Engineer IV - Manager for Design & Fabrication Services; DFS

Overview

Salary Range: $165,000-$180,000

Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role.

Job Description Summary UCAR is seeking an Engineer IV and Manager to lead the Design and Fabrication Services (DFS) group. This role blends advanced mechanical engineering expertise with organizational leadership to ensure technical excellence, operational effectiveness, and long-term strategic direction of DFS.

Visa Sponsored Job: No

Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes

Job Location: Boulder, Colorado

Position Type: Full time, Regular

Compensation Range: Salary Range: $165,000-$180,000. Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role.

• Lead and manage the DFS group, including engineering and fabrication staff.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for mechanical engineering and fabrication support across NSF NCAR.
• Provide technical oversight and engineering guidance for complex mechanical design and fabrication efforts.
• Guide project planning, execution, risk management, and prioritization across multiple concurrent efforts.
• Support proposal development, budgeting, and long-range planning efforts for DFS resources and capabilities.
• Foster staff development through mentoring, feedback, and training while maintaining realistic schedules and costs.

Here is a brief summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Education and Experience (Required):

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with at least nine (9) years of relevant engineering experience; or
• Master’s degree in Engineering with at least seven (7) years of experience; or
• PhD degree in Engineering with at least five (5) years of experience; or
• An equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience should include leading complex engineering projects from concept through fabrication, and providing technical direction or supervision for engineering teams.

Desired but not required:

• Experience securing funding through proposal development or grant writing.

• Leadership, decision making and problem solving: demonstrated success leading mechanical engineering projects from concept through fabrication.
• Apply engineering principles, judgment, creativity, and technical depth to solve complex mechanical challenges.
• Evaluate risks and tradeoffs to balance scientific need, technical feasibility, cost, schedule, and long-term benefit.
• Define scope, priorities, and technical approaches while managing multiple concurrent efforts.
• Ensure integrity of design decisions considering technical, economic, and organizational impacts.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to support staff development and production schedules.
• Strategic judgment on when to innovate or standardize; influence project scope or approach.
• Identify emerging technologies, tools, and processes for long-term capability planning.

• Leadership and Management: Proven ability to provide steady leadership, clear communication, and sound decision-making.
• Technical leadership for the full mechanical design lifecycle; collaborate with scientists, engineers, technicians, and manufacturing staff to maintain standards and documentation.
• Experience managing multiple projects with established project management tools and methods.
• Ability to communicate technical information to diverse audiences.
• Budget administration, resource allocation, and schedule management.
• Supervise mechanical design engineering and fabrication activities from design through fabrication.
• Experience as principal investigator or technical lead with responsibility for scope, budget, and delivery.
• Commitment to a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive work environment.

• Generate and review mechanical drawings and documentation with GD&T.
• Solid modeling and design proficiency (Solid Works preferred); assemblies, weldments, sheet metal.
• Knowledge of materials, finishes, and components for scientific instrumentation.
• Electronics packaging integration, grounding strategies, and EMI mitigation.
• FEA experience with proper meshing and interpretation of results.
• Str…