Beamline Development Group Leader

Position overview:

The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), a directorate of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, is a national user facility providing synchrotron radiation for research in biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, material science, medicine, and physics. SSRL operates and maintains the 3GeV electron storage ring SPEAR3, the associated injector facility, and synchrotron radiation beam lines on SPEAR3. The SSRL Beam Line Systems (BLS) division designs, constructs, and commissions new synchrotron radiation beam lines and retrofits existing beam lines for new capabilities or improved performance.

The SSRL Beam Line Systems (BLS) division seeks a Beamline Development (BLD) Group Leader to supervise and lead a group of engineers, designers, and support personnel in the design, construction, and commissioning of synchrotron radiation instrumentation and optics.

Your specific responsibilities include:

• Lead a group of technical professionals in beamline design and construction projects with responsibilities including beamline modeling, project scheduling and tracking, resource management, and financial oversight.
• Hire and mentor engineers, designers, and other professional staff to support SSRL beamline projects.
• Propose, evaluate, plan, and execute optics or whole beam line performance upgrades.
• Help design complex mechanical systems by working directly with designers and engineers, participating in design reviews for optical systems designed by others in the project, and authoring and/or approving high level drawing and document packages that describe complex beamline systems.
• Commission beamline optics hardware including mirrors, monochromators, slits, etc. to ensure that each is functioning properly, and the overall optical performance of the beamline matches design expectations.
• Provide optics and beam line performance consulting expertise to the beam line operations groups.
• Support the overall mission of SLAC and the Department of Energy by participating in hardware design reviews for other laboratory directorates, providing expertise to councils responsible for laboratory governance and oversight, and participating in high level reviews of 413.3B projects in the DOE complex.

To be successful in this position you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in applied or engineering physics, mechanical engineering, physics, or scientific field related to synchrotron or XFEL radiation studies and minimum 8 years of relevant experience.
• The ability to identify, hire, and mentor talented engineers to build and maintain a team with strong engineering skills and diverse skills and technical expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize designs and have strong analytical and problem-solving skills combined with creative and innovative thinking.
• Ability to develop detailed engineering specifications, system control documents, detailed project schedules, policy documents, and safety procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, especially when interfacing with physicists, scientists, engineers, and technicians, and be able to effectively convey complex technical concepts.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment.

Desired Skills:

• Experience designing X-ray optics and associated hardware.
• Ability to utilize CAD and finite element tools to model and analyze advanced mechanical designs and assist others in the utilization of these tools.
• Experience with ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system design, opto-mechanical system design, x-ray optics specification, and insertion device specification and procurement.

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.
• Given the nature of this position, SLAC is open to on-site and hybrid work options

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:  http://wwwgroup.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

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• Classification Title: Staff Engineer 4
• Grade: L, Job Code: 0134
• Employment Duration: Regular continuing

The expected pay range for this position is $180,000 – $229,000 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.