Senior Shop Manager and Instructor of Fabrication - Olin College of Engineering

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Shop Manager and Instructor of Fabrication oversees the day-to-day operations of the Olin Shop. The manager supports students and the hands-on curriculum, teaching classes on an array of design and fabrication topics. The Olin College Shop strives to ensure that students, faculty, and staff are part of a compelling, educational, and inclusive learning environment. This means teaching students to utilize physical artifacts as a medium for communication and helping students adopt a continuous prototyping mindset. Olin students have a strong and direct sense of ownership of and responsibility for processes, equipment, and spaces.

The Shop’s mission is to empower all interested community members to use and master the tools of fabrication and prototyping through training and guidance. Olin’s objective is to ensure that the Shop is accessible, inclusive, welcoming, and supportive of people from all backgrounds, viewpoints, experience, talents, and ideas. The diversity that students, staff, and faculty bring to the Shop is a resource, a strength, and a benefit.

This is a year-round in-person/on-campus position based in Needham, MA. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Daily on-site management of the Olin Shop, including providing guidance and supervision to design/fabrication instructors.
• Assists the Director of Fabrication and Lab Operations with the management of shop budget and equipment purchases. 
• Responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining the equipment they will oversee, including a variety of machine tools, CNC equipment, 3D printers, laser cutters, welding equipment, and other fabrication equipment. 
• Oversee the implementation and creation of safety and training protocols; manage workflow and resources inside the facilities; and collaborate with the hiring, training, and workflow of 20 or more student shop assistants. This position is central to creating an environment of student empowerment and safety awareness.
• Teaching or co-instructing up to one course per semester with a focus on fabrication and other areas as appropriate, depending on college needs. 
• Support and mentor students, and, when needed, act as an advocate for student needs in discussions about the culture of the Olin Shop.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience managing a shop/makerspace environment with supervisory responsibilities.
• A well-rounded engineering, manufacturing, or design and prototyping background with a breadth of experience working with various modern forms of materials, techniques, and equipment, as well as a passion for education and for teaching.
• Experience working in an academic environment, and experience with the design thinking process (ideation, prototyping, and testing).
• Demonstrated experience maintaining and repairing shop equipment.
• Ability to seek out root causes of issues, conceive innovative solutions, and move from concept to implementation.
• Strong design and fabrication experience: expertise with a wide range of fabrication skills, including metalworking, CNC milling, turning, waterjet, plastics, casting, forging, 3D printing, composites, painting, metrology, thermoforming, and injection molding.
• Demonstrated success prioritizing safety.
• Exceptional teaching, mentoring, interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work inclusively with all students regardless of background or interest, especially students from non-dominant groups in STEM. 
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to values of equity, access, and belonging.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Frequently: stand, walk, bend, reach above shoulder level, use of keyboard/mouse, light lifting (less than 20 lbs.), hand dexterity, hand twisting, simple grasping, light pushing / pulling (less than 20 lbs. of force), moderate lifting (20-50 lbs.), light pushing / pulling (less than 20 lbs. of force), moderate pushing / pulling (20-50 lbs. of force), move around machinery, exposure to marked changes in temperature and/or humidity
• Occasionally: sit, crouch/squat, climb, power grasping, heaving pushing/pulling (50lbs of force), exposure to dust, fumes, gases

Company Description

Olin College of Engineering seeks employees who are passionate about working collaboratively within and outside of the Olin community to support the College’s mission and vision for the future. At Olin, we are educating the next generation of engineering innovators and shifting the definition of engineering. Not only do our students ask, “Who are we designing this for, and what are their values?” They also ask questions about the impact of their work on society.

 As Olin evolves under the leadership of our president, Dr. Gilda Barabino, we seek to become a more diverse and aware community, a place where everyone is a learner and where everyone is an educator. Olin will become a place where experimentation—including making and learning from mistakes—will be embraced across the institution, not just in the classroom. Collaboration is key to Olin’s curriculum and culture, and we will work intentionally to reinforce the values and culture to which we aspire. We are a community that thrives on being together; we value trust. The College supports teams to collaboratively decide how they can best do their work, and display a commitment to the community, all while providing individuals with overall work-life flexibility.

Olin College is situated on 75 acres in Needham, Massachusetts. We are approximately ten miles from Boston, one mile from the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, and approximately four miles from the Woodland Station for the MBTA Green Line. We have plenty of free parking on campus. You can find more details on our Visiting Campus page.

• Take a Virtual Campus Tour: From the moment you step on campus at Olin, you feel a buzz of energy and activity—and once you experience it, you want to be a part of it.

Olin College is committed to supporting an innovative, integrated learning and working environment. As a small campus, the in-person experience and cross-team collaboration is what helps build a strong, dynamic community for our students, faculty and staff. Typically, most roles at Olin College are intended to be in-person and on-campus. Certain paid positions may be eligible for flexible working arrangements, at the College’s sole discretion. Any approved remote work arrangement for pay must be performed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where Olin is registered to do business. Individual flexible and remote work options can be discussed during the interview process. 

Benefits

Olin College prides itself on offering to faculty and staff comprehensive benefits that provide both choice and value. These benefits are an important part of total compensation.  

Full-time employees scheduled to work at least of 30 hours per week may be eligible for the following benefits: 

Core Benefits

• Medical (three different options) 
• Dental 
• Vision
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (company paid)
• Paid Family Medical Leave
• Long Term Disability (company paid)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with company match
• Liberal sick and vacation time and paid holidays
• Free parking

Additional Benefits 

• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Program   
• Business Travel Insurance
• Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan 
• Travel Assistance Services (company paid)
• Health Care Management Program
• Pet Insurance

Please note that benefits are subject to change at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

At Olin College we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about a role and have relevant experience, but your work history doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we'd nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Olin College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. Employees of the College who have a disability are welcome to request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at HR@olin.edu.