Research and Prototype Foundry
Core Research Facilities @ AINST
Reference no. 2136/1014A

• Opportunity to implement and manage operations for a brand new and world-class fabrication facility
• Utilise your management and extensive experience in lithography, nanofabrication, semiconductor processing, and cleanroom operations
• Full-time continuing, competitive remuneration package is available

The University of Sydney is Australia's first university and has an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. It employs over 7500 permanent staff, supporting over 52,000 students.

The University of Sydney is committed to undertake research that contributes to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Australia and the wider world. To realise this vision the University is implementing strategies that will attract and nurture the brightest researchers, and support them to undertake research that makes an original contribution to knowledge or understanding. In doing so, the University seeks to align its organisational structure to support capabilities in key disciplines and cross-disciplinary areas, and to build research capacity that allows our researchers to address major national and global challenges.

The University of Sydney Research Portfolio contributes to this research vision by delivering high-end research infrastructure through its' Core Research Facilities Program. This initiative enables the establishment, management and governance of high-end research infrastructure in whole-of-university core research facilities, and represents an exciting new phase in the University’s approach to enabling advanced research. A core research facility is a centralised, shared capability spanning multiple faculties, offering a range of services to assist researchers with specialist applications. Core research facilities serve as focal points of research activity; bringing together a critical mass of researchers from diverse disciplines, while providing the means to better manage and sustain high-end research infrastructure to deliver high quality research outcomes, particularly in areas of strategic priority. Core research facilities are funded through a combination of user fees and contributions from user faculties. The Research and Prototype Foundry is (RPF) is set to become the newest core research facility at the University. It is planned that the foundation node of the RPF is sited in the Sydney Nanoscience Hub (SNH), which is the new flagship building of the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (AINST). In undertaking this initiative, the University seeks opportunities to partner with kindred national and international fabrication facilities through NCRIS and related federal initiatives. AINST is a vertically integrated Institute incorporating science, education, and technology programs, and frontier research facilities. The AINST vision is to discover and harness new science at the nanoscale.

At the core of the foundational SNH node of the RPF is a 900 m² bay-and-chase style cleanroom, comprising ISO-5 and ISO-7 clean space. The RPF will serve as a leading facility for the provision of tools that enable lithographic patterning with feature sizes below 10 nm, and over wide length scales using state-of-the-art electron beam and optical lithography tools. Complementing these lithographic tools is a suite of systems for dry and wet etching, dielectric growth, metal deposition, and metrology.

The University is committed to an inaugural appointment of an RPF Technical Director to assume responsibility for the day-to-day functions of the facility and its mission to deliver a world-class user experience. This includes implementation and management of all RPF operations, management of vendor relationships, liaison and integration, as may be appropriate, with other national facilities such as ANFF, and international facilities regionally, and beyond. The Technical Director will also lead and establish comprehensive user training programs.

To succeed in this role, you will ideally have:

• a postgraduate degree in materials engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering or related engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, or a related science discipline, or significant matching experience
• significant experience in operating a microelectronics or nanofabrication facility that utilises lithography tools in a cleanroom environment
• a demonstrated high level of initiative, leadership, interpersonal communication, and managerial skills, appropriate for building and leading a highly motivated team
• a good understanding of budget management, reporting, costing models and goal setting
• an attitude and skill-set aligned with service provision and customer satisfaction.

Highly desirable:

• some direct experience with lithography and nanofabrication tooling, fabrication process flow, materials and chemical compatibility, contamination and safety issues.

This position is being offered as a full-time and continuing contract. This is an ideal opportunity for a senior professional to utilise their outstanding leadership, strategic, teamwork and management skills to support the RPF to meet its key objectives of becoming a world-class fabrication facility.

All applications must be submitted via the University of Sydney careers website.  Visit sydney.edu.au/recruitment and search by the reference number for more information and to apply.

CLOSING DATE: 5pm 13 September 2015

The University is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity and social inclusion. Applications from equity target groups, including women and people with disabilities are encouraged. As the University of Sydney has established a scheme to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff employed across the institution, applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are also encouraged.

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.