Makerspace Technician (Engineering Business Office)

The Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 19,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The Johns Hopkins University Makerspace in Baltimore is seeking a full-time Makerspace Technician to support evening and weekend operations, supervise student technicians, run workshops, and assist users with projects. You will help maintain equipment, enforce safety standards, and collaborate with the Makerspace Manager to ensure smooth lab activities.

The role also involves lab management support, maintaining records, inventory, and coordinating with faculty, staff, and vendors to keep the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Three years of related experience.
• Education may substitute for experience and vice versa per policy.
• Ability to supervise and mentor students in a busy lab.
• Strong communication with faculty, staff, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Maintain lab safety and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Supervise student technicians and lead weekly workshops.
• Maintain and operate lab equipment; perform routine maintenance.
• Coordinate ordering of supplies and equipment with vendors.
• Maintain records of equipment use, inventory, and repairs.

Skills

Leadership

Student supervision

Teaching/mentoring

Communication with stakeholders

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a related field

Three years of related experience

Tools

Woodworking

CNC router

Laser cutting

3D printing (FDM & SLA)

3D modeling

Electronics prototyping

Job description

Johns Hopkins University Makerspace is searching for a full-time evening and weekend Makerspace Technician to assist with key manufacturing functions and organizational support to the weekly activities of the Makerspace. This individual will work under the supervision of the Makerspace Manager, and the responsibilities of this role would include assisting the manager in running and maintaining the shop equipment, supervising student technicians, and leading workshops for the Johns Hopkins community. The Makerspace Technician would also be responsible for assisting Makerspace users (students, staff, and faculty) with projects during lab hours, maintaining the cleanliness of the space, tool instruction and maintenance, and enforcing shop safety standards.

The position will provide laboratory management support to faculty and students and oversee the daily operations of a laboratory designed to train students in undergraduate and graduate schools. The Teaching Laboratory Coordinator provides specialized knowledge to maximize student learning. The Teaching Laboratory Coordinator implements and maintains safety protocols, tracks equipment use, schedules and performs maintenance, and regulates access to laboratory areas

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintain the safety of the lab environment and of the students.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable departmental, university, federal, state, and local safety environmental regulations.
• Serve as a liaison between faculty and students and JHU operations and facilities as needed to address laboratory facility issues.
• Develop and recommend processes/procedures/policies to ensure efficiency in lab operations; provide training on recommended changes to relevant staff, students, and faculty.
• Provides specialized knowledge to assist students with technical and/or theoretical questions regarding equipment and experiments.
• Develop or recommend new equipment or testing techniques to improve the lab’s capabilities.
• Communicate with key stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, and vendors to resolve issues and ensure smooth operation of all lab activities in a timely manner.
• Monitor and schedules preventative maintenance on equipment
• Oversee delivery and installation of capital equipment
• Maintain records of all equipment and instruments and coordinate with other areas as needed for tagging, inventorying, and disposing of capital equipment.
• Triage and respond to general inquiries for faculty and students on lab safety.
• Attend required department or school meetings.
• Create/revise/implement systems or procedures to improve workflow and efficiency.
• Coordinate or self-perform inspections to make preventive and corrective actions necessary to maintain a safe environment.
• Maintain working knowledge of protocols and reporting associated with laboratory objectives
• Coordinate ordering of supplies and equipment, interacting and negotiating with outside vendors, and internal finance staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

In addition to the duties described above

• Woodworking
• Digital Fabrications
• Shop best practices and safety

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Three years of related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3D modeling
• Proficiency with woodworking, CNC router, laser cutting, FDM & SLA 3D printing, flatbed UV printing, vinyl printing & cutting, Cricut Maker 4, sewing and embroidery machines.
• Proficiency in rapid prototyping techniques, including 3D modeling and printing, laser cutting, and hands-on fabrication methods.
• Experience with traditional fabrication methods, including basic woodworking, metalworking, and hand tools.
• Experience with basic electronics, including designing and troubleshooting simple circuits and prototyping with the Arduino platform (or similar microcontroller systems).
• Ability to guide through iterative design challenges
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a student-centered learning environment. Prior experience with teaching and mentoring preferred.
• Ability to manage supplies, track inventory, and maintain an organized, safe, and functional lab environment.

Technical Skills & Expected Level Of Proficiency

• Lab Equipment Management - Developing
• Laboratory Safety - Developing
• Order Management - Developing
• Regulatory Compliance - Developing
• SOP Development - Developing
• Stakeholder Engagement - Developing
• Troubleshooting and Technical Problem Solving - Developing

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

On Call Or Non-standard Work Hour Requirements

• The JHU Makerspace’s current schedule is 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. weekends.
• This role would be dedicated to the evening and weekend hours of the JHU Makerspace.

Classified Title: Teaching Laboratory Coordinator

Job Posting Title (Working Title): Makerspace Technician (Engineering Business Office)

Role/Level/Range: ACRP/03/MC

Starting Salary Range: $19,200 - $86,200 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)

Employee group: Full Time

Schedule: 7 days (37.5 hrs) weekly

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Homewood Campus

Department name: Engineering Business Office

Personnel area: Whiting School of Engineering