Instructional Assistant (III)
ENG PHYS, Faculty of Engineering
(JD1664)
Engineering a Brighter Future
https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/about-us/strategic-plan/
About the Faculty
Ranked among the top engineering schools in Canada and worldwide, the Faculty of Engineering is on a mission to empower agile and globally conscious leaders in engineering who collaborate to create a brighter future. The faculty is at the forefront of transforming engineering education, transitioning from traditional lecture methods to a project-based, hands-on learning approach. Our graduates emerge as resilient professionals, armed with invaluable skills and experiences from Ontario's second-largest co-op program, unparalleled research opportunities the most extensive offered by any Canadian engineering program and a multitude of clubs, teams, and projects.
About the Department
The Department of Engineering Physics operates teaching labs in electronics, photonics, nuclear instrumentation, fluidics, semiconductor device fabrication, and a final-year capstone project. Over time, the successful candidate may support one or more of these areas.
About the Position
Do you have a passion for teaching in a digital environment or facilitating hands-on activities with a technical focus? Are you looking to join a team of facilitators who teach and inspire through engaging, fun learning experiences?
The Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University is seeking an Instructional Assistant (II) with experience in optics/photonics and semiconductor device fabrication. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the technical needs of several undergraduate design courses and serving as an important resource for students.
This role requires a strong commitment to health and safety, including the ability to identify risks and take corrective action to prevent hazardous situations. The Instructional Assistant will also provide leadership and guidance to Teaching Assistants (TAs) within laboratory settings.
Job Summary
Responsible for providing pedagogical and technical support to instructors, teaching assistants and students. Designs and modifies laboratory experiments, tutorial sessions, and lesson plans in accordance with the curriculum priorities of the instructor within an academic unit, department, or faculty. Forecasts operating budgets for lab and tutorial courses. Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to nine (9) Teaching Assistants.
Representative Duties & Responsibilities
- Design, adapt, and modify laboratory experiments and tutorial sessions.
- Modify and adapt test procedures and equipment to meet specialized requirements.
- Forecast budgets and proposed expenditures for new program proposals, and for operating lab and tutorial courses.
- Write and design lesson plans in accordance with the curriculum priorities of the instructor.
- Provide formal supervision to TAs and other part-time staff.
- Communicate curriculum to TAs that is to be covered in tutorial sessions.
- Review current educational research literature to ensure curriculum follows best practices in teaching, education and learning.
- Organize and coordinate teaching laboratories, computer-based instruction, and tutorial classes accordingly.
- Introduce and demonstrate labs or tutorial sessions to students.
- Tutor students in programs and assist students with lab work.
- Train others on proper lab techniques, operating laboratory equipment, and on running efficient and effective tutorial sessions.
- Compose test questions and assignments and prepare solution sheets for review by others.
- Assist staff with the preparation and set up of equipment and supplies for laboratories and tutorial sessions.
- Organize and monitor the on-line learning environment for courses in an academic unit, department, or faculty by ensuring that the appropriate course content information is made available to students.
- Write a variety of documents such as procedure manuals, correspondence, and reports.
- Prepare a variety of lecture materials including presentation slides and handouts.
- Provide guidance, advice, and solutions to TAs when resolving student inquiries.
- Provide TAs with appropriate teaching material as specified by the instructor.
- Ensure accurate grading of assignments is completed by TAs and report discrepancies to the instructor.
- Correspond and meet with students to address concerns related to the course including, but not limited to, the resolution of contested grades.
- Liaise with instructors, TAs, and students to ensure information within the academic unit is understood by all parties.
- Exchange technical and scientific information amongst colleagues.
- Operate, adjust, and maintain a variety of equipment and instruments.
- Troubleshoot equipment and perform minor repairs. Ensure major repair requests are escalated to the appropriate area.
- Assign tutorials to TAs and arrange TA office hours.
- Section classes at the beginning of the year, dealing with all scheduling changes, room reservations, and scheduling conflicts.
- Assess the need for laboratory equipment and provide recommendations for the acquisition of materials and equipment.
- Calibrate laboratory equipment according to established calibration standards.
- Collect, track, and safeguard student marks and tests.
- Calculate student marks and submit final grades to appropriate areas.
- Input, maintain, and verify information in a variety of databases and spreadsheets.
- Pipette a variety of reagents and media.
- Prepare chemical reagents and biomedical media according to formulae and assume responsibility for accuracy in the preparation and standardization of solutions.
- Ensure that all laboratory waste is disposed of according to established policies and procedures.
Supervision
- Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.
Qualifications
- Master's degree in a relevant field of study.
- Requires 3 years of relevant experience.
Assets
- 3 years of prior experience as an Instructional Assistant is considered a strong asset.
Additional Information
This position of Instructional Assistant (III) requires an individual capable of handling a diverse workload in a busy environment. The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, tactful, resourceful, highly organized, and motivated with proven interpersonal skills.
The successful candidate must have and demonstrate:
- Strong communication (verbal and written) and presentation skills
- Excellent time management and organization skills
- Effective conflict resolution and analytical skills
- Leadership and project management skills across diverse roles or initiatives
- A strong track record of mentoring, coaching, and supporting team growth
- Ability to lead and adapt the implementation of new or enhanced workflows
- Ability to meet multiple concurrent deadlines, and work well under pressure
- Ability to perform equally well individually and as part of a team
- A high degree of professionalism, integrity, and handle confidential information
The successful candidate must also have prior experience in the following areas:
- Troubleshooting laboratory equipment and tracking inventory of materials
- Computer applications, including Mosaic (PeopleSoft) and Office 365 (SharePoint, Forms, OneDrive, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook)
- Lesson planning, curriculum design, and effective content delivery to students
- Supporting and guiding students in a dynamic and hands-on technical environment
Flexibility is required to work occasional evenings and weekends to meet the demands of the position. This is a primarily on-campus, student-facing role, and regular in-person presence is expected. Limited flexibility for occasional remote work may be available, subject to operational needs.
