Director of the Student Design Center

Director supports academic programs, capstone projects, student organizations, faculty research, and approved external projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Laboratory Leadership and Staff Supervision — 25%

• Supervise, coordinate, and evaluate the college’s laboratory technicians.
• Allocate technical support according to safety, instructional schedules, equipment availability, and college priorities.
• Coordinate laboratory readiness across departments.
• Develop annual operating, maintenance, and capital-equipment plans.
• Maintain clear boundaries among technician work, faculty responsibilities, IT, and Facilities.

SDC Operations and Major Equipment — 25%

• Direct daily operation of the Student Design Center.
• Oversee controlled work areas, machining equipment, fabrication systems, reaction floor, overhead crane, rigging, structural-testing systems, and other high-risk equipment.
• Support machining and fabrication primarily for capstone projects and approved student organizations.
• Plan and assist with large-scale mechanical and civil engineering experimental setups.
• Coordinate equipment installation, commissioning, inspection, preventive maintenance, service, and decommissioning in conjunction with laboratory technicians.
• Manage relationships with vendors, contractors, inspectors, and service providers.

Safety, Access, and Compliance — 25%

• Establish and enforce college-wide laboratory and SDC safety procedures.
• Develop equipment-specific training and user-certification requirements.
• Authorize, restrict, or suspend access when unsafe conditions exist.
• Maintain training, inspection, incident, and equipment-authorization records.
• Coordinate OSHA-related practices, machine guarding, lockout/tagout, lifting and rigging, compressed gases, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment.
• Lead incident review and corrective-action processes.
• Coordinate with Laboratory Safety Committee, Facilities, Security, and other university offices.

Academic and Project Support — 20%

• Coordinate technical support for scheduled laboratories, senior design, student organizations, research, and approved industry projects.
• Assist faculty with safe implementation of unusual, large-scale, or high-risk experiments.
• Provide structured student supervision and equipment guidance in controlled SDC areas.
• Ensure that experimental setups are feasible, safe, and appropriately scheduled.

Administration — 5%

• Manage assigned budgets, purchasing, inventories, service agreements, and equipment records.
• Prepare utilization, maintenance, safety, and staffing reports.
• Recommend laboratory policies and capital priorities to the dean.

Education and/or Experience

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, engineering technology, industrial technology, laboratory management, occupational safety, or a closely related field.
• Substantial experience managing engineering laboratories, manufacturing operations, technical facilities, or comparable environments.
• Experience supervising technical personnel and prioritizing work across multiple users.
• Demonstrated knowledge of machining, fabrication, mechanical testing, equipment maintenance, and occupational safety.
• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty, students, staff, vendors, and contractors.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• • Master’s degree or relevant professional certification.
  • Experience in a university engineering environment.
  • Experience with CNC machining, structural testing, cranes and rigging, machine guarding, and lockout/tagout.
  • OSHA, first-aid, forklift, crane, rigging, or related safety credentials.
  • Experience developing training, certification, and controlled-access programs.

Outstanding Benefits

Trine University offers a comprehensive benefit package designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family. Some benefits offered include:

• Health – medical, dental, vision, flex spending, HSA accounts
• Life Insurance – a variety of voluntary life options are available along with an employer paid employee life policy valued at 1½ times annual salary
• Financial Insurance – employer paid Long Term Disability and voluntary Short-Term Disability, Accident, Hospital Indemnity, and Critical Illness options are available
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Retirement – after one year of full-time service you are eligible for an employer contribution of 5% and up to an additional 5% employer match
• Education – after 6 months of full-time service, undergraduate education benefits are available for employee, spouse, and dependent children

Salary

The salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.