Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering Design

Te Kaupeka Pūhanga | Faculty of Engineering

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Full-time 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• Continuing (permanent) position
• Generous annual leave provisions and professional development opportunities

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do and Mōu | Who You Are

Applications are invited to join our dynamic and growing Mechanical Engineering Department in a continuing position at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Ideally the candidate will be at the Lecturer (equivalent to US Assistant Professor).

We are looking to appoint an academic to join our Design Group and contribute to the delivery and development of our design and manufacturing curriculum. We pride ourselves on our robust, hands-on design curriculum and offer a three-year sequence of courses on this topic. The successful applicant will bring enthusiasm for teaching and deliver core undergraduate courses in design and related topics.

The role involves:

1. Teaching undergraduate mechanical engineering design. Particular duties in the first instance are likely to be teaching design of machine elements (e.g. design of rotating shafts, power transmissions), static structural mechanics (e.g. beam cases, stress concentrations) and fatigue design. Please see our course ENME301 for the typical learning outcomes. At present our vacancy is in this course, but teaching duties are dynamic and we need someone with flexibility who can teach into other our design courses when necessary. In addition to design, there are likely to be other teaching duties in related areas; e.g. manufacturing engineering, or co-ordination of final year projects. It is not expected that the candidate will necessarily have first-hand industrial or teaching experience in all areas of the design curriculum, but they will have a demonstrated interest in design and a willingness to develop their skills in the areas required by the curriculum.
2. Supervision of undergraduate engineering final year projects, either a part-contribution by supervising a small number of teams, or as a wider contribution that could include managing the projects course as a whole. Please see our course ENME408 for the typical learning outcomes.
3. Research and supervision of postgraduate students. We are seeking candidates who are motivated to develop and maintain a vigorous research programme in their area(s) of expertise and who would relish collaboration with other researchers and industrial partners nationally and internationally. The University encourages interdisciplinary projects and our Department has strong links with industry, as well as academic groups in New Zealand and overseas to support the new appointee in growing strong and productive networks. Our laboratories are well equipped, and housed in a spacious, modern building. Internal funding supports the purchase of capital equipment for research.
4. Some departmental administrative responsibilities are expected of all our academic roles. These duties are allocated by the Head of Department.

We are looking for someone who has demonstrable interest and abilities in a mix of one or more of the following areas, but not necessarily all:

• Experience in tertiary teaching, such as development of teaching materials, lecture delivery, setting and marking assessments, design of course structure. We would particularly appreciate enthusiasm in the practical art of design and a hands-on design and build teaching strategy.
• Industry experience in design. Bringing real-world design considerations to our students is important to us, hence we appreciate industry experience. We are not particular about which field, so it could be product design, product innovation & entrepreneurship, machine design, structural design, finite element analysis, consulting engineering, etc.
• Skills in manufacturing engineering, production engineering, or industrial engineering. These skills might be practical experience or academic in nature. Design is closely related to manufacturing, and we wish our lecturers to be able to make the connection explicit for our students.
• Skills in areas complementary to design, where the candidate might make a supporting contribution to other courses and activities of the department. These could include e.g. creative design processes, practical implementation of finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, 3D printing (additive manufacturing), biomedical design & projects, design for sustainable development, aerospace design & projects, mechatronics, automotive racing car project, human powered vehicles, Warman student design competition, and industrial Internet of Things/Industry 4.0 - see our website for these and other activities of the department.
• Research ability in engineering design and/or industrial/manufacturing engineering. Some journal publications would be well regarded, as would a track record of supervision or external funding acquisition.
• Membership in a professional engineering organisation such as Engineering NZ with status as a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) or equivalent would be well regarded. The above list is not exhaustive, so please tell us how your background would enhance our design curriculum. We are hoping the candidate would be able to bring something new, preferably design related, to the capabilities of our department and to enrich the learning of our students.

A PhD degree or equivalent is required for this position. Applicants studying towards a PhD will also be considered. Applicants without a PhD, and extensive industry experience, would also be considered, and expected to commit to studying towards a PhD, upon appointment. Similarly, those without industry experience in design may be required to obtain that via work secondments concurrently with taking up the position.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

The role of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to remain at the forefront of research and technology and preserve our strong international reputation for high quality teaching. We aim to constantly develop our alumni and industry partnerships, to provide students with an education that is relevant to industry at the highest level, and to expand the scope of our research expertise by attracting and retaining highly-skilled academic and support staff.

The Mechanical Engineering undergraduate degree programme has grown significantly to ~160 new students per year, and the Mechatronics programme to ~130 per year.

For more information about the department and our team, please visit our website.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

We value manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha and these uara (values) guide our decisions and behaviour. Our values provide a roadmap for how we do things, affirming our commitment to the oranga (health, safety and wellbeing) of our students through mana-enhancing pastoral care and support. Ngā Uara challenge and inspire us to be the best we can be. They make UC a great place to work and study.For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

What we offer

The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• Relocation support
• Widely accessible sabbatical provision
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• University and Faculty scholarship support for graduate students
• A unique bequest funded endowment (Erskine fund) that supports an extensive visiting Fellowship programme
• Generous annual leave provisions
• Flexible working arrangements
• Supportive working environment
• Professional development and study opportunities
• Living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• A unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information on our Benefits, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus/benefits/

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Academic Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer $89,645 - $108,144 p.a.

The closing date for this position is: 2^nd October 2024 (midnight NZ time)

Please note applications will be reviewed after the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted online through our careers website and should include:

• A 'cover letter' including a 2-3 page statement outlining your research interests and goals, teaching philosophy, and your thoughts on how you would contribute to a successful Design program in the department.
• A 'resume' or CV which includes a list of relevant research publications.

We do not accept applications by email; however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process. Please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

For further information specifically about the role, please contact: digby.symons@canterbury.ac.nz

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.