Scientist, XPS | EAG Laboratories

Eurofins EAG Laboratories has over 40 years experience in engineering and materials testing services. Our parent company, Eurofins Scientific, is a multi-billion-dollar global leader in engineering and scientific services with a portfolio of over 200,000 validated analytical methods. We offer a consultative, multi-disciplinary approach to solving materials and engineering related product problems. As thought leaders in investigative science, we set the global standard for materials testing services.

Our clients include next generation tech companies in a diverse range of industries and business sectors who design, manufacture, or incorporate products for tomorrow’s technology driven world. Our scientists and engineers collaborate with peers to troubleshoot problems and work through complex engineering and materials analysis for breakthrough products. We have a growth mindset culture where individuals are empowered to drive their own success while fulfilling client needs.

EAG Laboratories is looking for a Surface Scientist to join our team in Sunnyvale, CA. Our clients include leading-edge technology companies, consumer product manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, medical device companies and materials companies all working in the early phases of product development. Come and join a work environment where you will engage in peer-to-peer interaction to discuss and comprehensively understand client challenges, define the problems, then develop and execute analyses to address client issues.

Interested in working for a company that partners with companies who are developing the next generation of innovative materials and products, enjoy a challenge, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with a team centric approach to solving problem? We encourage you to apply!

A Scientist in our Surface Analysis group is responsible for operating analytical equipment such as XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), TOF-SIMS (Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy. This position requires a solid technical foundation in materials science and/or analytical chemistry.

A typical day in the Surface Analysis group will consist of multiple activities and interactions, including:

• Writing up reports and processing data that you have acquired
• Planning upcoming analyses
• Loading the instruments and acquiring new data

In parallel with that, you will likely have multiple other demands on your time:

• Internal group meetings to plan overall use of the instruments to meet deadlines
• Requests from customers to discuss prior reports or they may have questions about future analyses
• Meetings with the EAG commercial team (which may also include customers) to discuss analyses and how we can further help solve customers’ problems

You may also have some longer-term projects you are working on, such as:

• Developing new analysis methods for new materials
• Producing marketing materials or writing a paper
• Working with our support team or vendors on fine tuning our instruments
• Learning another adjacent technique or other training goals

All of these activities require a lot of communication and cooperation with your co-workers and colleagues. You’ll be learning to do a lot of things at once to keep multiple projects all moving forwards and you will be keeping other people on the team updated as to what you are doing. It’s a fast-moving job and we all like to share the load so helping other people in the team, and also being helped by them is part of what we do, in order to collectively help our clients meet their goals. Along the way you’ll do a lot of science too!

We are particularly interested in people with extensive hands-on experience who have taken their own XPS, TOF-SIMS or Auger data and who are very comfortable with all stages of the analytical process: experimental design, preparing samples, acquiring data, interpreting spectra, writing reports and showing true insight into the meaning of the data acquired.

Note: EAG Laboratories operates in accordance with International Traffic in Arms Regulation ITAR. This role subject to ITAR, you must be a US Person (Citizen or Permanente Resident) as you will be exposed to, managing, sharing, safeguarding, and disseminating technical information in accordance with policy and law. TAR, 22 CFR §120-130)

Education and Experience:

• MS or PhD degree in Chemistry, Physics or Materials Science with 1 or more years of industrial experience preferred.

Job Knowledge, Skills, and Ability:

• Design analytical protocols with minimal assistance from other experienced scientists.
• Demonstrate competency with laboratory work and use of analytical instrumentation
• Acquire and interpret XPS analytical data and apply understanding of the data to solve specific problems
• Knowledge/experience in other surface analysis techniques is a strong plus, e.g. XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry).
• Write scientific reports that includes conclusions, methodology, and supporting analytical data
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with firm deadlines
• Help maintain analytical instrumentation and troubleshoot problems when necessary
• Understand and write standard operating procedures and demonstrate the ability to follow procedures
• Work effectively in a team environment
• Able to communicate constructively with other scientists, EAG team members and customers
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Including Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.)

What would set you apart:

• Experience operating and interpreting data using PHI/Physical Electronics or Thermo Fisher XPS instrumentation and use of CasaXPS software.
• It is essential that you have operated XPS instrumentation yourself and then acquired and analyzed XPS data successfully and consistently.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but provides technical direction to support staff, maintenance staff, sales staff, and less experienced analysts.

Physical Requirements:

• The person in this position needs to move about inside the office or laboratory to access file cabinets, machinery, equipment etc.
• Ability to continuously operate a personal computer or lab equipment for extended periods of time (4 or more hours).
• Physical dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms, and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard and other lab equipment, use a telephone, access file cabinets and other items stored at various levels, including overhead.   
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 90% of the time. 
• Ability to speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly and understandably with sufficient volume to ensure an accurate exchange of information in normal conversational distance, over the telephone online, and in a group setting.
• Learn new tasks, remember processes, maintain focus, complete tasks independently, make timely decisions in the context of a workflow, ability to communicate with visitors, ability to complete tasks in situations that have a speed or productivity quota.

The essential physical and mental requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

We will consider reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need, we would like to know how we can better accommodate you.                           

Compensation Range: $90,000 - $125,000. (Salary is commensurate with experience and degree of technical expertise.)  

What It’s Like to Work Here:

• Teamwork: experience what being a part of the Eurofins-EAG family feels like. Be inspired by your leaders, be encouraged by your teammates and be supported in all parts of your journey while you work with us.
• Learning & Development: take on career development programs and goal setting to create big possibilities for your career and life. Develop within the company; be mentored and grown as a leader.
• Diversity & Authenticity: we work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion and encourage everyone to bring their authentic selves to work every day.

Benefits & Perks to Foster Work/Life Balance:

✓ Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage

✓ 401k Company Matching

✓ Paid Time Off

✓ Wellness Program

✓ Education Assistance

✓ …and more!

If you enjoy being immersed in technology, tackling problems head-on, finding solutions through teamwork, and taking pride in accomplishments, join us today!

Eurofins EAG Laboratories is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all of our employment practices. Eurofins EAG Laboratories recruits, hires, trains, promotes and administers all employment-related matters based on an individual's qualifications, abilities, and efforts.  Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, military and/or protected veteran status, and/or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.    

Eurofins USA Material Sciences is a Disabled, and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer

Check out our other opportunities: www.eag.com/about/careers/ 

Eurofins USA Material Sciences is a Disabled and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity employer.