Vacuum Engineer

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Job Summary

Caltech's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) seeks a highly motivated and skilled Vacuum Engineer to join its Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) team at the Richland, Washington observatory site.

LIGO Laboratory is a major 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.

To learn more about LIGO Laboratory, please visitLIGO.caltech.edu. The 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.

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, and testing advanced technology for the CE vacuum systems, destined to be the largest ultrahigh vacuum systems ever built. We will exercise and develop this technology in a new, purpose-built UHV research facility, the Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) Laboratory, located at LIGO Hanford.

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

Current Washington and Louisiana LIGO installations occupy 4 km long, 10 million-liter UHV systems operating at one trillionth of atmospheric pressure (10-9 millibar), making them the two largest contiguous UHV volumes ever constructed. The planned Cosmic Explorer observatory will require beamtubes 10x longer, up to 40 km in length. This will multiply CE's detectable source range by ten, increasing the accessible volume of space thousandfold. However, UHV structures of this size and volume have never been attempted.

As a key founding member of the CEBEX team, the selected engineer will contribute to the modeling, trade study, design, fabrication, installation, bakeout and characterization of engineering prototypes and technology demonstrators for CE beamtubes up to 40 km in length. Tests will include qualification of a planned 1.2-meter diameter, 120-meter-long demonstration tube, to be erected in the new purpose-built CEBEX laboratory at LHO.

This position will report to the Vacuum Team Lead at LIGO Hanford Observatory.

• Collaborate with research scientists and engineers in modeling and investigation of UHV techniques, surface preparation, residual gas characterization, material surface analysis, welding and fabrication technology, structural statics and dynamics, and related disciplines.
• Assist with procurement of instruments and equipment, technical requirement definition, and quality assurance.
• Collaborate on writing and delivering research papers and technical presentations.
• Operate UHV material preparation and test facilities, including cleaning plants, bake ovens, and outgassing test chambers used to prepare or evaluate UHV components and instrumentation.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Travel from time to time to other LIGO campus and observatory sites, major vendor facilities, and collaborating institutions, both domestic and international.

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical or Systems Engineering; Physics; Material Science; or a related scientific or engineering field. 5+ years of equivalent experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 3 or more years overall of direct engineering or research work experience in relevant industrial or scientific applications.
• Experience in operation, analysis, and performance characterization of high- or ultra-high vacuum systems, including safety analysis, pressure measurement, pump and valve selection, surface preparation, bakeout, and seal technology.
• Knowledge and experience in selection and application of UHV-compatible materials.
• Effective English-language written and verbal communication skills and habits.
• Level-headed professionalism and excellent interpersonal and team skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an automobile driver's license valid in the United States.
• Ability to lift at least 25 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in maintaining high- or ultra- high vacuum systems.
• Experience related to fluid, cryogen, pressure, flow rate, and gas sensors and instrumentation.
• Proficiency in application and interpretation of spectra from residual gas analyzers.
• Experience in application of helium mass-spectrometer leak detection (MSLD) apparatus.
• Computer-aided design (CAD) experience and demonstrated proficiency (SolidWorks preferred).
• Finite-element analysis (FEA) experience and demonstrated proficiency (e.g., Ansys or equivalent).
• Gas dynamical modeling expertise (e.g., using MOLFLOW or equivalent Monte Carlo codes).

Required Documents

• Cover letter summarizing your relevant experience and why you'd like to work at LIGO Lab on the CEBEX experiment.
• Resume.