Technical Associate II

MIT•Cambridge, MA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The SHED at MIT is seeking a Technical Associate II in Biological Engineering to join the Hardware Innovation Team. This joint position will support advanced fabrication, prototyping, and precision manufacturing efforts. The role involves working closely with engineering collaborators, faculty, researchers, and technical staff to physically manufacture, microscopically inspect, and optimize next-generation hardware platforms with high tolerances.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
A minimum of four years of specialized laboratory or precision machine shop experience focused on high-tolerance hardware prototyping and manufacturing.
Hands-on experience with precision fabrication and prototyping methods.
Experience using CAD/CAM software such as SOLIDWORKS, Fusion 360, or Mastercam to design components and generate precise toolpaths.
Experience sourcing specialized tools and materials from external vendors, managing inventory, and iterating on designs based on technical feedback.
Strong ability to maintain clear documentation, communicate technical information effectively, and work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience operating, maintaining, and training others on fabrication equipment such as mills, lathes, wire EDM, laser cutters, water jet systems, and 3D printer suites.
Experience with multiple additive manufacturing modalities, including SLA, extrusion, PolyJet, metal printing, and biofabrication platforms.
Experience optimizing feed rates, spindle speeds, tool selection, and process parameters for precision fabrication.
Familiarity with micro-scale manufacturing methods, including CNC micromilling of plastics and related workflows.
Experience supporting training, onboarding, or technical instruction for students, staff, or research personnel.
Familiarity with parametric design optimization and modeling of mechanical or thermal stresses in fabricated systems.
Experience working in a university research environment or interdisciplinary hardware development setting.

Responsibilities

Physical manufacturing of next-generation hardware platforms.
Microscopic inspection of fabricated components.
High-tolerance optimization of hardware platforms.
Sourcing specialized tools and materials from external vendors.
Managing inventory.
Iterating on designs based on technical feedback.
Maintaining clear documentation.
Communicating technical information effectively.
Working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
Operating, maintaining, and training others on fabrication equipment (preferred).
Optimizing feed rates, spindle speeds, tool selection, and process parameters for precision fabrication (preferred).
Supporting training, onboarding, or technical instruction for students, staff, or research personnel (preferred).