The surface and interface group of the Institute for Applied Materials – Energy Storage Systems (IAM-ESS) is looking for your expertise to manage surface and interface characterization tools and take responsibility for ultra-high vacuum facilities of the laboratory.

Join the KIT to give meaning to your work, support national and international R&D projects of surface and interface group, and cultivate your spirit of curiosity.

Interacting with the entire engineering and technical team (researcher, engineers, post-docs and PhD students), you will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Maintain the characterization tools infrastructure  of surface and interface laboratory ultra-high vacuum facilities. This includes X-ray photoemission spectrometer (XPS), Near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS), Secondary-ion mass spectrometer (SIMS), secondary electron microscopes (SEM), Glove box filed with argon, optical microscope and physical vapor deposition equipment as well as rotary pumps, turbo-pumps, ionic-pumps, Chillers, pressure gauges, etc.
• Provide technical support and participate in the preventive and corrective maintenance of the equipment. Act as interface to vacuum equipment manufacturers.
• Participate in investment decisions for the purchase of new equipment and manage the acceptance and installation process.
• Support research engineers in the development and implementation of new experimental set-up and preparation of the relevant documentation.
• Provide technical support and participate in the development and implementation of new instrumental protocols, using NAP-XPS, in dynamic research environment.

Additionally, as a part of your responsibilities, you will be involved in sample preparation (cross section polishing) by argon ion polishing system and material characterization by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM equipped with EDX). Furthermore, you will assist in the data analysis and interpretation.

Finally, you will ensure laboratory operation by calculating, compiling and procuring the required materials and consumables and arrange for the disposal.

You will be part of a unique, cutting-edge research group dedicated to issues of major societal importance. Your motivation to develop and acquire new skills will be encouraged during the training period and through various training opportunities depending on your tasks. 

• You have at least a chemical-technical assistant education or an technician in chemistry and you have many years of professional experience in the field of instrumentation and ultra-high vacuum facilities and are familiar with characterization techniques such as SEM, EDX, XPS, etc.

• German (advanced level) and English (intermediate to good level)

If you are motivated to work in a multi-disciplinary and international team, and have organizational talent, rigor, autonomy and the capacity of teamwork and reporting, we are looking for you.