The Columbia Nano Initiative’s Shared Materials Characterization Lab (SMCL) houses advanced characterization instruments in nanotechnology for studying material properties. The SMCL director oversees this facility, operating independently but reporting to the senior director of the CNI labs, within the broader CNI labs team. They must demonstrate mastery in surface characterization tools such as X-ray crystallography, spectrophotometers, ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, and more. Additionally, they adapt to and master new characterization techniques as required. They support research projects of users of the lab, develop new characterization protocols to aid advanced research projects, and solve complex problems. The SMCL director educates lab users on experiment pla