Director of Laboratory Development -Academic Professional (Open Rank)

Inside Higher Ed; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in Atlanta is seeking a Director of Laboratory Development. The role involves supporting undergraduate laboratory courses and enriching the engineering curriculum. Responsibilities include teaching laboratory courses, developing instructional materials, and collaborating with industry partners. Ideal candidates should have a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, demonstrable teaching excellence, and strong technical expertise in mechanical engineering experimentation. This is a full-time position focused on both teaching and administrative functions.

Qualifications

• Ability to develop and oversee undergraduate laboratory environments.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and/or lab instruction.
• Experience with experimental research is highly beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Teach an undergraduate laboratory course each semester.
• Develop hands-on prototype lab exercises and instructional materials.
• Build partnerships with industry to drive sponsorship.

Skills

Strong technical expertise in Mechanical Engineering experimentation

Instrumentation and measurement systems

Data acquisition systems

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field

Tools

Matlab

Python

Job description

Job Title and Location

Director of Laboratory Development - Academic Professional (Open Rank)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 295076

About Us

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university in Atlanta. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students and conducts cutting-edge research across engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech’s mission includes developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition and upholding nine core values that guide all activities.

Job Summary

We are in search of an Academic Professional, Director of Laboratory Development. This position will support the undergraduate laboratory courses and enhance the undergraduate curricula in the instructional labs in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. It includes a combination of teaching and administrative responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Teach an undergraduate laboratory course each semester (ME3057 or ME3058), which includes lecturing, coordinating with all course GTAs, and preparing lab equipment and materials.
• Teach one additional course such as ME 2016 (Computing Techniques), ME 2110 (Creative Decisions and Design), ME 3017 (System Dynamics), ME 3180 (Mechanical Design and Analysis), ME 4182 (Capstone Design), ME 4000-level Elective Labs.
• Develop hands-on prototype lab exercises and instructional materials in the undergraduate curriculum, including support for the engineering communication curriculum sequence, and assess results.
• Improve the laboratory courses, update laboratory exercises, upgrade laboratory technologies, and develop new laboratory concepts.
• Build partnerships with industry to drive sponsorship and inform curriculum decisions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications
This position vacancy is an open rank announcement. Final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Non-tenure Track Academic Faculty ranks as outlined in section 3.2.2 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook.

Associate Academic Professional
Entry-level rank; may require completion of the terminal degree. In exceptional cases, may be used for individuals completing a terminal degree for up to two years.

Academic Professional
Terminal degree; significant related experience or promotion from Associate Academic Professional; performance and potential development recognized by peers.

Senior Academic Professional
Terminal degree; evidence of superior performance in the field; recognition by peers; relevant experience; five years or more as an Academic Professional.

Principal Academic Professional
Terminal degree; evidence of superior performance; recognition by peers; experience supervising others; experience in a position of significant responsibility; demonstrable impact.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and/or lab instruction.
• Experience with experimental research is highly beneficial.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong technical expertise in Mechanical Engineering experimentation.

Both courses emphasize hands-on experimental engineering. A faculty member should have deep knowledge of system dynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, deformable bodies, probability and statistics.

For ME 3057 (Experimental Methods Laboratory)

• Instrumentation and measurement systems including calibration, precision, and error analysis.
• Data acquisition systems, signal conditioning, filtering, and spreadsheet-based analysis.
• Mechanical, thermal, acoustic, and control systems instrumentation (e.g., load cells, thermocouples, LVDTs, viscometers).
• Microcontroller architecture and programming for open/closed loop control.
• Familiarity with Matlab and Python.

For ME 3058 (Mechanical Engineering Systems Laboratory)

• Measurement and analysis of mechanical, acoustic, thermodynamic, fluid, and heat transfer systems.
• Use of transducers, DAQs, signal processing, regression analysis, and experimental statistics.
• Experience with advanced experimental setups (e.g., laser Doppler sensors, refrigeration systems, pumps, convection/radiation rigs).
• Familiarity with Matlab and Python.

Other Requirements

• Ability to Develop, Maintain, and Oversee Undergraduate Laboratory Environments.
• Ability to set up, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot lab equipment; knowledge of inventory management, safety protocols, and calibration.
• Ability to prepare samples and experimental setups, maintain instruments, and keep the lab operational for student use.
• Background in Experimental Statistics and Data Analysis.
• Uncertainty analysis, bias/precision error propagation; regression and statistical testing; comparing theory vs. experimental results.
• Experience teaching or managing team-based engineering projects.
• Fostering teamwork and training Teaching Assistants; familiarity with prerequisite and co-requisite knowledge.

Additional Information

The University System of Georgia (USG) values Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. USG policies on Freedom of Expression and related codes apply. Georgia Tech is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. See policy links for details on non-discrimination and workplace fairness. This position is not supervisory, has no financial responsibilities, does not require travel or security clearance, and does not involve a purchasing card.

Background Check: The successful candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment background screening.

Special Instructions: Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a 1-page teaching statement, a 1-page statement on how your experiences align with Tech’s mission and values, and contact information for at least three references. Teaching portfolio, sample syllabi, and teaching evaluations are encouraged for candidates with prior teaching experience.