University of Waterloo

Laboratory Instructor, Hardware Specialist

University of Waterloo$78K — $98K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical or Computer Engineering; MASc or industrial experience preferred
  • 5+ years of managing lab operations
  • Experience with measurement instruments in specialization area
  • Familiarity with hardware design procedures and related software
  • Prior teaching experience is highly desirable

Responsibilities

  • Prepare and teach assigned undergraduate lab courses
  • Collaborate with faculty for lecture-lab synchronization
  • Monitor and assess student progress in labs
  • Supervise and train teaching assistants
  • Maintain lab equipment and ensure safe operations
  • Develop and evaluate lab experiments and materials
  • Participate in department planning and review sessions

Benefits

  • Support for career advancement
  • Opportunity to work in a diverse and inclusive environment
  • Empowerment to bring ideas to life
  • Commitment to employee accessibility and support programs
  • Focus on reconciliation and equity in the workplace
Full Job Description
Job Requisition ID:


Time Type:
Full time

Employee Group:
Staff

Job Category:
Academic Delivery Support

Employment Type:
Permanent

Department:
Faculty of Engineering - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Lab Instruction II

Hiring Range:
$78,959.38 - $98,699.22

Posting Information:This posting is for an existing vacancy.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Internal deadline has passed.

The internal posting deadline for this position is Friday, March 27, 2026, at 11:59 pm.

This is a Career Path position. The final level will be determined based on demonstrated skills and experience.

Anticipated hiring ranges:

USG 8: $70,685-$ 88,357
USG 9: $ 76,958- $ 96,198

USG 10: $83,801- $104,751

USG 11: $91,499-$114,374

USG 12: $99,768-$124,710

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) undergraduate curriculum has two core programs and four interdisciplinary programs. Reporting to the Lab Director, Teaching (Lab Director) and to the theme area Supervisor/Laboratory Instructor (Supervisor), the Laboratory Instructor/Hardware Specialist (Lab Instructor) enhances student success through a positive learning environment and teaches undergraduate (undergrad) laboratory (lab) courses within the established scope and guidelines of the professional degree program.

These positions are responsible for laboratory course delivery and other academic responsibilities, and the technical operation and maintenance of the ECE undergraduate laboratory facilities in support of assigned lab courses. The Lab Instructor collaborates with course faculty for lecture-laboratory synchronization and works in conjunction with faculty members on lab content and development and design of any new experiments to be introduced into the undergraduate laboratory.

Key Accountabilities

Instruction of Students and Assessment of their Academic Performance
• Prepares and teaches assigned undergrad lab courses.
• Collaborates with faculty course instructors for lecture-laboratory synchronization.
• Monitors students' laboratory progress by assessing reports and lab assignments in the technical and theoretical aspects of the subject matter.
• Ensures academic integrity is maintained in the laboratories.
• Marks student work term reports.
• Assists students on an individual or group basis with lab and related assignments/problems.
• Evaluates student technical presentations and symposium poster marking.
• Supervises/consults/advises/marks fourth year student design projects.
• Develops experiments and writes laboratory materials/manuals in conjunction with faculty.
• Recommends and/or makes necessary changes in materials, techniques or procedures to optimize the value of the lab exercise.
• Plans new labs, conducts and evaluates prototype labs.
• Keeps course content and resources current.

Supervises Teaching Assistants who Oversee Students performing the Experiments and Exercises
• Ensures the effective utilization and development of TAs who assist with undergrad laboratories from term-to-term on a changing basis.
• Directs laboratory TAs through the academic term cycle: assigning duties, coordinating their laboratory activities, etc.
• Provides new teaching assistants with training in lab equipment procedures and/or theory, and instruction on experiments and design exercises before each term's laboratory sessions begin.
• Participates in TA interviewing, ranking, and rating their performance.
• Mentors new or sessional staff in area of expertise.
• Trains other Laboratory Instructors in the use of specialized hardware or software, as required.

Lab Maintenance
• Monitors and updates the laboratory equipment inventory.
• Monitors performance to ensure adequate quality control and arranges maintenance of technical equipment.
• Oversees teaching inventory, researches and recommends purchases.
• Maintains the technical and safe operation of the assigned laboratories.
• Recommends and implements approved upgrades and improvements to lab facilities and practices.

Other Duties
• Attend lab planning and review sessions.
• Participate in class prof/student rep meetings.
• Trains for other specializations as required by the department.
• Assist with other duties or special projects which may be assigned by the Lab Director or Supervisor.

Required Qualifications

Education
• Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering, or equivalent combination of education and experience. MASc degree or relevant industrial experience is an asset.
• Area of specialization should encompass one of the following areas: communication systems, power systems, control systems and robotics; or digital hardware; or analog hardware, radio frequency, circuits, and systems.

Experience
• Five years of experience managing lab operations.
• Experience in working with different measurement instruments in the area of specialization is required.
• Experience with hardware design procedures and software packages related to the area of specialization.
• Experience in running labs, troubleshooting electrical circuits; software; and equipment, giving tutorials/lectures and demonstrations, writing and updating lab manuals, developing new labs, marking reports, and evaluating technical presentations is strongly preferred.
• Experience monitoring and enforcing safety in labs or a similar environment is a strong asset.
• Experience in purchasing hardware and software in the area of specialization is an asset.
• Previous teaching experience is highly desirable.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Knowledge of computer interfacing with measurements instrumentation is required.
• Proven aptitude for teaching and a demonstrated interest in working with undergraduate students.
• Well-developed interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain procedures for ensuring safety of students and staff in the lab.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills are essential.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team within a busy and dynamic environment.
• Approachability, consistency, and the ability to motivate and earn students' trust.
• Self-motivation in taking initiatives to improve the quality of labs, teaching, and working environment is required.
• Demonstrated ability to specify, evaluate, install, test and service the required hardware for labs is required.
• Willingness to train for other specializations as required by the department.
• Broad knowledge of current computer hardware and software applications used in an undergraduate computer or electrical engineering environment.
• Intermediate proficiency with Databases.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Intermediate proficiency with SharePoint, FileMakerPro, or Oracle.

About University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on 404 hectares of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates three satellite campuses and four affiliated university colleges. The university offers academic programs administered by six faculties and thirteen faculty-based schools. Waterloo operates the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, with over 20,000 undergraduate students enrolled in the university's co-op program. Waterloo is a member of the U15, a group of research-intensive universities in Canada. The institution originates from the Waterloo College Associate Faculties, established on 4 April 1956; a semi-autonomous entity of Waterloo College, which was an affiliate of the University of Western Ontario. This entity formally separated from Waterloo College and was incorporated as a university with the passage of the University of Waterloo Act by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1959. It was established to fill the need to train engineers and technicians for Canada's growing postwar economy. It grew substantially over the next decade, adding a faculty of arts in 1960, and the College of Optometry of Ontario, which moved from Toronto in 1967. The university is a co-educational institution, with approximately 36,000 undergraduate and 6,200 postgraduate students enrolled there in 2020. Alumni and former students of the university can be found across Canada and in over 150 countries; with a number of award winners, government officials, and business leaders having been associated with Waterloo. Waterloo's varsity teams, known as the Waterloo Warriors, compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the U Sports.
Learn more about University of Waterloo

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