Research Lab Director

Position Overview

The Director/Senior Electronics Design Engineer (DSEDE) is leader of the design and development team of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory (IDL) at the University of Kansas. The mission of the IDL is to design and develop custom instruments and laboratory computing systems for research groups in the natural sciences and engineering and has supported the KU Research Mission for more than thirty years.

The DSEDE independently applies advanced knowledge of scientific research and engineering principles and practices to create and maintain hardware/software solutions that support research and instruction at KU. A wide application of methods and concepts from multiple disciplines is required to provide solutions to a wide range of difficult problems.

The DSEDE makes decisions independently on technical problems and methods and devises new approaches to complex problems encountered and ensures that improvements and/or changes are implemented. The DSEDE will act as a technical lead or consultant on various projects while working closely with KU faculty and students. Creativity, foresight and mature judgment are needed.

The DSEDE will participate in the joint design, development, and deployment of instrumentation for international collaborations. Opportunities to teach university courses and/or workshops may arise.

The DSEDE supervises staff and student employees and collaborates with faculty and students. The DSEDE manages all budget-related aspects of the lab.

Job Description

20% Project, System and Circuit Design: Develops the overall system design for state-of-the-art instrumentation in consultation with the faculty and/or students with whom the instrument is being developed, together with the other professional members of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory.

20% Oversight of Laboratory Operations:

• Supervise IDL personnel
• Schedule and maintain records of Lab Projects
• Provide appropriate billing information for generation of monthly invoices and budget control
• Work with Physics & Astronomy and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences on evaluation of the rate structure
• Prepare quarterly reports for Physics & Astronomy
• Prepare an annual report for Physics & Astronomy and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  
  
  

20% Project Implementation:

• Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design: Designs and lays out the PCBs or supervises other staff members doing so using advanced concepts of layout design
• Low-level Programming: Develops drivers for hardware devices. Develops efficient Field-Programmable Gate Array code. A very good understanding of C, assembly languages, and Hardware Description Languages is required as well as an understanding of the FPGA architecture.
• User experience design and implementation.
  
  
  

15% Multi-institutional Project Development: Participates in multi-institutional planning. Travel for development and for deployment (for example, to other institutions, other labs, CERN, and the South Pole) is necessary.

15% Exploration: Monitor and test new technologies for future projects.

10% Other: Duties as required for the mission of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory. Examples include working with and mentoring students and developing relationships with potential customers inside and outside KU.

Required Qualifications

• MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline with at least one year of experience in electronics design OR BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline with greater than five years experience in electronics design.
• Previous experience completing electronic design or other relevant projects using creativity, inventiveness and attention to detail as demonstrated by submission of application materials.
• Two years of experience leading/supervising a technical team.
• Experience in modern analog, digital and missed-signal electronics.
• Two years experience with high-performance PCB design.
• One year of experience with HDLs/firmware, including coding, simulating or optimizing FPGAs and CPLDs
  
  
  

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• RF design experience. Some design may involve signals and circuitry with bandwidths exceeding 2 GHz.
• Experience with microcontroller-implemented designs.
• Programming skills in the following languages: C , Assembly Languages (PIC or AVR), LabVIEW, MatLab/Simulink, Python.
• Experience with development of scientific instrumentation.
• Experience in a basic science research laboratory.
  
  
  

Additional Candidate Instructions

A complete application consists of:

• resume/CV
• cover letter
• a list of three references.
  
  
  

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Application review begins Monday, June 1, 2026. To ensure consideration, please apply prior to that date.

Contact Information to Applicants

Graham Wilson

gwwilson@ku.edu

785-864-5231

Advertised Salary Range

$85,000 - $90,000

Application Review Begins

Monday June 1, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

Wednesday July 1, 2026