Technical Associate II

Technical Associate II

Technical Associate II, Biological Engineering (Griffith lab) and The SHED at MIT, to join the Hardware Innovation Team in a joint position supporting advanced fabrication, prototyping, and precision manufacturing efforts. Working closely with engineering collaborators, faculty, researchers, and technical staff, this individual will play a central role in the physical manufacturing, microscopic inspection, and high-tolerance optimization of next-generation hardware platforms.

Required:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related technical field; a minimum of four years of specialized laboratory or precision machine shop experience focused on high-tolerance hardware prototyping and manufacturing; hands-on experience with precision fabrication and prototyping methods; experience using CAD/CAM software such as SOLIDWORKS, Fusion 360, or Mastercam to design components and generate precise toolpaths;

experience sourcing specialized tools and materials from external vendors, managing inventory, and iterating on designs based on technical feedback; strong ability to maintain clear documentation, communicate technical information effectively, and work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred:
Demonstrated experience operating, maintaining, and training others on fabrication equipment such as mills, lathes, wire EDM, laser cutters, water jet systems, and 3D printer suites; experience with multiple additive manufacturing modalities, including SLA, extrusion, Poly Jet, metal printing, and biofabrication platforms; experience optimizing feed rates, spindle speeds, tool selection, and process parameters for precision fabrication; familiarity with micro-scale manufacturing methods, including CNC micromilling of plastics and related workflows;

experience supporting training, onboarding, or technical instruction for students, staff, or research personnel; familiarity with parametric design optimization and modeling of mechanical or thermal stresses in fabricated systems; or experience working in a university research environment or interdisciplinary hardware development setting.

This is a one-year position with the possibility of an extension, subject to funding availability.