Lab Coordinator (Computer Science & Software Engineering)

Wilfrid Laurier University; Milton; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading multi-campus educational institution seeks a dedicated Lab Coordinator for its Computer Science and Physics department. The successful candidate will develop course materials, oversee lab safety, and mentor Instructional Assistants. Required qualifications include a Master’s degree in a related field, strong communication skills, and experience in an academic environment. This full-time position offers a dynamic work environment and competitive compensation ranging from $52.17 to $55.14 per hour, with opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Proven experience adapting to rapid technology advancements.
• Experience training and supervising others in an academic setting.
• Expertise in debugging and software troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Develop lab manuals and online materials for courses.
• Supervise and mentor undergraduate Instructional Assistants.
• Manage lab safety protocols and student guidance.

Skills

Communication

Team management

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Technical writing

Education

Master’s degree in relevant discipline

Tools

Java

Python

C++

SQL

Git/GitHub

Job description

Department: Faculty of Science

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year)

Campus: Milton

Reports to: Manager, Teaching Labs (Computer Science), and the Senior Administrative Officer for the Faculty of Science

Employee Group: PAG

Application Deadline: February 16, 2026

Requisition ID: 10538

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world‑class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

This job posting is for a current vacancy.

Position Summary

At Laurier, we are a community. It’s what brings our students here and what keeps our people here. As an educational institution, we inspire lives of leadership and purpose in our student community. As an employer, we seek, foster and value the same qualities of leadership and purpose in our employee community.

We currently have an opportunity to join the Laurier community as a Lab Coordinator within the Department of Computer Science and Physics.

Reporting to the Manager, Teaching Laboratories (Department of Computer Science and Physics), and the Senior Administrative Officer, Faculty of Science, the Lab Coordinator is responsible for planning, implementing and efficient operation of labs for Computer Science and Software Engineering courses, contributing to the educational goals of the department. The incumbent consults with course instructors to ensure that the labs support the learning objectives of courses and the academic integrity policies of the University. The Lab Coordinator is responsible for tracking advances in pedagogy as they relate to the design, development, delivery, evaluation, and revision of lab exercises. This includes staying up to date with prevailing software being used in industry and academia and incorporating its use in labs. The Lab Coordinator works independently and is responsible for ensuring safe laboratory practices in the undergraduate courses for which they are responsible. In addition, the Lab Coordinator serves as a resource for student projects.

The successful candidate trains and supervises undergraduate Instructional Assistants (IAs) to instruct and support the delivery of labs in these courses. The incumbent coordinates with the course instructor for the implementation of technical support for assigned courses.

Accountabilities

Lab and Tutorial Development and Execution

• Prepares lab manuals, assignments, and online materials including quizzes and exercises. The incumbent is responsible for researching, testing, authoring, and troubleshooting this material;
• Revises lab materials due to changes in software and programming, which are frequent in Computer Science and Software Engineering;
• Establishes evaluation criteria for lab exercises, assignments, tests, and quizzes;
• Meets as needed with instructional teams of Teaching Assistants, Instructional Assistants, and Technician:
  • Prepares weekly pre‑lab presentations and lab requirements;
  • Describes and demonstrates procedures, expected results, and identifies potential challenges;
  • Provide rubrics and grade recording procedures to TAs and IAs;
  • Provides timely feedback of experimental results, observations, and grades.
• Maintains grades for labs and tutorials.
• Identifies, mediates, and escalates incidents of academic misconduct according to the undergraduate student code of conduct;
• Develops, revises, and submits protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP) as they pertain to labs, including regulatory compliance documentation.

Supervision of TA/IA

• In consultation with the Manager, Teaching and other lab coordinators, provides feedback for TAs;
• In consultation with the Manager, Teaching Laboratories provides feedback for IAs;
• Trains TAs and IAs as needed:
  • Ensures that all individuals understand the academic mandate and protocols of the lab, including safe practices;
  • Provides mentorship to develop professional work habits and skills that support the course learning objectives, including problem solving, time management, and presentation skills;
  • Supervises TAs and IAs, including the resolution of disputes and disagreements between students and Teaching Assistants concerning grades or conduct.

Administrative Duties:

• Responds to requests from the Faculty of Science Academic Advising Office to provide student information pertaining to course attendance, grades, and petitions;
• Identifies and assists students who are experiencing difficulties with course materials;
• Investigates and reports on allegations of academic misconduct;
• Actively participates in departmental and university functions, special events, and committees;
• Maintains the servers required for the Department of Computer Science and Physics;
• Updates the auto‑marking software as needed each semester.

This position has supervisory responsibility for:

• Teaching Assistants
• Instructional Assistants and Markers

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a discipline aligned with the course description. This may include Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 3‑years previous experience in an academic environment
• Ability to adapt and implement the rapid evolution of technology;
• Prior experience training and supervising students
• Ability to meet the hands‑on learning needs of junior computing students, including adapting instructional tools to meet these needs;
• Pedagogical skill in optimizing the operation and educational value of formal computing labs;
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including technical writing;
• Well‑developed team management, organizational, and leadership skills;
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to debug, analyze performance, and assist students with troubleshooting software and hardware integration issues.
• Understanding of data structures, algorithms, and complexity analysis to support CS‑focused labs
• Familiarity with software requirements analysis, system modeling, and agile development practices for SE projects.

Technical skills:

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, and C++; experience with object‑oriented, functional, and data‑driven programming.
• Familiarity with software development tools such as Git/GitHub, Eclipse/IntelliJ, VS Code, Gradle/Maven, JUnit, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with Unix‑like operating systems and Windows environments, basic network configuration, and shell scripting.
• Knowledge of HTML/CSS and web scripting APIs is an asset.
• Working knowledge of SQL and NoSQL; database administration; understanding of data modeling.
• Experience with cloud computing and virtualization.
• Basic understanding of machine learning workflows such as TensorFlow/PyTorch, and data preprocessing tools such as NumPy, and Pandas.
• Experience with UML, design patterns, unit testing, test automation, and software quality assurance.

Hours of Work: This is a full‑time continuing position. The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours is required, including evening and/or weekend work due to scheduling of evening labs and in support of Teaching Assistants and the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week. This role offers limited flexibility regarding flexible work arrangements. Please see Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy) for more information. All arrangement must be approved by the direct manager. On occasion, this schedule may need to be adjusted to meet operational requirements.

Compensation:

Level: G

Rate of Pay: $52.17 to $55.14 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $59.63 per hour. Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier’s Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programming at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity‑deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programming at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.

Please note, when pre‑screening questions are used as part of the application process, AI is utilized to score responses. All other aspects of the hiring process are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team.