Associate Aerospace Engineer Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) invites applications for a Lab Manager position. This position serves the Applied Engineering (AppE), Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) departments, and Engineering Fundamentals (EF) Program by developing and supporting the experiential learning labs. This position is primarily responsible for overseeing and maintaining the experiential laboratories, working with instructional faculty on enhancing student educational experiences through new laboratory exercises and/or courses, managing inventory of laboratory supplies and equipment maintenance, and is the primary responsible party to develop, support, and enforce safety compliance in AppE, MAE, and EF laboratory spaces. Safety compliance includes providing guidance to faculty and interface with university organizations on safety, training, OSHA requirements, etc., ensuring compliance with proper safety procedures, protocols, and record keeping requirements, and ensuring proper disposal of laboratory materials and hazardous waste while working with Environmental Health and Safety.
The anticipated start date is September 1, 2026.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Creatively and independently resolve technical problems in a timely and cost-effective manner. Prepare contingency plans for scheduled and unscheduled utility outages or other operational upsets. Establish and maintain good working relationships with critical university providers such as EHS and Facilities Services.
• Design and specify facility changes and monitor work progress. Develop and ensure implementation of lab/facility procedures and processes related to safety and operations. Responsible for assuring equipment requirements are met (such as movement, installation, maintenance, calibrations, and commissioning/decommissioning) by working with UT organizations (for example, Facility Services). Coordinate space/equipment/tool use and resolving any conflicts due to over-subscription.
• Responsible for equipment specification, selection, purchasing, maintenance, calibration and repair in accordance with UT policy. Coordinate installation, inspection, and repair of equipment for use in instructional labs. Move equipment or coordinate with Facility Services to have it safely moved between labs.
• Train faculty, staff, visitors, and other personnel on instrumentation and equipment. Provide support to faculty and students with instructional experiments. Troubleshoot and diagnose scientific instrumentation and equipment.
• Consult with instructors on projects using specialized equipment or laboratory techniques. Contribute to long-range planning for future operational needs and strategies to implement. Collaborate with instructors and make technical and operational recommendations.
• Leads and/or support design and implementation of experiential learning experiments and courses.

Safety & Compliance:

• Provide guidance to faculty and interface with university organizations on safety, training, OSHA requirements, etc., Plan and implement safety programs including various training programs for faculty, staff and students, and enforcement of rules and procedures. Help create, review, and assure laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Responsible for annual inventory records for multiple materials (machines, equipment, etc.). Ensure compliance with proper safety procedures, protocols, and record keeping requirements. Ensure proper disposal of laboratory materials and hazardous waste while working with Environmental Health and Safety.
• Analyze and interpret instructional plans, identifies areas of concern, and recognizes and resolves problems pertaining to experimental setups in both the design and operational phases.
• Provides consultative and collaborative contributions to research and instruction design and methods.
• Engages in emergency preparedness planning and strategic planning for the laboratory and other UT stakeholders.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications

• Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field and two years of relevant technical experience
  • Candidates with an associate degree in a relevant technical field and five (5) or more years of directly related technical experience may also be considered.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Technical knowledge of laboratory facilities and service providers (both internal and external to UT)
  • Well-developed knowledge regarding safe and secure use of machinery and manufacturing processes.
  • The skills to troubleshoot various technical issues that may arise in the labs.
  • The ability and expertise to provide assistance and training to students and faculty with lab safety and OSHA requirements
  • Effective written and oral communication skills.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant technical field
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  
  • The skills to work with diverse and large groups of faculty and students and
    vendors.
  • Ability to communicate technical information to individuals without the same knowledge.
  • Ability to manage and train people effectively, including undergraduate assistants.
  • Knowledge of UT policies and procedures.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR12
• Anticipated hiring range: $68,000 - $73,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before July 31, 2026.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College
The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) is in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth and success, including adding over 30 new faculty to the college over 4 years as part of ambitious hiring campaigns led by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dean Matthew Mench. The college has set records in research expenditures, enrollment, incoming student GPA, intellectual property development, and USNWR rank in the past three years. New facilities include the state-of-the art Zeanah Engineering Complex, the University of Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise (TN-MADE) facility, and the Innovation South building now under construction that will house UTK's Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF).
TCE currently has 203 tenure/tenure track and 79 non-tenure track faculty in its nine academic departments and offers 11 undergraduate, 16 MS, and 15 PhD/DE degree programs. Affiliated with TCE and located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the UT Space Institute is a hub of aerospace and defense research. The college is also home to eight research centers and three interdisciplinary institutes. With approximately 4,300 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, the college sits 29th among public universities in the most recent U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Faculty in the college have won 29 early career awards (NSF, DOE, DARPA, AFOSR, and ARO) since 2016. In FY24, the college had annual research expenditures of $113.6M.
About Us
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees-the Volunteers-who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as "Best Employer for New Graduates," "One of America's Best Large Employers," and "Best Workplace for Women," and has been designated as "Best Place for Working Parents" by Forbes Magazine.
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!