Lab Instructor, Bioengineering

Waterloo International; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 102,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lab Instructor - Bioengineering at the University of Waterloo leads undergraduate wet-lab instruction within Biomedical and Systems Design Engineering. You will ensure safe lab practices, teach theory and hands-on experiments, and mentor teaching assistants across multiple lab courses.

The role requires strong knowledge of biosafety Level 1 labs, biomedical engineering principles, and the ability to redesign lab materials and develop new course content.

Qualifications

• Safety-focused laboratory instruction and demonstrations.
• Experience running labs, tutorials/lectures, and lab manual development.
• Knowledge of biosafety practices and laboratory safety standards.
• Experience with chemistry/biology lab activities.
• Experience with cell and molecular biology techniques.
• Experience with sensors, actuators, hardware design, and embedded systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide instructional support and mentoring to students in Engineering laboratory courses; present theory and concepts and demonstrate safe practices.
• Lead lab setup, maintenance, and safe operation of instruments; ensure safety protocols are followed.
• Develop and modify lab manuals and procedures; redesign lab material as needed.
• Collaborate with course instructors to synchronize material and improve lab content; create multimedia instructional aids.
• Supervise and mentor teaching assistants and coordinate use of shared lab resources.
• Assist with design project labs and workshops; mentor student projects and resolve technical problems.

Skills

Biosafety Level 1 labs

Teaching labs

Lab safety enforcement

Mentoring teaching assistants

Biomedical engineering knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s and Master’s in Biomedical Engineering

Job description

At the University of Waterloo, we create and promote a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. As an employee, you get support & opportunities that empower you to advance your career. Explore how we can bring big ideas to life, together. The University is a welcoming workplace for those of all abilities, interests, and expertise. As part of our workforce, you can do what you do best, every day.**Job Requisition ID:**2026-03780**Time Type:**Full time**Employee Group:**Staff**Job Category:**Academic Delivery Support**Employment Type:**Permanent**Department:**Faculty of Engineering - Systems Design Engineering - Design Lab**Hiring Range:**$102,362.46 - $127,953.07**Posting Information:**This posting is for an existing vacancy.The internal posting deadline for this position is *November 19, 2026,* 11:59PM**Job Description:****Primary Purpose**The \"Lab Instructor - Bioengineering\" is a key educator and resource for the undergraduate students in the Biomedical and Systems Design Engineering programs within the Department of Systems Design Engineering. The Lab Instructor - Bioengineering provides instruction, guidance, and technical assistance for courses with labs and for design-project and workshop courses, and is responsible for ensuring safe lab practices are taught and maintained at all times. In particular, the incumbent will be the primary wet-lab instructor in the programs and must be experienced in Biosafety Hazard Level 1 labs at a minimum.The Lab Instructor - Bioengineering should have comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge of biomedical systems and equipment, chemistry, biochemistry, biomaterials and cell biology, along with other common technical areas underpinning engineering wet-labs. Additionally, knowledge of mechanobiology, human physiology and anatomy, tissue-engineering, biomedical design principles, biomedical imaging, environmental chemistry, sensors, actuators, mechanical components, and fabrication techniques will be considered an asset. The Lab Instructor - Bioengineering is responsible for the operation of several laboratory spaces and acts as the primary manager and mentor to the associated Teaching Assistants.**Key Accountabilities****Provide instructional support and mentoring to students in Engineering laboratory courses:*** Present theory and concepts to students pertaining to laboratory experiments* Demonstrate safe laboratory practices and ensure safety protocols are maintained* Demonstrate all laboratory experiments in assigned Biomedical Engineering courses with labs* Present and develop information for students concerning laboratory safety* Prepare and modify laboratory manuals and procedures as needed* Apply pedagogical expertise to continuously improve lab course structure and content; this may include independent and significant modification or redesign of lab material in addition to development of innovative material for new or existing courses* Collaborate with academic counterparts of lab courses to synchronize the presentation of material* Enrich the student experience of the lab component through the development of multi-media instructional aids such as videos, demonstrations, web content, etc.* Resolve student/lab issues such as attendance and special situations* Assume an active leadership role in the mentorship and development of teaching assistants**Management of Bioengineering undergraduate labs**:* Prepare and maintain lab experiments and equipment for scheduled lab times* Lead in and provide assistance in the design, development and fabrication of complex laboratory experiments* Participate in keeping the labs and experiments current with new technology* Responsible for setup and maintenance of equipment per manufacturers' design specifications* Maintain lab spaces in accordance with University health and safety standards* Maintain current First Aid certification and act as first point of contact for incidents* Coordinate and oversee the use, maintenance, and management of shared laboratory resources and equipment* Train users on the proper and safe operation of instruments and provide application-specific technical guidance where appropriate* Maintain and track laboratory inventory, including consumables, reagents, and other supplies, and ensure sufficient stock is available to support all planned laboratory activities.**Provide mentoring and technical support to students in design project and workshop courses**:* Participate as a technical consultant for students taking design courses distributed throughout the entire undergraduate program* Participate as a supervisor/advisor for student design projects as time permits* Resolve unstructured technical problems* Ensure that safe practices are followed in the engineering workshops and labs* Demonstrate the proper use of lab and workshop equipment and tools* Manage and track departmental funds used to supplement student design project costs**Other duties include, but are not limited to**:* Participates in special projects (e.g. curriculum development, faculty-wide initiatives, special reports, etc.) as assigned by the Lab Director or Program Director* The incumbent will be required to serve on committees pertaining to lab and workshop outcomes, safety, departmental staffing, student experience reviews, and others as the need arises* Occasionally technical staff are required to move equipment and furniture as well as set up displays and help with outreach events**Required Qualificatio**n* Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering or equivalent* Eligibility for licensure as a Professional Engineer is an asset* Valid First-Aid certification is an asset.* 2 years of experience in running labs, giving tutorials/lectures and demonstrations, writing and updating lab manuals, developing new labs, marking reports and evaluating technical presentations* Experience in Biosafety Hazard Level 1 laboratories* Experience monitoring and enforcement of safety standards in labs or in an academic environment is required* Demonstrated experience in safe handling of biological materials and chemical substances and performing chemistry and biology lab experiments* Demonstrated experience developing and delivering chemistry and biology lab activities* Experience in the following cell and molecular biology-related techniques are an asset:* o sterile mammalian and bacterial cell culture* o immunostaining'* 2 years of experience in running labs, giving tutorials/lectures and demonstrations, writing and updating lab manuals, developing new labs, marking reports and evaluating technical presentations* Experience in Biosafety Hazard Level 1 laboratories* Experience monitoring and enforcement of safety standards in labs or in an academic environment is required* Demonstrated experience in safe handling of biological materials and chemical substances and performing chemistry and biology lab experiments* Demonstrated experience developing and delivering chemistry and biology lab activities* Experience in the following cell and molecular biology-related techniques are an asset:* o sterile mammalian and bacterial cell culture* o immunostaining'* o various microscopy techniques* o enzymatic assays* Experience synthesizing and characterizing biomaterials* Experience collecting and analyzing a broad array of bio-signals and data* Experience with the following is an asset* Experience working with electro-mechanical components and systems* Practical experience with and sound knowledge of sensors, actuators, hardware design and fabrication, software design, embedded systems, mechanical systems, and mechanical system fabrication* Experience with biomechanical measures and analyses* Experience with biomedical signals such as ECG, EEG, and measures such as X-rays and MRI* Experience with biomedical devices such as assistive devices, implants,