explorer communities
Exchange best practices and engineering standards with LIGO Laboratory teams across Vacuum, Systems, Optical, Detector Engineering, and Science/Commissioning groups
Initiate, author and present research papers, seminars and technical documentation for scientific and engineering audiences
Travel to LIGO facilities, vendor sites, conferences, and domestic and international collaborating institutions as needed to advance project goals
Adapt to evolving program needs with flexibility and leadership initiative
This position reports directly to the CEBEX Project Principal Investigator and is based at LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO) in Richland, Washington.
Depending on Project phase, up to 20% of workdays may require offsite domestic or foreign travel.
Other duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications
Masters degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering; MaterialScience; Physics; or a related scientific or engineering field.
10 or more years experience in relevant industrial or scientific engineering applications.
8 or more years of successful experience in engineering leadership or supervisory roles.
Record of successful accomplishment in strategic planning and technical project management.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary, vertically integrated project teams.
Effective English-language written and verbal communication skills, including proficiency in both technical and non-technical communication.
Proven ability to effectively mentor junior engineering and technical staff.
Level-headed professionalism with excellent interpersonal and team-building skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain automobile driver's license valid in the United States.
Ability to lift at least 20 pounds.
Preferred Qualifications
PhD or equivalent degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering;MaterialScience; Physics; or a related scientific or engineering field.
Experience interfacing with US government agencies, national laboratories, or international scientific collaborations.
Professional certification or coursework in Project Management.
Hands-on experience building, improving or maintaining large-scale scientific instrumentation or research infrastructure.
Experience related to vacuum, thermal process, fluid, cryogen, pressure, flow rate, and gas manipulation and measurement technology.
Experience related to surface analysis, metallurgy, welding, manufacturing technology, structural dynamics, or contamination control.
Computer-aided design (CAD) experience and demonstrated proficiency.
Finite-element analysis (FEA) experience and demonstrated proficiency.
Required Documents
Cover letter summarizing your relevant experience and your interest in a career with LIGO and Cosmic Explorer.
Resume.
Hiring Range
$190,600 - $218,900 Per Year
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.
As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.
EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
To read more Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) go to eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf.
Disability Accommodations
Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.
If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at employment@caltech.edu.
Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at employment@caltech.edu.
Caltech is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and will, whenever possible, actively recruit and include for employment members of underrepresented minority groups, females, disabled veterans, protected veterans, and otherwise qualified persons with disabilities. Caltech will hire, transfer, and promote based on the qualifications of the individual to ensure equal consideration and fair treatment of all.
About the Company
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