APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications are due by February 25. The department has applied to the Canada Summer Jobs program, so applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents or refugees.
To apply, or for questions about the position, email Prof. Rob Knobel at knobel@queensu.ca
Brief description:
The Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy seeks a summer assistant to work to develop documents and procedures for technical education of undergraduate and graduate students. The department has a well-equipped machine shop for student work, as well as more recently added tools for 3D printing, water jet cutting and printed circuit board manufacturing. There are also expert technicians and machinists working in the department who can assist students to create devices and instruments for courses, projects and research. These tools are increasingly important for research and teaching, allowing rapid prototyping of devices without having professional machinists or electronics technicians working on projects.
However, documentation, instructions and videos are not readily available for students to learn how to use these tools. Typically, work is either done by technicians, or direct instruction is done by technicians. This creates a bottleneck – where student projects are slowed down when technicians are busy.
The Technical Instruction Assistant will work with the technical staff in the department, and supervised by Prof. Rob Knobel, to create new instructional documents, or curate already existing instructional documents, that will be shared widely so that students can more rapidly learn how to use these technical tools safely and effectively. The assistant will develop advanced skills in computer aided design (CAD), 3D printing, machining and other technical tools. They will also work on writing clear documentation, finding relevant instructions, and learning best practices from the technicians. Applicants should have a combination of interests in “makerspace” type technologies, in physics/engineering. We will look for good communication skills – the ability to learn, to teach, and to write good documentation.
The job is 16 weeks long during summer 2023. Salary is $17.17/hour for 35 hours/week.