Job Summary

JILA seeks an experienced and collaborative Research Instrumentation Team and Safety Manager to oversee and support its research production shops, which include the Electronics Shop, Instrument Shop, and the Keck Metrology Lab and Clean Room. This position plays a critical role in supporting world-class experimental research by ensuring these shops operate efficiently, safely, and in alignment with JILA's scientific mission. As JILA's safety manager, this role guides program development, monitors safety practices, and supports implementation of safety initiatives.

The position will provide leadership, coordination, and strategic oversight for the technical staff who support JILA's instrumentation, fabrication, and research infrastructure needs. A key strategic role will be to connect the shops to the broader Boulder scientific communities to enhance efficiency and make improvements that maintain our leading edge.

The position further serves as JILA's Safety Manager, providing leadership and resources for the institute's safety program, and guiding the development and implementation of JILA's Safety Plan. The role will include chairing the Safety Committee (a committee of mainly JILA fellows that oversee the JILA culture of safety) and aiding compliance with university and federal safety requirements through collaboration with CU EH&S and NIST safety partners. In shared resource spaces of the Scientific Shops, the JILA Safety Manager will oversee all aspects of safety. In the context of individual PI laboratories, the JILA Safety Manager will assist and coordinate to provide knowledge and support for PIs and student safety proctors.

The position will partner with the JILA finance team and shop Fellow advisors to ensure accountable and sustainable shops operations, including budget monitoring, equipment repair and acquisition cost options, and staffing coverage and costs.

This is not a hands-on design or fabrication role; rather, it focuses on management, communication, prioritization, and support for highly skilled technical personnel and the researchers they support.

The Instrument Shop offers JILA researchers and staff a variety of services, including precision machining, welding, as well as the design and fabrication of custom laboratory devices and equipment. JILA's secret to making custom equipment is one-on-one communication between scientists and instrument makers. This communication strategy makes it possible for Instrument Shop staff to create just about anything scientists need for their research.

The JILA Electronics Shop provides a full suite of electronics engineering expertise in support of JILA's scientific mission. Their services are available to all JILA personnel, including fellows, students, and faculty. We are available for quick on-site consulting, repairs, troubleshooting, as well as world class instrumentation and circuit design.

The Keck Lab and Clean Room Shop is an optical metrology laboratory with advanced capabilities for (1) precision measurement, (2) micro and nano fabrication in a Class 1000 clean room, and (3) atomic force and optical microscopy. Keck Lab staff offers tutorials on using the lab measuring instruments and software, including instruction on photolithography, ellipsometry, E-beam lithography, and spectrophotometry.

Supervision: This position supervises the Instrument Shop (5 employees), the Electronics Shop (3 employees), and the Keck lab (1 employee), responsible directly and indirectly for 9 FTE total.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Operational Management and Outreach

• Provide leadership, guidance, and coordination across the Electronics Shop, Instrument Shop, and Keck Lab/Clean Room; undertake performance evaluations; and facilitate professional development for shop staff.
• Be responsible for project management, work distribution, and prioritization for shop activities to balance workload and meet Principal Investigator (PI) and research needs.
• Maintain effective communication and alignment with Principal Investigators (PIs), acting as a buffer to protect shop staff from conflicting demands and unbalanced workloads.
• Represent shop operations in meetings with JILA Fellows and leadership, providing technical, fiscal, and operational updates as needed.

JILA Safety Manager

• Serve as the JILA Safety Manager, helping observe compliance with all safety policies in partnership with CU Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), PIs and lab safety proctors.
• Chair the JILA Safety Committee, and guide the development, implementation, and upkeep of the JILA Safety Plan.
• Coordinate functions, roles, and responsibilities for lab safety in conjunction with PIs and lab safety proctors.
• Work with the NIST Safety Embed to observe Federal NIST safety requirements and best practices.

Administrative, Strategic and Institutional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Facilities and Administrative staff and CU Facilities Management, with input around shared infrastructure needs (e.g., utilities, shop infrastructure, maintenance issues).
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners, guide and advise JILA Fellows in areas of expertise, with openness and goals of the institution in mind.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance shop efficiency, scheduling, and responsiveness. Assess equipment, practices, and maintenance needs for improvement and cost savings.
• Explore business development opportunities, networking within CU and with external research and industry partners, following up on potential collaborations or service leads.
• Support long-term planning and budgeting for shop equipment, maintenance, and capital improvements.
• Budget coordination and oversight with Fellow guidance and approval.
• Personnel actions, performance management, leave management, and professional development.
• Compliance, finance, and budgeting in coordination with JILA and CU offices.

What You Should Know

• This is a fully on-site position.

What We Can Offer

The annual hiring range for this position is $115,000-$142,000. Relocation is available for eligible candidates.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, applied physics, or a related technical field and 4+ years of experience in technical operations, engineering management, or research support environments.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute.
• Experience supervising professional staff.
• Experience in project coordination, budgeting, and compliance in a research or academic environment.

What You Will Need

• Strong people management, communication, and interpersonal skills; approachable and effective working across administrative and technical boundaries.
• Familiarity with research instrumentation, electronics, and fabrication workflows, with enough technical understanding to engage with staff and PIs.
• Proven ability to manage multidisciplinary technical teams and balance complex project priorities.
• Exemplary interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and cooperative working relationships.
• Ability to organize and successfully manage multiple projects occurring at the same time and to keep detailed and accurate records.
• Ability to work effectively in a working environment with multiple interruptions.
• Willingness to mentor and aid research students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty.
• Familiar with various fiscal business applications for productivity, reporting, and data record keeping and integrity.
• Dedication to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful workplace.
• Internal motivation with the ability to work independently as well as in partnership with an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to anticipate the needs of the broader team and develop/recommend policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of safety practices and regulatory compliance in technical shops or lab environments.
• Skilled using Microsoft business suite applications, including Outlook, Excel, and Word.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Advanced degree in engineering, applied physics, or a related technical field.
• Experience working in a university research environment, research institute, or national laboratory setting.
• Familiarity with vacuum systems, cleanroom operations, CAD/CAM processes, or electronics fabrication.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. A current resume.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by 9/20/26 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply 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.