Research Engineer Senior

Position Overview

The Senior Electronics Design Engineer (SEDE) is leader of the design and development team of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory (IDL) at the University of Kansas. The mission of the IDL is to design and develop custom instruments and laboratory computing systems for research groups in the natural sciences and engineering and has supported the KU Research Mission for more than thirty years.

The SEDE independently applies advanced knowledge of scientific research and engineering principles and practices to create and maintain hardware‑software solutions that support research and instruction at KU. A wide application of methods and concepts from multiple disciplines is required to provide solutions to a wide range of difficult problems.

The SEDE makes decisions independently on technical problems and methods and devises new approaches to complex problems encountered and ensures that improvements and/or changes are implemented. The DSEDE will act as a technical lead or consultant on various projects while working closely with KU faculty and students. Creativity, foresight and mature judgment are needed.

The SEDE will participate in the joint design, development, and deployment of instrumentation for international collaborations. Opportunities to teach university courses and/or workshops may arise.

The SEDE supervises staff and student employees and collaborates with faculty and students. The SEDE manages all budget‑related aspects of the lab.

20% – Project, System and Circuit Design
:
Develop overall system design for state‑of‑the‑art instrumentation in consultation with faculty and students for whom the instrument is being developed, together with other professional members of the IDL.

20% – Oversight of Laboratory Operations

• Supervise IDL personnel
• Schedule and maintain records of lab projects
• Provide appropriate billing information for generation of monthly invoices and budget control
• Work with Physics & Astronomy and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences on evaluation of the rate structure
• Prepare quarterly reports for Physics & Astronomy
• Prepare an annual report for Physics & Astronomy and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

20% – Project Implementation

• Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design:
  Designs and lays out the PCBs or supervises other staff members doing so using advanced concepts of layout design
• Low‑level Programming:
  Develops drivers for hardware devices. Develops efficient Field‑Programmable Gate Array code. Requires a very good understanding of C, assembly languages, and Hardware Description Languages as well as an understanding of the FPGA architecture.
• User experience design and implementation.

15% – Exploration
:
Monitor and test new technologies for future projects.

15% – Multi‑institutional Project Development
:
Participates in multi‑institutional planning. Travel for development and for deployment (for example, to other institutions, other labs, CERN, and the South Pole) is necessary.

10% – Other
:
Duties as required for the mission of the Instrumentation Design Laboratory. Examples include working with and mentoring students and developing relationships with potential customers inside and outside KU.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position.