Senior Lab Equipment Maintenance Specialist

About the Role

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is seeking a Senior Lab Equipment Maintenance Specialist. This full-time role involves providing expert service and support for high-tech/high-end laboratory research equipment through field service repairs, maintenance, calibrations, and alignments. The specialist will also mentor junior maintenance personnel and lead training sessions for equipment operation and user maintenance.

Role Purpose and Scope

The Senior Lab Equipment Maintenance Specialist is responsible for delivering high-level service to maximize equipment uptime and minimize maintenance costs. This position operates within established guidelines set by the LEM Director and Laboratory Equipment Maintenance Leads, adhering to standard operating procedures. The role requires a commitment to maintaining strategic relationships with manufacturers and vendors to ensure necessary support and training for the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Respond promptly to maintenance and troubleshooting requests.
• Complete assigned work with high quality and in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with end-users to schedule equipment maintenance and other services.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with research equipment manufacturers and vendors.
• Leverage manufacturer relationships to facilitate team support and training.
• Confer with lab equipment operators, manufacturers, and agents to diagnose problems and implement solutions.
• Identify required spare parts, optimize stock levels with the lead, and assist with ordering.
• Provide detailed, grammatically correct, and regular communications to end-users.
• Maximize insourcing of maintenance activities and coordinate vendor visits, minimizing equipment downtime.
• Participate in professional development to maintain high expertise on assigned equipment.
• Collaborate with the team to sustain high service levels through workload sharing, cross-training, and mentorship.
• Instruct end-users on preventative equipment maintenance strategies and proper instrument use.
• Provide occasional value-added user training sessions on assigned equipment within expertise.
• Comply with all HSE and KAUST safety policies, practices, and procedures.
• Develop and maintain safe habits and practices, reporting any health and safety concerns.
• Identify process improvement areas to enhance efficiency and automation.
• Work closely with Lab Equipment Maintenance Leads to define and complete additional objectives.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Work Environment and Expectations

The role requires the ability to work extended hours as needed. Travel up to 10% of the time may be required for training and external services. The specialist will operate in a dynamic research environment, collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure optimal functionality of critical laboratory equipment.