Job Summary:

The Technical Manager is responsible for managing the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering (MANE) Department’s research and teaching laboratory safety program, strategic planning for MANE’s instructional and research labs and supervising technical staff. The Technical Manager is also responsible for providing academic and technical support to students, faculty and staff.

Who we are:

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ↗︎

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world. 

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Electronics, or a related field.

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience.

• At least 1 year of supervisory experience required; experience as a project lead may be considered in lieu of direct supervisory experience.

Relevant combinations of education, training and experience may be considered.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Requires strong supervisory and leadership skills
• Requires demonstrated oral and written communication skills
• Requires planning, organizing and effective time management skills
• Requires ability to analyze and interpret technical and other data
• Requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Requires basic mechanical, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and masonry skills
• Requires basic programming skills
• Requires ability to work effectively under pressure and meet established goals and objectives
• Requires ability to anticipate and solve problems
• Ability to create an inclusive environment and work with a diverse population
• Requires 5S training or experience ensuring an organized and well-documented lab space – including tracking purchases, usage of consumables, keeping lists of tools, equipment, and materials updated including locations, documenting procedures

Preferred Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities:

Preferred to have a working knowledge of, and ability to troubleshoot Instron testing systems

Representative Job Duties:

• Provide strategic planning and implementation of the departmental instructional laboratory facilities, equipment, and infrastructure. Working with the department committees and within the departmental instructional laboratory budget, research equipment offerings, and select small and capital equipment for purchase in maintaining/upgrading a state-of-the-art laboratory experience commensurate with current academic standards. Research and prepare capital funding requests.
• Provide strategic planning and implementation of new research laboratories including facilities, equipment and infrastructure. Working within the research laboratory budget, research and cost equipment purchases and renovations. Act as liaison between faculty, internal services and external vendors to design, construct and renovate laboratory spaces to fit needs.
• Create and maintain documentation of all MANE educational lab facilities and supplies that can be used for tracking items, expenditures associated with each lab, and forecasting future needs. Document all operating procedures. Organize documentation of all equipment and maintenance records.
• Provides supervision, direction and guidance of MANE technical support staff, including commendations and discipline; makes and supports recommendations for hiring, promotions and terminations of staff; completes performance evaluations. Leads and directs assigned staff on a daily basis to ensure the completion of assigned tasks.
• Manage MANE’s safety programs for research and teaching laboratories which includes but is not limited to maintaining chemical inventories, conducting safety audits, and providing annual safety reports. Partner with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) to develop and present safety training programs to staff and students. May serve on school wide safety committee(s).
• Provide general daily support for MANE undergrad teaching labs. This may include: at the direction of faculty, write or update lab procedures and manuals and provide training to instructors and TAs including equipment demonstrations for all MANE undergraduate instructional laboratories; set up and break down of lab equipment for each individual laboratory exercise; and as needed, manufacture or purchase laboratory consumables such as test specimen, replacement parts, and materials.
• At faculty request, design, build, test, implement, repair, and maintain instructional laboratory equipment for new and evolving curricula. Identify vendors for complex repairs. Research and consult on the purchase of new equipment. Provide support for emergent equipment failure during laboratory exercises to include immediate troubleshooting and repair.
• Supervise MANE sponsored clubs including scheduled and unscheduled inspections of related work spaces and ensuring on-going and frequent monitoring of students for compliance with safety policies and protocols.
• Support various outreach efforts through participation in Open Houses, providing STEM presentations, etc. and including tours for internal and external constituents.
• Provide individualized technical support to students, faculty and staff as needed.

Shift:

Business Hours: Monday - Friday

Travel:

Driving:

Incidental driving possible, but not required

Starting Salary/Rate:

Expected hiring range: $75,000 - $85,000

Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate’s salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate’s qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer’s good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.

Application instructions:

Follow the on-screen prompts to create a brief online profile. Please be ready to upload your resume and cover letter.

If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact careers@rpi.edu.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Total Compensation and Benefits Information:

Rensselaer’s Total Compensation Program is designed to provide stable pay growth, a comprehensive and affordable benefits package, and a comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan. Our goal is to provide you and your family with a comprehensive health and welfare program as an umbrella of financial security and protection during your employment. For more information, please visit Benefits | Human Resources (rpi.edu).