RF Electronics Engineer

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Position Summary:

Berkeley Lab’s Engineering Division is seeking a radio frequency (RF) Electronics Engineer to join the RF engineering section of the Electronics Engineering and Controls Group at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) accelerator complex. Under minimal supervision for routine work and general direction of a lead engineer for new assignments, working as a member of the RF Engineering section of the Electronics Engineering and Controls Group, you will support the Advanced Light Source (ALS) accelerator complex, a world-class user facility that provides high intensity photon beams for science. The position requires the ability to interact effectively with experts in multiple disciplines, including machine control software engineering, mechanical engineering, physics and operations.

What You Will Do:

RF Electronics Engineer 3

• Support the ALS RF systems which requires the upgrade, repair and maintenance of following systems:

  • Low phase noise, 500 MHz Master Oscillator and signal distribution system

  • Low Power RF Controllers consisting of analog and digital based (FPGA) phase and amplitude control loops

  • Electron Gun System, a thermionic gun that is pulsed at 125 MHz and operates at an accelerating potential of 120 kV DC,

  • Sub-Harmonic Buncher amplifier systems operating at 125 & 500 MHz in pulse mode at 20 kW

  • 24 MW pulsed L-Band PFN Modulators delivering power to the 3 GHz Linac accelerating structures

  • 80 kW CW, 500 MHz IOT based Booster Ring RF amplifier system

  • 65 kW CW, 500 MHz Klystron based Cavity Teststand amplifier system

  • 300 kW CW, 500 KHz Klystron based Storage Ring RF system system

  • Solid-state RF amplifiers at 125 MHz, 500 MHz & 3 GHz

  • HVDC Power Supply systems with 208 VAC, 480 VAC and 4160 VAC input, upto 54 kV output and 800 kW average power

  • Hi-speed amplifier protection systems; Thyratron crowbar and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) disconnect switch

  • Normal conducting, Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) high-Q resonant RF cavities at 125, 500 MHz & 1.5 & 3.0 GHz

  • Coaxial, WR-650 and WR-1800 waveguide RF transmission line systems

  • Higher Order Mode (HOM) Damping systems

  • Temperature Controlled water cooling systems

  • Multi-megahertz pulsed Cam-Shaft beam kicker system

  • PLC & EPICS based controls, ModBusTCP protocol, IEC 61131 Structured Text programming

• Provide guidance to technical staff.

• Help coordinate electronic and mechanical resources needed to complete a task or project.

• Improve documentation, baseline data and operating and maintenance procedures.

In addition to the above responsibilities, the RF Electronics Engineer 4:

• Provide leadership to technical staff.

• Coordinate electronic and mechanical resources needed to complete a task or project.

• Improve documentation, baseline data and operating and maintenance procedures.

• Work with other scientists and engineers to review and solve technical issues.

• Provide oversight to other technical staff.

• Provide cost and schedule estimates for sub-projects.

• Lead RF projects.

Additional Desired Responsibilities RF Electronics Engineer 3:

• May work with other scientists and engineers to review and solve technical issues.

• May provide oversight to other technical staff.

• Provide cost and schedule estimates for sub-projects.

In addition to the above, RF Electronics Engineer 4 will have these desired responsibilities:

• May represent the Laboratory to the outside world in RF Engineering through, for example, participation in design reviews.

What Is Required:

RF Electronics Engineer 3

• Demonstrated technical expertise in performing complicated and difficult RF engineering work.

• 2+ minimum years of experience as a demonstrated technical expert.

• Experience in three or more of the five segments of RF Engineering: the design, construction, implementation, operation and maintenance of systems involving pulsed megawatt klystrons and hundred kilowatt class CW klystrons in the several hundred megahertz to multiple gigahertz frequency range including associated power supplies and modulators.

• Proficient of control systems and control algorithms/techniques.

• Proficient with accelerating structures and UHV materials and assembly techniques.

• Experience with a finite element method solver for electromagnetic structures such as HFSS or Microwave Studio.

• Experience with E-CAD tools: Schematic, Simulation, Design for Manufacture.

• Experience using Project Data Management (PDM) tools such as Windchill, AutoEDMS, etc.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in engineering or related field.

In addition to the above qualifications, RF Electronics Engineer 4 will have:

• 8+ years of relevant experience, minimum of 3+ years as a demonstrated leader.

• Have a good working knowledge of beam interaction with accelerating structures, accelerator systems.

• Have 3-D modeling experience of fields (both time and frequency domain) in accelerating structures.

Additional Desired Qualifications RF Electronics Engineer 3:

• May have knowledge of beam interaction with accelerating structures, accelerator systems.

• May have 3-D modeling experience of fields (both time and frequency domain) in accelerating structures.

• 5+ years of relevant experience

In addition to the above desired qualifications, RF Electronics Engineer 4:

• Proficient knowledge of control systems and control algorithms/techniques.

• Proficient knowledge of digital based controls for RF systems. Typically, FPGA/DSP based systems with multi-channel heterodyned up and down converted signals.

• Knowledge of superconducting RF systems for charged particle accelerators and synchrotron light source physics is advantageous.

The posting shall remain open until the position is filled.

Notes: This is a career appointment. Classification will depend upon the applicant's level of skills, knowledge, and abilities.

This position requires completion of a background check.

Berkeley Lab addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. Berkeley Lab is in compliance with the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision under 41 CFR 60-1.4.  Click here to view the poster and supplement: "Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law."