How to Apply
NOTE: The Director of Advanced Physics Instructional Laboratories position is interdependent with posting JO#279156- LEO Adjunct Lecturer. You must apply to both job postings and be qualified for both positions in order to be considered as a candidate. Please see Job Posting 279156, which describes the LEO Adjunct Lecturer position, for the specific application requirements for that position.
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline your skills and experiences as they relate to this position.
Who We Are
The Physics Department's mission is to advance the university's goals and ideals through incisive education, lasting contributions to human understanding, and the shared excitement of scientific discovery. Our Intermediate Laboratories provide an introduction to measurements in quantum physics through a series of experiments in Modern Physics. We have recently added an Instrumentation Laboratory class. Our Advanced Laboratories have a large collection of in-depth experiments in the core fields of experimental physics, as detailed below under Experimental Scope.
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Job Summary
The Department of Physics seeks an experienced director for our Intermediate and Advanced Physics Instructional Laboratories.
Responsibilities*
Instruction and Support
- Teacher Training: You will train new faculty and graduate student instructors on how to use the lab equipment and explain its limitations.
- Co-Teaching: You will be in the classroom, co-teaching lab sections and serving as a backup instructor when needed.
- Pedagogy: You will research and implement new teaching methods and technologies to keep the curriculum modern (e.g., through participation in ALPHa and/or AAPT).
Technical Lab Management
- Maintenance & Repair: You are responsible for the daily operation and rapid repair of a wide variety of experiments, from nuclear physics to quantum optics.
- Electronics & Hardware: You will design, build, and troubleshoot custom electronic circuits, hardware and computer interfacing for new experiments.
- Safety & Compliance: Ensure that all experiments and the laboratories comply with university, state, and federal safety standards. You will also act as the "Authorized User" for radioisotopes and manage licenses for X-ray machines, ensuring the lab meets all safety regulations.
Administration
- Budgeting: You will manage lab finances, purchase supplies, and justify expenses to the department.
- Scheduling: You will coordinate the master schedule for lab stations and ensure experiments are set up on time. (Note that some Adv. Lab experiments are perpetual setups.)
Experimental Scope
- You will manage a substantial catalog of specialized experiments, including:
- Atomic & optical physics: lasers, spectrometers, and magneto-optical trapping.
- Nuclear physics: muon lifetime, Compton scattering, and alpha/beta spectroscopy.
- Quantum mechanics: single-photon interference and quantum entanglement experiments.
- Condensed matter & chaos: nanowires, Raman spectroscopy, and chaotic motion.
- Electronics and instrumentation: basic laboratory techniques, discrete, analog and digital electronics, interfacing and control (PID)
This position reports to the Chief Administrator, Chris Gale, and receives significant academic and technical guidance from the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs, Tom Schwarz.
All work is performed on-site at the Ann Arbor campus. Hybrid and remote work modes are not available during the academic year. Limited remote work opportunities are available between May 1st and July 31st.
Required Qualifications*
- Doctorate in field of expertise or Master's plus equivalent experience.
- 6+ years of related experience
- Advanced data management and programming skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage an instructional laboratory in a Physics Department, blending deep scientific and pedagogical expertise with strategic oversight of regulatory compliance and experience managing operational budgets.
- Proficiency in electronics design, vacuum systems, and cryogenics
- Expertise in graphical or script-based laboratory automation environments (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, C++), particularly for data acquisition and instrument control
- Sufficient background in nuclear physics to qualify for and maintain status as Authorized User of Radioisotopes under the University federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, and secure and maintain State licenses for x-ray generating devices in the laboratory
- Excellent communication skills
Desired Qualifications*
- Working knowledge of hardware programming languages such as SystemVerilog and VHDL
- Prior participation in ALPHa and AAPT
- Familiarity with U.S. higher education instructional environments, including laboratory safety, student support, and course administration practices.
- May require management experience of professional and support staff.
Modes of Work
Hybrid and remote work modes are not available during the academic year. Limited remote work opportunities, typically one day per week, are available between May 1st and July 31st.
Additional Information
As one of the world's great liberal arts and sciences colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.