RESEARCH & DEV ENGINEER I

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Pratt School of Engineering

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is one of the fastest-rising, highly-ranked engineering schools in the nation. The school consists of four departments with 130 tenure-track faculty members, 1250 undergraduate students, 1400 master’s students, and 600 PhD students. Housed within a university renowned for its programs in the liberal arts, medicine, business and law, Pratt prepares future engineering leaders to address complex challenges with solutions that take into account the complexities and nuances of implementing them. Pratt takes a whole-student approach to education, ensuring students are well-supported throughout their journeys and graduate with the grit and determination required to persevere in their careers and their lives. Pratt is dedicated to the values of diversity, equitability, inclusivity and community in its pursuit of knowledge and service to society.

Occupational Summary

 
Provide basic professional engineering services by performing a variety of technical duties involved in planning, design, construction, alteration and testing related to electrical, electronic, and/or mechanical engineering fields according to established procedures or instructions in support of research and engineering education activities. Supervise, assist, and ensure safety of student engineering project groups in fabrication areas. Manage, operate, and maintain specialized equipment. Train others on proper use of machinery and software; develop and implement inventory and scheduling systems.
 
 

Work Performed

 
Perform basic professional engineering duties according to established procedures or instructions to design, develop, construct, and test specialized instruments, equipment, apparatus and systems for the development of engineering projects, the solution of engineering problems, and other teaching and development activities. Provide backup and primary teaching laboratory administration services as needed across the MEMS curriculum. Assist in design and build projects to implement faculty vision for laboratory experimentation to support and show application of theoretical concepts taught in the classroom.
  
Provide engineering assistance, instruction, and consultation to faculty, student researchers and project teams, and to staff members for resolution of special problems; demonstrate techniques for operating specialized equipment. Provide electronic and computer support for interfacing analog experiments with digital computers; integrate analog and digital hardware and sensors with computer software in system development.  Support safety and efficacy of laboratory space for all courses and projects involved at the undergraduate and masters levels. 
 
Provide guidance for students in additive manufacturing/ 3D printing techniques and manage use of several varieties of related prototyping machines including power tools, hand tools, and machine shop equipment
 
Learn, modify, support and improve departmental packages for programming, Data Acquisition, CAD/CAM, and sensor and control hardware. Establish expertise in LabVIEW and Python. Assist and instruct students and researchers in related projects in software and hardware integration needs and interfacing analog experiments with digital computers and micro controllers. Work with and train student assistants and staff colleagues in associated technical support tasks. Collect information and data through observation, experimentation, and various other methods for the purposes of improving teaching modules and maintaining MEMS Department’s technical relevance of instruction. Write and maintain technical files, instructional details, and manuals of information.
 
Recommend and procure electrical, mechanical, video and optical equipment and software appropriate for laboratory or project needs; maintain records of expenditures.
  
Perform routine maintenance on components, apparatus and systems; troubleshoot problems and perform repair work as needed.
 
Manage and run laboratory spaces for core engineering courses in Controls and Mechatronics, includes identifying, specifying, and procuring laboratory supplies, components, machinery, and consumables as needed.  Provide similar support for other courses including Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Fluid Mechanics, Dynamics, Materials, and Mechanical Design.
 
Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. Provide engineering support as needed in design and build projects for departmental research and teaching needs.
 
 

Minimum Qualifications
 
 

Education
Work requires a thorough knowledge of the principles of engineering and related natural sciences acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree program in Engineering or a related natural science such as Physics. Due to professional exemption, equivalent experience cannot be substituted for bachelor's degree.

Experience
None required. Teaching assistant experience a plus, also a proficiency demonstrated in effective completion of design and build engineering projects during education, employment, or personal experiences will be considered.

Position Details

This entry level position is primarily in person and onsite at Duke University.  The Research and Development Engineer I is a salary position with an expected compensation in the range of $53,000-$56,000 yearly.  
 

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.