Engineering Technician

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How to Apply

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 skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Who We Are

At Michigan Engineering, we develop the talent and technologies that move society forward and serve our state and national interests. Through discovery and innovation, we create the foundational knowledge and practical technologies to solve not only today's most pressing challenges, but also power industries and change lives. Our programs and community are designed to promote personal well-being and achievement - enabling everyone to unlock their potential and contribute with confidence.

Responsibilities*

25% - Provide engineering, technical, and instructional support for Mechanical Engineering instructional laboratory courses and associated lab sections. Responsibilities include assisting with hardware and software debugging during laboratory and project setup, as well as providing on-call technical troubleshooting support for students and Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) while laboratory sections are in progress.

25% - Oversee preventative maintenance, calibration, and operational readiness of instructional laboratory equipment. Maintain testing kits, laboratory components, equipment inventories, and establish and manage component stocks required for instructional laboratories.

25% - Serve as the primary engineering liaison and technical resource for faculty teaching instructional laboratory courses. Develop and deliver weekly GSI training and create instructional materials, including written procedures, tutorials, equipment documentation, and technical specifications.

25% - Design new laboratory experiments and instructional projects and upgrade existing laboratory exercises in collaboration with faculty. Responsibilities include designing, specifying, procuring, assembling, testing, validating, and documenting sensors, actuators, data acquisition systems, and other laboratory hardware. Develop associated laboratory procedures and documentation to support student learning and instructional consistency.

Specific Responsibilities:

  • Perform calculations, data analysis, and validation of laboratory experiments.

  • Test and verify laboratory equipment, software, and instructional code prior to each academic term.

  • Collaborate with faculty to design, develop, and implement new laboratory experiments and instructional activities.

  • Design, implement, and maintain laboratory data acquisition systems.

  • Develop, maintain, and support LabVIEW applications and other software required for instructional laboratories.

  • Serve as a technical liaison and engineering resource for faculty teaching instructional laboratory courses.

  • Conduct weekly training sessions for GSIs leading laboratory sections.

  • Develop and maintain documentation for laboratory procedures, equipment configurations, software, and instructional materials.

  • Serve as a technical resource for the department, supporting the operation and use of shared instructional and research laboratory equipment, including systems such as tensile testing machines, wind tunnels, and other specialized instrumentation.

  • Provide technical troubleshooting and support to GSIs and students during laboratory activities.

  • Perform and document laboratory experiments to establish expected results, performance benchmarks, and experimental uncertainty.

  • Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of instructional laboratory operations.

Required Qualifications*

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field (Master's preferred).

  • Knowledge of and experience with electromechanical machine design.

  • Experience in laboratory operations, experimental methods, or engineering testing preferred.

  • Demonstrated expertise with LabVIEW, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and mechatronics equipment.

  • Strong oral and written communication skills.

  • Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, graduate student instructors, and students.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

This is a term-limited position for two years, with possible renewal based on funding extension.

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.