Senior Mechanical Engineer for Active Learning

Job Summary:

The Senior Mechanical Engineer for Active Learning supports hands-on learning activities focused on mechanical engineering within the Active Learning Labs in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). The Senior Mechanical Engineer works closely with SEAS faculty, the ME lab director, and teaching staff to develop and implement current and new lab activities for undergraduate and some graduate level courses. Additionally, the senior engineer oversees daily operations and trains students and teaching fellows in laboratory, design, and manufacturing best practices and provides technical mentorship for students around fabrication and design. Reporting to the Director for Active Learning, Mechanical Engineering, you will be part of an enthusiastic and dedicated team that supports SEAS’ educational mission. The candidate should have a passion for working with and advising individual students and teams.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Course and Teaching Support:

• Provide lab instruction and support, as well as technical mentorship to students and staff.

• Lead development of course-based support resources and demonstrations.

• Support/lead the development and instruction of technical hands-on workshops and activities 

• Support course-related hardware development (ie 3D printers, scanners, etc.)

• As a subject matter expert, assist and collaborate with faculty and teaching staff on the design, development, and implementation of new lab activities and end-of-the-semester design competitions. 

• Support active learning components of SEAS courses both for the undergraduate degrees and the graduate programs (MDE, MSMBA). Serve as primary point of contact during the semester.

• Set up, test, maintain and prepare lab equipment and tools prior to upcoming lab experiments and course activities. Assist with troubleshooting and debugging student work during lab experiments and activities.

• Support senior undergraduate students with their thesis design projects. 

• Instruct and assist students with the use of lab/shop equipment such as laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC mills and lathes, and shop tools.

• Provide technical support for engineering software such as SolidWorks and/or Fusion360.

• Create and organize course documentation and use best practices for maintaining and archiving team institutional knowledge.

Mentoring/Advising:

• Mentor and advise students with their capstone design projects as needed.

• Advise students on professional development and pathways within the field of mechanical engineering.

• Advise and collaborate with students engaged with extracurricular activities.

• Mentor team members, temporary staff, and student employees.

Lab Safety and Maintenance:

• Lead course-based and super-user safety trainings in the ME lab for students, course teaching fellows and assistants, and other users of the Active Learning Labs spaces. 

• Monitor laboratory safety compliance and ensure adherence to University policies, procedures, and applicable legal rules and regulations; escalate violations to internal leadership when necessary.

• Assist the designated unit Lab Safety Officer by supporting the evaluation, maintenance, and monitoring of general safety practices, and by contributing to annual reviews and updates of Harvard’s Chemical Hygiene Plan, PPE assessments, and annual safety inspections.

• Keep up-to-date on safety protocols. Attend safety trainings and participate in safety meetings in conjunction with Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), SEAS Science Operations, and as recommended by the lab director.

• Develop and update processes and workflows that improve safety and compliance; assist with the preparation of training manuals, standard operating procedures, and safety guidelines for all lab equipment and processes.

• Maintain and improve the Active Learning Labs mechanical engineering facilities, including shop spaces, lab spaces, and flexible design spaces. Help maintain organization and cleanliness of the ME labs and instructional CAM shop.

• Manage course specific resource purchasing each semester and associated documentation. Place orders for course consumables and components for design projects. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Assist the unit director in activities related to the development and implementation of new courses. 

• Provide regular updates and summaries of work to the director.

• Support seasonal academic and outreach opportunities.

• Lead tours and related events in the ME space.

• Participate in onboarding of new staff. 

• May direct the work of student employees and teaching fellows.

• Foster strong partnerships with members of SEAS and the broader Harvard community.

Working Conditions:

This is a full-time, on-campus position. The capacity to adjust to a flexible work schedule is critical. Some of the lab activities organized and managed by this position may occur outside of a typical Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm work schedule, or during weekends. The Senior Mechanical Engineer must be willing and able to be on site to supervise these activities.

Physical Requirements:

The work is performed in the Active Learning Labs and in an office environment, which may be loud at times. Protective equipment is provided. This position requires the ability to participate in moving and setup of equipment and supplies (up to 50lbs).