Technical Staff Member

Your responsibility

The primary responsibility of this position is the conception, development, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of measurement and testing systems for research and teaching in the field of metallic materials, with a particular focus on metallic glasses and metastable alloys.

The position includes experimental work in physical and chemical laboratories (particularly calorimetry, rheology, X-ray analysis, materialography, and microscopy), the operation and further development of advanced scientific instrumentation and large-scale research equipment, the analysis and documentation of experimental data, and the technical training and support of staff members in modern thermal analysis and characterization methods.

In addition, the position includes responsibilities in both research and teaching.

For the management of our Thermal Analysis, Metallography, and Materials Testing Laboratories, we are seeking a highly motivated, independent, and team-oriented individual.

The position includes the following responsibilities

• Independent management of the Thermal Analysis and Metallography Laboratories and coordination of all activities related to materials testing, including laboratory operations, laboratory planning, workstation setup, and management of chemical storage facilities.
• Guidance and technical support for students, scientific staff, and student assistants in sample preparation, metallographic investigations, and thermal analysis.
• Design, construction, calibration, further development, and maintenance of measurement and testing systems for research and teaching purposes in the field of advanced thermal analysis methods and X-ray and microscopic characterization of metals and metallic glasses across different length and time scales.
• Planning, development, design, and operation of complex custom-built scientific instruments for advanced thermal analysis.

A major focus of the position is the development and operation of chip-based flash calorimetry systems with heating and cooling rates of up to 50,000 K/s.

• Development and application of software solutions for data acquisition as well as control and regulation of measurement and testing systems.
• Troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of laboratory and testing equipment, as well as coordination and supervision of external service providers in the areas of electronics, electrical engineering, gas supply systems, gas distribution systems, and vacuum technology.
• Conducting safety instructions and training to ensure compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Procurement and management of equipment, materials, chemicals, and laboratory consumables.
• Technical coordination and active participation in experimental work within national and international research and development projects.
• Planning and conducting experiments, as well as analyzing and interpreting measurement data for the development of novel metallic materials, particularly metallic glasses and thin films.
• Preparation and provision of experimental data, analyses, and technical documentation to support scientific publications, conference presentations, posters, research proposals, and interim and final project reports.
• Development, organization, and implementation of laboratory courses, seminars, workshops, and teaching activities in the fields of metallurgical processing and characterization methods as well as metallic materials and glasses.
• Development and administration of the group's IT and data infrastructure, including the implementation of sustainable data management concepts, maintenance of workstation computers, support for staff members with hardware and software issues, and coordination with the university's central IT services (ZECM).

Your profile

• Completed university degree (Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Engineering, or equivalent University of Applied Sciences degree) in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• Extensive practical experience with thermal analysis methods and the production of metallic samples, particularly arc melting, induction melting, casting processes, and sample preparation for materialographic investigations.
• In-depth knowledge of physical and inorganic chemistry and extensive experience with modern calorimetric methods, including flash calorimetry, power-compensated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), heat-flux calorimetry, temperature-modulated calorimetry, Calvet calorimetry, simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential thermal analysis (DTA).
• Sound knowledge of rheological and thermomechanical characterization methods as well as X-ray analytical techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and establish novel experimental approaches and methodologies in the field of thermal analysis.
• Extensive experience in the safe handling of chemicals, particularly in materialography laboratories.
• Solid knowledge of analog and digital electrical and electronic measurement, control, and instrumentation systems.
• Extensive practical experience in gas supply technology, vacuum technology, data acquisition and processing systems, and control and automation systems.
• Comprehensive experience in the characterization of metallic materials using X-ray, optical microscopy, and electron microscopy techniques.
• Excellent knowledge of scientific data acquisition, analysis, and evaluation software.
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
• Good command of German, or willingness to acquire sufficient German language skills to support laboratory operations, teaching activities, and administrative responsibilities.

Desirable

• Experience with synchrotron-based measurement and data analysis techniques.
• Advanced knowledge of software development for data acquisition systems and programming or application of control and automation software (e. g., Lab VIEW).
• Advanced knowledge of specialized software packages for thermal analysis and X-ray characterization (e. g., Origin Lab, NETZSCH, Setaram, Mettler-Toledo, Perkin Elmer, or comparable systems).
• Experience in the design, development, and construction of custom scientific instruments and experimental facilities.
• Experience in managing scientific or technical laboratories.
• Experience in teaching, training, supervising, or mentoring students and staff members.
• Experience working in national and international research projects.
• Intercultural competence and enthusiasm for working in an international scientific environment.
• Independent, structured, and responsible working style combined with strong teamwork and communication skills.
• High degree of reliability, service orientation, and organizational skills.
• #J-18808-Ljbffr