Engineering Applications, Virtual Probability, and Statistics Tutor

Thrive Education Partners

5d • $60 - $100 • Remote

About The Position

Thrive Education Partners is seeking an experienced probability and statistics tutor to support a student enrolled in CE 6300: Probabilistic Methods in Engineering Design at Vanderbilt University. This is a virtual role with a flexible evening schedule, beginning immediately. This is not a general engineering tutoring role. Although the course sits in an engineering department, it is fundamentally graduate-level applied probability and statistics: random variables and distributions, parameter estimation, regression, Monte Carlo simulation, and component and system reliability, moving into first- and second-order reliability methods and reliability-based design. The right tutor has already studied or taught this material at the graduate level and can open the course text to any chapter with confidence. The student arranged this engagement himself and is motivated and proactive about it. He wants to stay ahead of the course rather than react to assignments as they come due, which shapes who this role is for: we are prioritizing someone who knows this material cold over someone willing to learn it alongside him. The semester is already underway, so we need someone who can begin quickly and step into the content at full speed.

Requirements

• Has completed graduate-level coursework in probability and mathematical statistics, or has taught it. An engineering degree that included an introductory statistics requirement is not sufficient preparation for this course.
• Has worked directly with reliability analysis, including limit state functions, the reliability index, and first- and second-order reliability methods.
• Can derive and work with distributions of functions of random variables, not only apply standard results.
• Has built or run Monte Carlo simulations for uncertainty quantification, in coursework, research, or practice.
• Is comfortable with parameter estimation, regression, and correlated random variables at the level of a graduate statistics sequence.
• Can read an assigned problem set or textbook section and work through it without extensive preparation.
• Has taught or tutored quantitative material at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level.
• Explains both the how and the why clearly, and can find a second way in when the first explanation does not land.
• Is available evenings Central time, can begin immediately, and can hold a consistent schedule through the end of the fall semester.

Nice To Haves

• PhD or PhD candidacy in statistics, applied mathematics, reliability engineering, or a related quantitative field
• Experience as a teaching assistant or instructor for a probability, statistics, or reliability course
• Direct work in structural or system reliability, risk analysis, or uncertainty quantification, in research or industry
• Working knowledge of a computational tool for simulation and statistical analysis, such as Python, R, or MATLAB
• Experience tutoring virtually, with a tablet or equivalent setup for working through mathematics on screen
• Familiarity with Vanderbilt's graduate engineering curriculum or a comparable program

Responsibilities

• Meet virtually with the student twice per week on a consistent evening schedule.
• Preview upcoming course material so the student arrives at each lecture already familiar with the concepts.
• Break down mathematically complex material into clear, sequential steps without losing the underlying rigor.
• Work through representative problems and course assignments, building problem-solving fluency rather than walking through solutions.
• Connect probability and statistics principles to their engineering applications across civil, mechanical, chemical, biomedical, and electrical contexts.
• Identify gaps in prerequisite mathematics or statistics and strengthen them efficiently, without derailing the pace of the course.
• Support preparation for homework, midterms, and the cumulative final exam.
• Coordinate directly with the student on scheduling, priorities, and where sessions should focus next.
• Adjust session frequency as the semester progresses, adding support around assessments when it is needed.

Benefits

• $60–$100/hour, commensurate with experience, credentials, and depth of subject-matter expertise
• Competitive compensation, with opportunities for rate increases based on experience, performance, and continued work with Thrive
• Consistent recurring weekly schedule through the fall semester
• Opportunities for additional placements with Thrive based on availability and fit

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level