Instructor of Metal Fabrication

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, and 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 Instructor of Metal Fabrication who will educate and inspire students in the art, technology and practice of metal fabrication and welding, with an overarching focus on safety and stewardship. 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 Instructor of Metal Fabrication include organizing and delivering training on equipment operation and shop safety; supporting faculty in the delivery of their courses when relevant fabrication methods will be in use. This position is central to creating an environment of student empowerment and safety awareness and the instructor will advise and aid the Olin community in fabrication, machining, and design work across and beyond the curriculum. Ideally, the candidate should have experience teaching at the college level. They will work in an inclusive manner with all students regardless of background 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 and foster a positive and inclusive work and learning environment at the Olin Shop.

In addition, the Instructor will work with the Shop team and student shop assistants to maintain the shop’s operations. The Instructor will be responsible for shop upkeep (including repairs, maintenance, ordering, etc.), setting up, operating, and maintaining the equipment they will oversee, including a variety of machine tools, CNC equipment, welding equipment, and other fabrication equipment. They will also assist the implementation and creation of safety and training protocols; and collaborate with the hiring, training, and workflow of 20 or more student shop assistants.

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

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in engineering, design, manufacturing technology or a related field is required.

· Exceptional teaching, mentoring, interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills and ability to work with, receive and implement feedback from a broad spectrum of people.

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

· Highly experienced (10 years) with a wide range of metal fabrication skills, including machining, turning, and CNC milling.

· In-depth knowledge of professional CAD/CAM software (e.g., Autodesk Fusion360, HSMWorks, SolidWorks, Mastercam, etc).

· Minimum of four (4) years of experience in the operation of modern metal welding technologies including GTAW, GMAW, oxyacetylene and SMAW, in addition to working with weld fixturing.

· Preferred (but not required) experience with sheet metal, waterjet, plasma cutting, casting, forging, 3D printing, composites, metrology, thermoforming, and injection molding.

· Demonstrated success with safety, teaching and mentoring, fabrication, and/or making with a strong background in maintaining and repairing shop equipment.

· Strong organizational and time management skills and ability to handle multiple workstreams.

To apply

Please complete this Interest in Position Form, copy and paste this URL: https://olin.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2339MH76F6IMeBE on your browser, and include:

· 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 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 daniela.faas @olin.edu.

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.

Non-discrimination/Affirmative Action Statement

In accordance with its own values and with federal and state regulations, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering does not discriminate in admission, programs, services or employment—including the recruitment, hiring, training and promotion of persons in all job classifications—on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, or veteran status.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Needham, MA 02492: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Welding: 5 years (Preferred)
• metal fabrication: 3 years (Preferred)

Work Location: One location