Assistant Director - Mechanical Engineering

Assistant Director (5157C) - Mechanical Engineering #89261

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is a large academic department within the College of Engineering. Academic positions include around 38 tenure track faculty, 1 adjunct professor, 4 professors of the Graduate School, 6 Joint Professors and approximately 4 temporary instructors and, 100+ visiting scholars and post-doctoral fellows and 23 career staff.

The department serves approximately 380 graduate and 1,039 Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students, and approximately 220 Aerospace Engineering undergraduate students. The Aerospace Engineering program is a college-wide initiative currently housed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, sharing administrative services (including student services) with the Department.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is actively engaged in teaching and research in the disciplines of Biomechanical Engineering, Controls, Design, Dynamics, Energy Science and Technology, Fluids, Manufacturing Materials, Mechanics, MEMS and Nano, Ocean Engineering, Robotics, and Aerospace Engineering with research and instructional laboratories in Etcheverry Hall, Hesse Hall, and the Richmond Field Station.

The Departments mission is to provide high-quality instruction at all levels, prepare undergraduate and graduate students for leadership in the profession, perform high-impact research, and serve the campus, the State and the nation.

The Assistant Director, Mechanical Engineering provides advanced student advising and program administration across undergraduate and graduate programs administered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, including Aerospace Engineering (AE), as assigned based on departmental needs. This position also administers key instructional support processes and contributes to data-informed improvements in scheduling, enrollment, funding and student services operations.

The First Review Date for this job is:
October 16, 2026

For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Student Advising, Program Administration, and Policy - 30%

• Applies advanced student services concepts to provide academic and administrative guidance for undergraduate and graduate students across Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering (AE), addressing degree progress, enrollment, funding, petitions, and academic standing.
• Interprets and communicate complex University, College, Graduate Division, and departmental policies to students and staff, seamlessly referring individuals to central campus resources when matters exceed departmental scope.
• Navigates high-sensitivity issues, such as alleged discrimination, complex grade disputes, and personal crises, by directing them to appropriate channels and evaluating multi-departmental petition exceptions.
• Advises faculty and department leadership on complex student cases, policy compliance, and programmatic decisions.
• Identifies systemic student-service bottlenecks, recommend policy or workflow enhancements, and support the implementation of clear, equitable, and consistent departmental practices.
• Analyzes the operational impact of College and departmental academic policies, advising faculty and college management on policy formulation, clarification, and structural enhancements.
• Develop proactive solutions and policy recommendations to address complex, unprecedented organizational challenges.
• Plans and implements complex, high-visibility departmental events, such as student orientations, and professional development workshops, to support…