What are the responsibilities and job description for the Laboratory Instrument Technician position at Sterling Engineering?
Job Title: Laboratory Instrument Technician
Location: North Chicago, IL
Hire Type: Contract-to-Hire, Onsite
Target Pay Range: $32.00 - $38.00/hour (W2)
Benefits: PTO, paid holidays, BCBS medical plans, vision/dental plans, 401(k), ESOP
Job Summary:
We are seeking a hands-on Laboratory Instrument Technician to support the maintenance, troubleshooting, calibration, and reliability of laboratory and manufacturing equipment in a regulated pharmaceutical environment. This role is ideal for someone with strong technical aptitude and the ability to learn instrumentation and calibration processes while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality teams to support safe, compliant equipment operation.
Job Duties:
- Support calibration, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and verification activities on a variety of laboratory and process instruments, including:
- Pipettes (single & multi-channel), balances, and weights
- Temperature monitoring devices, thermometers, incubators, and autoclaves
- Pressure gauges, switches, and transducers
- Flow meters, conductivity meters, humidity probes, and related instrumentation
- Centrifuges, air samplers, steam incubators, and other laboratory equipment
- Assist with equipment setup, maintenance, troubleshooting, and minor repairs.
- Learn and perform calibration activities in accordance with GMP, FDA, ISO, and internal quality standards.
- Document maintenance and calibration activities accurately and clearly.
- Identify equipment issues and escalate or support investigations as needed.
- Partner with internal departments and external vendors to maintain equipment reliability and compliance.
- Support audits, SOP updates, and continuous improvement initiatives as needed.
Qualifications:
- 2 years of hands-on technical experience in a laboratory, manufacturing, maintenance, instrumentation, or regulated production environment.
- Strong mechanical and technical aptitude with the ability to learn calibration and instrumentation processes.
- Experience working with laboratory or manufacturing equipment preferred.
- Ability to read technical procedures, equipment manuals, and basic schematics.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, food manufacturing, or other regulated industries is a plus.
- Previous calibration or metrology experience is helpful but not required.
Salary : $32 - $38