"Alerted.org

Senior Control Systems Engineer

Job ID

6549

Location

SLAC - Menlo Park, CA

Full-Time

Regular

SLAC Job Postings

Position Overview

Are you motivated by collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to tackle complex technical challenges in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape?** **Does contributing to breakthrough discoveries in science and working with unique experimental instrumentation in a world-leading scientific research environment excite you? The Experiment Control Systems (ECS) division within the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) Directorate at SLAC is seeking a Control System Engineer to join the Engineering and Design controls team. The Control System Engineer will work on control system hardware deployment, system automation, and a suite of tools and applications for experiment event-based timing control systems.

LCLS is the world's first hard x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) with unprecedented capabilities in photon energy range, peak power, and pulse lengths. There are 8 independent instruments currently in operation, which are specifically designed to utilize the exceptional beam characteristics of the LCLS to probe the structure and dynamics of matter at atomic size and timescales.

The LCLS event timing system is responsible for distributing accelerator system timing information and metadata for use in synchronizing a wide range of equipment to the machine, including detectors, diagnostics, and optical laser systems. The event timing system is synchronized with the facility's low-level RF system, distributing data over fiber. The synchronized event timing data stream is decoded and used to generate LVTTL triggers near the point of use, as well as CPU interrupts for software synchronization. The event timing system is supported using a variety of custom and COTS hardware, firmware, and software, providing sub-nanosecond precision and jitter.

As a member of the ECS Engineering and Design department, the Senior Control System Engineer will join a multidisciplinary engineering group which develops and supports technology for controlling and operating scientific instrumentation at LCLS. This suite of instrumentation characterizes and delivers the XFEL beam to experiments and establishes the conditions for data collection. You will also help develop and deliver Python, EPICS, and C/C++ software for LCLS projects at varying scales, from multi-month to larger multi-year efforts. Examples of current projects include:

LCLS-II Instruments (L2SI):** **https://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/lcls-ii** **,

LCLS-II High Energy (LCLS-II HE):** **https://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/lcls-ii-he** **,

See** **https://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/** **for more on LCLS and the unique capabilities of our instrument facilities.

Your specific responsibilities include:

+ **Ownership of EPICS, Python and C/C++ software components that are essential to laser and laser timing control system operation at the LCLS which enable cutting-edge x-ray FEL experiments. For example, maintaining, troubleshooting, and developing new features for our timing system framework, monitoring systems, GUIs and CLIs, etc.**

+ **Design and implement advanced hardware and software triggering schemes to support a wide range of complex experimental equipment and applications.**

+ **Resolve complex issues in electronic systems related to event timing signal delivery and measurement, applying deep system-level expertise.**

+ **Lead and contribute to collaboration with other team members and international groups on public and private software packages on GitHub, including the review of peer-submitted code.**

+ **Deliver robust software solutions for automation engineering, experiment operations, and other disciplines.**

+ **Develop and refine engineering to processes and tools contributing to strategic improvements and long-term system reliability.**

To be successful in this position you will bring:

+ **A Bachelor's degree in the Physical Sciences, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.**

+ **Minimum 4 years of experience in an engineering and/or scientific support environment.**

+ **Python and/or Python GUI development (PyQt)**

+ **C/C++ development experience**

+ **Experience with version control (Git, GitHub).**

+ **Familiarity with simple control theory concepts such as PID, feedback, feedforward, etc.**

+ **Basic electronics knowledge and troubleshooting experience.**

+ **Familiarity with standard electronics test equipment and use.**

+ **Experience performing end-to-end ownership of tasks, including project management, schedule, and stakeholder management.**

+ **Experience working in cross-disciplinary teams or environments.**

+ **Effective communication (written and verbal).**

In addition, preferred requirements include:

+ **Experience with EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) development.**

+ **Linux kernel module development experience.**

+ **Firmware development experience (VHDL preferred).**

+ **Experience with standard telecommunications fiber optic technologies and tools.**

+ **Experience with ECAD tools such as EPLAN, Altium, etc.**

+ **M.Sc. in Computer Engineering/Science, Physical Science, or a closely related field.**

SLAC Employee Competencies:

+ **Effective Decisions: Uses job knowledge and solid judgment to make quality decisions in a timely manner.**

+ **Self-Development: Pursues a variety of venues and opportunities to continue learning and developing.**

+ **Dependability: Can be counted on to deliver results with a sense of personal responsibility for expected outcomes.**

+ **Initiative: Pursues work and interactions proactively with optimism, positive energy, and motivation to move things forward.**

+ **Adaptability: Flexes as needed when change occurs, maintains an open outlook while adjusting and accommodating changes.**

+ **Communication: Ensures effective information flow to various audiences and creates and delivers clear, appropriate written, spoken, presented messages.**

+ **Relationships: Builds relationships to foster trust, collaboration, and a positive climate to achieve common goals.**

Physical requirements and working conditions:

+ **Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.**

Work Standards:

+ **Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.**

+ **Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for environment, safety and security; communicates related concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.** **Meets the applicable roles and responsibilities as described in the ESH Manual, Chapter 1¿General Policy and Responsibilities:** **https://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/esh/eshmanual/pdfs/ESHch01.pdf**

+ **Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide,** **http://adminguide.stanford.edu**

--------------

+ **Classification Title: Staff Engineer 3**

+ **Job code: 0133 Grade: L**

+ **Duration: Regular Continuing**

The expected pay range for this position is $168,965 - $200,792 per annum. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer and supports diversity in the workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital or family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. All staff at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory must be able to demonstrate the legal right to work in the United States. SLAC is an E-Verify employer.