Robotics Instructor Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is known for its student-centered approach and strong emphasis on hands-on learning and research. It offers a full suite of degree programs—bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D – and is housed in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. The department fosters close faculty-student interaction, with a focus on mentoring and collaborative research. Faculty and students engage in cutting-edge work in areas like solid mechanics, thermal-fluids, energy systems, intelligent systems, robotics, and bioengineering. The department partners with local and national organizations to apply engineering solutions to real-world problems, especially those relevant to Arizona and the Southwest. The undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree program is ABET-accredited, ensuring a rigorous and industry-aligned curriculum. The Department currently has over 700 students and 17 faculty, and blends academic rigor with a strong sense of community and purpose.

The Mechanical Engineering Department from Steve Sanghi College of Engineering (SCE) at Northern Arizona University invites applications for a part time (non-tenure track) position at the rank of Instructor. The successful candidate will have a strong mechanical engineering background and prior university teaching experience. The Department is interested in applicants whose technical expertise is in thermal-fluids, solid-deformable body mechanics, machine design, manufacturing, robotics, control and/or mechatronics.
The temporary faculty pool is continuously open, and positions are filled as needed, based on student enrollment and funding. The intent of the pool is to provide opportunities to our industry partners and community professionals to serve as NAU instructors of record as their skills and experience align with the needs of the college and its students. The number of positions will vary from semester to semester and are temporary. These opportunities may arise on short notice. The pool will remain in place for one academic year (August- May). If you are not interviewed/selected for a position within the current academic year and still wish to pursue employment in future semesters, a new application will be required. If at any time you are no longer interested in this position, please withdraw your application.

• Teach up to 12 credit hours of Mechanical Engineering (ME), Mechatronics and Robotics, or Multidisciplinary Engineering courses, or laboratory equivalent, during the academic year.
• Develop new undergraduate courses to support the degree programs offered by the department.
• Contribute to the retention of mechanical engineering majors.
• Maintain office hours and direct interaction with students.
• Remain current in their discipline, updating course content as appropriate.
• Implement processes and tools for assessment of teaching and student learning outcomes.
• Mentor student club teams (e.g. SAE, ASME, SWE).
• Other duties as assigned.

• Completion of a MS in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field, awarded by August 17th, 2026.
• A minimum of three years of industry experience in mechanical, aerospace or manufacturing engineering.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

• Completion of a PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field, awarded by August 17th, 2026.
• 3–5 years of teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering courses, ideally in an ABET-accredited program.
• Experience developing and teaching experimental laboratory courses.
• Experience developing courses for online delivery.
• Online teaching experience.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the needs related to public education.
• Knowledge of effective supervisory and leadership practices.
• Knowledge of thermal-fluids, solid-deformable body mechanics, machine design, manufacturing, robotics, control and/or mechatronics related topics.

Skills

• Effective leadership and active listening skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Experimental work and prototyping experience.
• Industry experience.
• Computer programming skills (MATLAB, Python or similar).
• Effective communication skills.

Abilities

• Communicates effectively.
• Develops and maintains good working relationships.
• Facilitates learning in multiple modalities.
• Teaches a wide variety of courses.
• Engages with and leads collaborative multi- and inter-disciplinary teams.
• Works in a collaborative environment with faculty, staff, and students.
• Ability to integrate hands-on learning using facilities like machine shops or makerspaces.

Budgeted salary for this position is $2,000 per credit unit or $6,000 per 3 credit course. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Vacancy will remain open until filled. Applications received before the deadline shown above will receive full consideration.
To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page.
Application must include (saved as PDF and/or Word documents):
1. a cover letter highlighting your particular qualifications for this position;
2. a curriculum vitae; and
3. names and contact information for three references.
Please do not include any other documents as they will not be considered.
If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.