Student Design Assistant Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

This position has primary responsibility for providing comprehensive instructional program support for undergraduate courses, instructional laboratories, and student design and competition teams within the Mechanical Engineering Department. The successful candidate will play a central role in creating and maintaining a high-quality, hands-on educational environment that integrates classroom instruction, laboratory experiences, and experiential learning opportunities.

The position will provide leadership and mentorship for student competition and project teams. While the primary focus of this position will be advising and mentoring the vehicle-based student competition teams, including Formula SAE, Baja SAE, and Solar Vehicle, there is also potential for engagement with other major student design teams including SAE Aero, rocketry, and robotics. Responsibilities include advising student organizations, supporting project planning and execution, fostering technical and professional development, ensuring safe operation of laboratory and fabrication facilities, and helping teams effectively utilize departmental resources. The individual will serve as a key point of contact for student teams and will help strengthen the department's experiential learning and co-curricular programs.

The individual will also be expected to define, update, and deliver high-quality instruction using best practices in instructional design and pedagogy. Using established course curricula and materials, the successful candidate will teach and support foundational and design-oriented courses such as Design of Machine Elements, Senior Capstone Design, and other engineering design and automotive engineering electives.

A responsibility of this position is the management, maintenance, and continuous improvement of instructional laboratory facilities. The individual will oversee laboratory spaces, equipment, software, and fabrication resources used by undergraduate students, ensuring that facilities remain safe, modern, accessible, and aligned with curricular needs. The successful candidate will work closely with faculty, staff, and students to identify equipment upgrades, develop new laboratory capabilities, and support the integration of emerging technologies into the instructional program.

The successful candidate will meet regularly with students to assess academic progress, interpret performance metrics, and provide guidance related to coursework, design projects, and professional development. The individual will collaborate with faculty and educational innovation programs to review, develop, and implement new instructional approaches, incorporating feedback from student evaluations, assessment data, and accreditation processes to support continuous improvement of the undergraduate curriculum.

To advance the department's instructional mission, the individual will participate in departmental, college, and professional activities related to engineering education, instructional innovation, laboratory development, and experiential learning. The successful candidate will be expected to identify opportunities for program enhancement and contribute ideas that strengthen the overall student educational experience.

In some instances, the position may include supervision, training, and evaluation of teaching assistants. The successful candidate will work closely with TAs to ensure the effective delivery of instructional materials, provide feedback on teaching performance, assist with grading and student concerns, and contribute to the development of instructional and training resources that support high-quality undergraduate education.

The teaching load for this position will be determined based on university guideline, dependent on the percent appointment of hire.

Additional Information:

• Hiring at the I or II level will depend on accomplishments and experience including but not limited to; a strong record of teaching, classroom innovation, the design and execution of administrative functions associated with academic instruction and the development of pedagogy/andragogy or assessment tools and resources to support quality student learning.

• This position can be full or part-time, between 33%-100%.

• The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

• Supervises the day to day activities of work unit employees involved in instructional support as needed

• Develops teaching techniques that enhance course effectiveness in alignment with desired outcomes and established strategy

• Assists in defining the objectives of the program and plays a major role in carrying out program duties

• Oversee, maintain, and upgrade instructional laboratory spaces, equipment and
• software used by students and competition teams in the ME Department. Mentor
• national design competition teams.

• Assists in developing techniques and/or model programs for carrying out instructional goals in disciplinary area and may help identify ways in which new techniques could be of assistance

• Provides classroom, online and/or laboratory instruction, including grading

• Assesses learner performance and prepares reports recommending instructional improvements

College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

The starting salary for the position is $80,000, but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

• 1 year of experience in engineering instruction or working with engineering students at the college level

• 3 years of experience in engineering research or industry

• 3 years of demonstrated experience with automotive systems

• Industry experience in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Aerospace Engineering or a closely related field.

• Experience with Hands-on Lab or Project-based Instruction of Engineering students

• Prior teaching experience in design of machine elements, automotive engineering and senior capstone design

Required: MS in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Aerospace Engineering or a closely related field.

Preferred: PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Aerospace Engineering or a closely related field.

Please go to the "Apply Now" area and select your current UW Employment Status. Upload a SINGLE PDF document containing a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae (CV) which includes a teaching statement describing how the applicant's teaching goals fit the solicitation described above, and the names and contact information for three professional references.

Alissa Girdler

1513 University Ave
Madison, WI 53706

agirdler@wisc.edu

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