Lab Instructor - Waterloo, Canada - University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
Verified Company
Waterloo, Canada

4 weeks ago

Sophia Lee

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Sophia Lee

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Description

Overview:


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.


Responsibilities:

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 and Systems Design Engineering courses with labs
  • Present and develop information for students concerning laboratory safety
  • Prepare and modify laboratory manuals and procedures as needed
  • 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 multimedia instructional aids such as videos, demonstrations, web content, etc.
  • Resolve student/lab issues such as attendance and special situations

Management of the teaching assistants:

  • Manage laboratory teaching assistants with regard to lab schedules and procedures
  • Train teaching assistants in the safe and proper usage of lab equipment and software
  • Participate in the selection of teaching assistants and in their performance evaluations
  • 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
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

Qualifications:

  • 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 la
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