Olin College of Engineering Looking for Senior Shop Manager, Instructor of Fabrication Full Time

Overview

Olin College of Engineering seeks employees who are passionate about working collaboratively within and outside of the Olin community to support the College’s mission and vision for the future.

At Olin, we are educating the next generation of engineering innovators and shifting the definition of engineering. Not only do our students ask, “Who are we designing this for, and what are their values?” They also ask questions about the impact of their work on society.

As Olin evolves under the leadership of our new president, Dr. Gilda Barabino, we seek to become a more diverse and aware community, a place where everyone is a learner and where everyone is an educator. Olin will become a place where experimentation—including making and learning from mistakes—will be embraced across the institution, not just in the classroom. Collaboration is key to Olin’s curriculum and culture, and we will work intentionally to reinforce the values and culture to which we aspire. We are a community that thrives on being together; we value trust. The College supports teams to collaboratively decide how they can best do their work, display a commitment to the community, all while providing individuals with overall work-life-flexibility.

Founded in 1997, Olin College of Engineering instills passion and ignites innovation in its students and prepares them to envision, create and deliver products, services, and systems that transform and improve people’s lives around the world. Olin teaches students to be explorers and creators who design their own path forward. By challenging norms and sharing its unique approach to education, Olin is revolutionizing the way engineers, and all undergraduates, learn and create knowledge. Located in Needham Massachusetts, Olin ranks among the top-three undergraduate engineering programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

About the Olin College Shop:

The Shop strives to ensure that students, faculty, and staff are part of a compelling, educational, and inclusive learning environment. This means teaching students to utilize physical artifacts as a medium for communication and helping them adopt a continuous prototyping mindset. Our students have a strong and direct sense of ownership of and responsibility for processes, equipment, and spaces.

The Shop’s mission is to empower all interested community members to use and master the tools of fabrication and prototyping through training and guidance. It is our intent that these community members, from all backgrounds and perspectives, will be well served by the Shop. The diversity that students, staff, and faculty bring to the Shop is a resource, a strength, and a benefit. Our objective is to ensure that the Shop is accessible and inclusive and that we welcome and support people with all backgrounds, viewpoints, experience, talents, and ideas.

About this position:

We are seeking a full-time senior-level Senior Shop Manager and Instructor who will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Olin shop that support students and the hands-on curriculum at the College, as well as teach classes on an array of design and fabrication topics. Candidates should have a well-rounded engineering, manufacturing, or design and prototyping background with a breadth of experience working with various modern forms of materials, techniques, and equipment, as well as a passion for education and for teaching. A successful candidate will need strong shop management skills as well as experience working with both students and faculty.

If you have relevant skills, and you understand the importance of empowering students to learn to create through experience and exploration, we want to hear from you.

The responsibilities of the Senior Shop Manager include the day-to-day management of the Olin Shop and providing guidance and supervision to the other design/fabrication instructors and the Shop Coordinator. They will assist the Director of Fabrication and Lab Operations with the management of shop budget and equipment purchases. The Senior Shop Manager will be responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining the equipment they will oversee, including a variety of machine tools, CNC equipment, 3d printers, laser cutters, welding equipment, and other fabrication equipment. In addition, the Senior Shop Manager will oversee the implementation and creation of safety and training protocols; manage workflow and resources inside the facilities; and collaborate with the hiring, training, and workflow of 20 or more student shop assistants. This position is central to creating an environment of student empowerment and safety awareness.

The responsibilities as Instructor include teaching or co-instructing up to one course per semester with a focus on fabrication and other areas as appropriate, depending on college needs. Ideally, job candidates should have experience teaching at the college level. They will work in an inclusive manner with all students regardless of backgrounds and interests, especially those from non-dominant groups in STEM. They will also support and mentor students, and, when needed, act as an advocate for student needs in discussions about the culture of the Olin Shop.

This role is a staff position with a concurrent academic appointment. The position includes year-round responsibilities, with the expectation to be on campus when classes are in session during the school year and to support summer research and other activities.

Summary of Job Functions/Percentage of Time

· Senior Shop Supervisor, 50%, daily

· Instructor, 30%, daily

· Fabrication, Machining and Design Support, 20%, daily

Minimum Requirements

· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in engineering, architecture, design, computer science, technology or a related field is required.

· Master’s degree in engineering, architecture, design, computer science, technology or a related field is preferred.

· 5+ years of demonstrated success with safety, teaching and mentoring, fabrication, and/or making.

· 5+ years of experience managing a shop or makerspace and supervising staff and student is preferred with a strong background in maintaining and repairing shop equipment.

· 10+ years of strong design and fabrication experience: expertise with a wide range of fabrication skills, including metalworking, CNC milling, turning, waterjet, plastics, casting, forging, 3D printing, composites, painting, metrology, thermoforming, and injection molding.

· Experience working with faculty and students in an academic environment, and experience with the design thinking process (ideation, prototyping, and testing) is required.

· Exceptional teaching, mentoring, interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills.

· Ability to work with, receive and implement feedback from a broad spectrum of people.

· Strong organizational and time management skills.

· Ability to seek out root causes of issues, conceive innovative solutions, and move from concept to implementation.

Other Requirements:

• Frequently: stand, walk, bend, reach above shoulder level, use of keyboard/mouse, light lifting (less than 20 lbs), hand dexterity, hand twisting, simple grasping, light pushing / pulling (less than 20 lbs of force), moderate lifting (20-50 lbs), light pushing / pulling (less than 20 lbs of force), moderate pushing / pulling (20-50 lbs of force), move around machinery, exposure to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity
• Occasionally: sit, crouch/squat, climb, power grasping, heaving pushing/pulling (50lbs of force), exposure to dust, fumes, gases
• Satisfactory criminal history background check.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or exemption due to medical or religious reasons

To Apply

Please complete this Interest in Position Form

· A current CV or resume, including contact information for three (3) references.

· An Olin-specific cover letter. Tell us why you are excited to join Olin and why you are excited to work with students in the Olin Shop. Also, please explain to us how your experience might contribute to the vibrancy of Olin’s fabrication community.

· A description of your professional work or a portfolio (if applicable).

For any questions, feel free to contact Dr. Daniela Faas, Director of Lab and Fabrication Operations at [email protected]

Olin College is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education and fabrication/maker spaces, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities.