Instructor, Engineering Capstone Design Program (Part-Time) (Multiple Positions)

The University of Arizona • Tucson, AZ

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program in the College of Engineering is hiring instructors to teach Cross-disciplinary Design (ENGR 498A & B), a two-semester, college-wide capstone design course generally taken by graduating seniors from a variety of majors. Students work in interdisciplinary teams on primarily industry-sponsored, real-world design problems using industry-standard design processes. The course culminates in a public showcase event, Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Day, where judges review projects for grades and awards.

Instructors coordinate and mentor student teams, teach the design process, evaluate team progress, and serve as instructor of record for their assigned teams. Each instructor teaches a section involving six or more project teams, typically with five to seven students per team, over two consecutive semesters. Instructors are expected to autonomously keep teams and projects on track. The position is part-time, 10 hours per week, and does not offer benefits. Visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related discipline and five years of experience as an engineering professional in one or more industrial organizations; alternatively, a master’s degree in engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Availability to teach twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30–5:45 p.m. in both Spring and Fall semesters.

Nice To Haves

• Ten or more years of experience as an engineering professional in one or more industrial organizations.
• Experience with the structure and format of courses at the University of Arizona.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams in corporate settings.
• Extensive experience managing engineering projects in corporate settings.
• Experience with formal project management methods and metrics.
• Demonstrated good presentation and public-speaking skills.
• Professional Engineer certification.
• Experience working in industry on engineering-related projects.
• Demonstrated experience with engineering design techniques and topics through coursework or industry experience.
• Experience with conceptual designs and development of technical approaches.
• Experience with prototyping and building a variety of engineering products.
• Experience with industry safety standards and practices, including evaluating material safety and test-and-evaluation safety practices.
• Experience as an industry project manager or equivalent, with an emphasis on managing design projects.

Responsibilities

• Teach one section of ENGR 498, with six teams, in a variety of settings.
• Prepare and deliver instructional materials and guide or lead 90-minute breakout sessions with at least six teams twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30–5:45 p.m., during both Spring and Fall semesters.
• Deliver instructional materials related to the instructor’s areas of expertise; materials may include written content, videos, or other formats.
• Evaluate and grade design reports, design presentations, and engineering notebooks according to course requirements and individual project scopes.
• Collaborate with the course coordinator and other ENGR 498 instructors to support consistent evaluation and project synchronization.
• Provide professional and, where possible, technical instruction on design quality and project progress.
• Maintain an open communication channel with program sponsors and ensure teams provide regular status updates.
• Assist students’ professional development as they transition from academia into careers.
• Coordinate, mentor, instruct, and evaluate assigned student project teams over two consecutive semesters, keeping teams and projects on track.

What This Job Offers

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