Design Lab Instructor

Design Lab Instructor

Company: Dartmouth College

Job Location: Hanover NH

Category: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Type: Full-Time

Posting date: 04/02/2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Position Number: 1129562

Hiring Range Minimum: $83,500

Hiring Range Maximum: $104,400

Union Type: Not a Union Position

SEIU Level: Not an SEIU Position

FLSA Status: Exempt

Employment Category: Regular Full Time

Scheduled Months per Year: 12

Scheduled Hours per Week: 40

Remote Work Eligibility?: Onsite only

Position Purpose:

Support design-centered learning by providing technical guidance, prototyping support, and human-centered design mentorship for students and faculty. This role helps translate ideas into tangible prototypes while fostering iterative experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsible use of fabrication tools and technologies. The position also strengthens Dartmouth's maker and design community through co-curricular programming, peer mentorship, and stewardship of design resources.

Required Qualifications - Education and Yrs Exp: Masters plus 3-5 years' experience or equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Ability to help a wide range of design learners, practitioners, and partners achieve their goals based on experience applying design methodologies in diverse disciplines and organizational settings, from startups to large corporations to higher education
• Significant end-to-end product management experience with 5+ years of experience leading innovation, product, and/or design engineering teams using human-centered design and lean startup methods, learning and iterating on these experiences, with a proven track record of taking projects from concept to shipped products
• Demonstrated experience co-teaching design, technology, and innovation for audiences ranging from students to executives
• Demonstrated expertise in adopting and applying emerging technologies, AI tools, digital fabrication tools, higher education and industry domains, and helping teams explore whether and how these tools may improve their work
• Collaborative, team-oriented working style with strong interpersonal skills
• Commitment to and experience supporting initiatives that support diversity
• Strong aptitude for interdisciplinary collaboration and creativity across diverse fields
• Exceptional organizational skills with ability to manage complex, concurrent projects
• Technical leadership experience in research, product development, or laboratory environments
• Proven ability to establish objectives, develop strategic plans, and build client/external relationships
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Master's degree in technical design discipline (Engineering, CS, Industrial Design, Architecture, or related technology field) and an educational or professional background in an additional field that complements design thinking

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in educational innovation and pedagogy
• Ability to contribute to DIAD research efforts with graduate degree or equivalent portfolio of experience advanced maker experience building in technical or design discipline (mechanical, electrical, digital fabrication, etc) and published research in emerging technologies or design engineering
• Background in product design, industrial design, mechanical or electrical engineering, or related fields
• Demonstrated comfort working with students and faculty from diverse creative and technical fields and ability to make participants from diverse fields feel comfortable
• Significant operational experience including managing teams and budgets
• Advanced experience in a growing technical field such as applying AI/ML tools and applying emerging technology methodologies to physical and physical-digital product design, mechanical engineering, media arts, and/or advanced maker experience

Department Contact for Recruitment Inquiries: Danielle Pierce

Department Contact Phone Number: 6036463557

Department Contact for Cover Letter and Title: Professor Beth Ames Eagle

Description:

Design Project Prototyping & Technical Support Percentage Of Time: 50%

• Provides technical support for design-affiliated courses, integrating technical skill-building and human-centered design thinking into the learning experience.
• Offers structured, advance-requested instructional and project support for faculty incorporating design and making elements into their courses, functioning similarly to a teaching assistant role with a dedicated purpose (augmenting student project quality and technical support)
• Guides students in bringing their ideas to life and accelerates iterative learning through making, helping them learn and navigate how to take their ideas further with technical tools including but not limited to digital fabrication tools (e.g., 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics prototyping) and CAD software.
• Supports the full creative and technical process - from concept development to prototyping, testing, and refinement - enabling students to quickly cycle between ideas and physical realizations.
• Promotes safe, responsible, and inclusive use of tools and technologies to support liberal arts-based, interdisciplinary exploration and innovation.
• Helps connect technical execution with critical inquiry and creative problem-solving.

Co-curricular Design Learning Program Support & Community Engagement Percentage Of Time: 30%

• Provides similar advance-requested technical and human centered design instructional support for co-curricular programs and initiatives (e.g., workshops, design sprints, project-based events).
• Partners with student groups, campus centers, and initiatives to bring human-centered design and making into informal learning environments.
• Designs and leads a peer-to-peer training initiative that empowers students to become skilled facilitators and technical mentors, expanding the community's capacity for collaborative learning over time.
• Helps cultivate a sustainable, student-centered maker and design culture by building infrastructure for shared expertise, skill development, and support.
• Encourages broad participation and lowers barriers to entry by fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment for learners from all disciplines.
• Advises students and faculty on next-stage opportunities for projects to grow their impact within and beyond design at dartmouth - including potential pathways to expand work beyond courses, across campus, and into broader communities or external contexts as relevant.

Tools, Technologies & Resources Stewardship Percentage Of Time: 20%

• Coordinates and maintains tools and technologies that support student projects.
• Troubleshoots and ensures functionality of fabrication and prototyping equipment.
• Recommends emerging tools and technologies that enhance learning and creative exploration.
• Promotes shared responsibility, sustainability, and equitable access to making resources.

Demonstrates professionalism and collegiality through actions, interactions, and communications with others appropriate to an environment that is welcoming to all.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Quick Link: https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/85189