Job Information
Colorado State University Undergraduate Teaching Labs Engineer in Fort Collins, Colorado
Posting Detail Information
Working TitleUndergraduate Teaching Labs Engineer
Position LocationFort Collins, CO
Work LocationPosition is fully in-office/in-person
Research Professional PositionNo
Posting Number202400605AP
Position TypeAdmin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification TitleTechnical/Support III
Number of Vacancies
Work Hours/Week40
Proposed Annual Salary Range$65,000-$75,000
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, commitment todiversity, equity and inclusion (https://inclusiveexcellence.colostate.edu/about/) , and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.
Review our detailed benefits information here. (https://hr.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/01/benefits-summary-afap.pdf)
Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.
For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator (https://hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator/) .
Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in (https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-community/) !
Desired Start Date05/13/2024
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on04/28/2024
Description of Work Unit
As one of the nation’s top public research universities, Colorado State University is a land-grant institution with an enrollment of more than 34,000 students. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs, 114 graduate degree programs, 21 professional master’s degree programs, and a Professional Veterinary Medicine program. CSU’s world-class research and scholarship attract more than $370 million in research funding every year, ranking second nationally in federal research funding for universities without a medical school.
Fort Collins is an attractive community of approximately 170,000 located along the Colorado Front Range at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It consistently ranks high on quality-of-life measures by numerous publications; see https://www.fcgov.com/visitor/awards for the complete list. The Front Range has developed into a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM , Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD , Xilinx, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins. The city offers a pleasant climate, excellent schools, and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby. For more information on Fort Collins, check out the City’s website:www.visitftcollins.com.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering ( MECH ) at Colorado State University ( CSU ) offers a curriculum that integrates exceptional classroom learning and in-depth engineering practice for an unparalleled educational experience. Made up of 47 faculty members, 14 staff members, 1,100 undergraduate students, and 150 graduate students, MECH is one of the largest departments on CSU’s campus. State-of-the-art labs provide unmatched, hands-on experience to help undergraduate students conceptualize industry environments, and $7.5M in annual research funding provide groundbreaking opportunities focusing on health, materials, and energy, for graduate students to enhance their educational concentrations. Award-winning faculty offer industry and academic perspective and equip each graduate with the tools needed to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. The Mechanical Engineering program at CSU includes majors in both Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering-Mechanical Engineering; both curricula combine classroom learning with engineering practice. Our goal is to give our graduates the engineering skills they need to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. Our students are integral members of our research groups, and their thesis and dissertation topics focus on cutting-edge research. Further information about the Department can be found atwww.engr.colostate.edu/me/.
Diversity and inclusion are paramount values for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The department is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse community, integrating these principles into both education and research. Faculty members actively contribute to this mission, emphasizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice ( DEIJ ) in the curriculum and broader scientific community.
Position Summary
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado is seeking a lab support engineer to provide long-term consistent, professional support of its instructional laboratories (materials/experimentation, thermo/fluids, dynamics and vibrations, and mechatronics). The individual will be working with faculty/staff members and graduate/undergraduate students at the university in support of instructional laboratories and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the equipment in the undergraduate laboratories; this includes but is not limited to: trouble shooting, installing, repairing, and reconfiguring lab equipment, data acquisitions systems and software packages. The selected individual will also develop written laboratory procedures, implement new apparatus and control software, supervise and observe undergraduate students, and ensure undergraduate labs are operated in a safe manner.
Required Job Qualifications
B.S. degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Industrial Technology, or a closely related field by the proposed start date;
Ability to physically and independently move 50 lbs lab equipment, tools, and materials with the aid of a dolley;
Experience with an instrumentation-related laboratory (e.g. metrology, structures, materials, robotics);
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with various groups of people, including students, faculty, staff and others within and external to the University;
Proficiency with Windows OS, MS Office (specifically Excel), and demonstrated knowledge / experience with engineering applications such as MATLAB , LabVIEW, and Solidworks;
Demonstrated manufacturing skills, including the use of hand tools, manual lathe/mill, CNC , and 3D printers;
Experience training and managing undergraduate students, within and outside of engineering disciplines;
Academic knowledge and hands-on experience with materials engineering, electromechanical systems, mechanism synthesis, and applied thermodynamic systems;
Excellent written communication skills;
The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the US by the proposed start date; the department will not sponsor a visa for this position.
Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the proposed start date.
Preferred Job Qualifications
Three years relevant industry or academic experience in an experimental laboratory;
Experience with instrumentation, data loggers, sensors (acquisition, installation, application, calibration, recording), and controls;
Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple projects and priorities;
Proficiency with a wide variety of Windows-based computers at the hardware level (i.e., memory, hard drives, optical and other storage devices, wired and wireless networking), system backups, and computer cloning;
Experience with outreach and mentoring students from underrepresented groups in STEM ;
Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision; and
Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills.
Diversity Statement
Ability to advance the department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals and activities.
Essential Duties
Job Duty CategoryLab Operations
Duty/Responsibility
Be responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the equipment in the undergraduate laboratories. This includes, but is not limited to, maintenance, repair, reconfiguration, and operations of equipment.
Work with faculty to maintain and upgrade/replace laboratory equipment and supplies and support infrastructure as necessary.
Assist with developing written laboratory practices, protocols and lab manuals.
Implement new apparatus, experiments, control software and GUI’s, and infrastructure.
Modify, debug, and implement control software (e.g., LabView, MatLab, etc.).
Install, maintain and repair a variety of data acquisition systems and software packages.
Maintain, trouble shoot and repair/replace computer systems used for data acquisition and testing machine control.
Install new equipment including but not limited to testing machines, data acquisition systems, controls, pumps, valves, meters, etc.
Assist when necessary in the Department’s research labs.
Percentage Of Time60%
Job Duty CategoryStudent Staff Supervision and Mentoring
Duty/Responsibility
Work closely with Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) to ensure that undergraduate lab sections are prepared for and executed as planned.
Supervise undergraduate student assistant(s).
Ensure undergraduate labs are operated in a safe manner.
Percentage Of Time20%
Job Duty CategoryLab Administration
Duty/Responsibility
Coordinate training, tracking and disposal of hazardous waste.
Serve as the Building Proctor for the teaching lab area.
Manage laboratory fees in consultation with Department staff.
Percentage Of Time10%
Job Duty CategoryInventory Management
Duty/Responsibility
Manage all ME undergraduate lab tools and equipment on loan.
Be responsible for maintaining and updating the Department’s capital equipment inventory.
Execute proper disposal of excess, defective or obsolete equipment for the Department.
Manage inventory of consumables (test samples, pressure and temperature sensors, load cells, cabling, electrical and electronic spares, hydraulic spares, cleaning supplies, etc).
Percentage Of Time10%
Application Details
Special Instructions to Applicants
People interested in this position must submit a cover letter, which addresses how education and professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume or CV, and the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates.
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.
Conditions of EmploymentPre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)
Search ContactSteve Johnson, steve.johnson@colostate.edu
EEO Statement
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. TheOffice of Equal Opportunity (https://oeo.colostate.edu/) is located in 101 Student Services.
The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715,titleix@colostate.edu.
The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836,oeo@colostate.edu.
The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836,oeo@colostate.edu.
Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to theOffice of Civil Rights, Department of Education (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html) .
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
References Requested
References Requested
Minimum Requested3
Maximum Requested3
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the start date. Mechanical Engineering will not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Will you be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the proposed start date?
Yes
No
- Will you have a valid driver's license or the ability to obtain a driver's license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date?
Yes
No
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
Cover Letter
Resume or CV
Optional Documents