Scientific Assistant

Job Summary

Mandate:
A Scientific Assistant (SA) plays an important role in ensuring the department functions efficiently and effectively by supporting students and faculty members and by coordinating with other technical staff, such as the Manager of Laboratories (ML), Senior Scientific Assistants (SSAs), and Scientific Assistants (SAs), as needed for the day-to-day operation of the unit. This position also provides specialist-level advice and training to students, faculty, and teaching assistants in the use of equipment and software in undergraduate and graduate teaching and research laboratories supporting the Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering programs, as well as the Department's research-based and professional graduate programs, including but not limited to the professional MEng programs in Biomedical Systems and Aerospace Systems Engineering.
Objectives:

• Support faculty and staff in developing, maintaining, and upgrading all teaching labs.
• Support development of instructional lab manuals and the updating of lab equipment.
• Provide oversight, ensuring that policy procedures and the safety of labs and student teams are followed in the department.
• Support teaching assistants by providing training and oversight for running teaching labs.
• Provide additional support to improve current processes and optimize procedures to ensure the department operates smoothly and effectively.
• Support department leadership in meeting long-term planning and academic goals.

This role may require working outside of normal working hours on an emergency or pre-scheduled basis.

Job Requirements

This position requires a level of education, training, and experience equivalent to an undergraduate degree in Engineering (mechanical, biomedical), Engineering Physics/Applied Physics, or a closely related technical discipline plus 3 years of relevant experience. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.
Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive and respectful working and learning environment.
• Strong hands-on skills with mechanical systems are essential, as the role involves direct interaction with lab equipment, troubleshooting, and guiding users in practical applications.
• Ability to design and construct electro-mechanical apparatus and interfacing with computers.
• Demonstrated experience using electronic equipment such as power supplies, digital oscilloscopes, LCR meters, signal generators, DAQ, etc. Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
• Working experience with engineering software packages such as MATLAB, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, LabVIEW, ANSYS, or similar.
• Working familiarity with manual and computer-controlled machining equipment such as milling machines, lathes, laser cutting machine.
• Familiarity with 3D printers, 3D scanners, bioprinters, etc.
• Experience with microcontroller programming.
• Experience with the use of electronic sensors, such as strain gages, thermocouples, pressure gages, encoders, etc. and subsequent data acquisition systems.
• Demonstrated experience with the management of information systems and technology in accordance with industry best practice and internal UVic policies and standards including relevant professional development to keep knowledge and skills current.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to apply project management best practices to achieve multiple project goals/tasks on time.
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships.
• Ability to maintain required safety certifications up to date (such as WHMIS, Laser Safety, Compressed gas, etc.)
• Ability to grasp and articulate different engineering concepts.
• Ability to act effectively under pressure in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to take initiative and work with limited direction.
• Ability to mentor and coach Teaching Assistants and student teams, and act as a resource.

Assets and preferences:

• Experience supporting interdisciplinary engineering, biomedical engineering, applied-science, research-based graduate, or professional engineering programs.
• Experience with computer programming languages such as Python, Java Script, C, C++.
• Knowledge and/or experience about microfluidics.
• Familiarity with biomedical laboratory environments and/or tissue culture in a BSL2 environment.
• Familiarity with UVic programs, policies, procedures, and business systems.