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Professional Research Assistant
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Position Number: 5795604
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

Professional Research Assistant

Requisition Number: 60316
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Research Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 17-Nov-2024
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) seeks a qualified Professional Research Assistant to work with NIST scientists in the High-Power Laser Applications project on advanced optics projects for precision laboratory measurements of laser beam power, energy, and spatial profile. The individual will perform a diverse set of duties including general laboratory support, support for laser optical measurements, and technical support for the development of high-power laser measurements.
This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, thus requires that such institutions must be the recipient of a PREP award. The PREP program requires staff from a wide range of backgrounds to work on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration. The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

PREP is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists. The particular group that needs a researcher is the Sources and Detectors Group under the Applied Physics Division at NIST.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Support laboratory experiments through purchasing, basic assembly, aligning optics, general physics laboratory activities.
Write LabView or Python code for data acquisition and analysis.
Safe alignment and operation of laser optical systems.
Operate experiment and analyze data.

What You Should Know

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor's degree holders, graduate students, master's degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.

What We Can Offer

The salary range for this full-time position is $50,000 - $68,000 annually.
Onboarding/relocation assistance may be available, however, if within a 12-month period you exercise your right to willfully terminate your employment with the University of Colorado, you hereby agree to reimburse the department for your relocation expense.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering, physical sciences, or related fields.

What You Will Need

Ability to handle a diverse set of duties and learn new skills.
Ability to use hand tools for simple construction projects.
Ability to work in laboratory environment.
Dedication to safe operation of laboratory equipment.
Basic knowledge of CAD drawing, 3D printing, machining skills, soldering, and alignment of laser optics.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Resume/CV
Cover Letter

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version as an Optional document. During the application process, you will need to enter contact information for a reference. We will request the letter of recommendation immediately following your application. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until November 17, 2024. Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Professional-Research-Assistant/60316