Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop Technician

Job title: Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop Technician

About the Role

Join Villanova University's Mechanical Engineering Lab as a hands-on role supporting students in developing high-quality prototypes and precision parts. You will collaborate with the engineering R&D team to design and fabricate parts using multiple materials and supervise shop activities to ensure safety and order.

What You'll Do

• Assist students of all levels with the full cycle of manufacturing high-quality prototypes and precision parts.
• Collaborate with the engineering research and development team to design and fabricate prototypes and precision parts from titanium, stainless steel, low-carbon steel, aluminum, and other materials as needed.
• Provide guidance to users and supervise activities in the ME Machine Shop; maintain order and appearance of the shop.
• Maintain ME Machine Shop equipment, tools, and consumables; perform regular inspections and upkeep.
• Teach and supervise students in the ME Machine Shop; complete shop training for new users; report to the ME Shop Manager.
• Perform machining operations to extremely close tolerances using lathes, milling machines, grinders, drill presses, and other shop equipment with minimum supervision.
• Read drawings, prints, rough sketches, and verbal instructions to fabricate parts from steel, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, and other materials.
• Set up, adjust, and operate CNC machinery and use software to generate tool paths for multi-axis fabrication; obtain certificate on onboarding.
• Design, develop, and construct tools, jigs, fixtures, and special gauges for standard and experimental parts.
• Plan and perform machine tool and bench operations with unusual and difficult set-ups and machining methods.
• Visualize finished jobs, perform calculations, and determine allowances for deflection and distortion.
• Perform highly-skilled fitting and assembly operations to extremely close tolerances.
• Work closely with engineers on new, unusual, or untried designs and methods; handle minimal design information.
• Inspect own work, detect errors in drawings and operations, identify defects, and report to the shop supervisor.
• Perform and execute welding using oxygen, acetylene, electric, TIG, MIG, etc.; operate a plasma cutter; set and weld intricate parts to exact specifications.
• Conduct finishing operations such as grinding, buffing, polishing, hardening, and coating.
• Receive shipments and move equipment to desired locations.
• Follow responsibilities as directed by the Mechanical Engineering Lab Manager.

What We're Looking For

• Proficiency in machining operations with lathes, milling machines, grinders, and drill presses; ability to operate with extremely close tolerances.
• Experience setting up and programming CNC machines; ability to generate tool paths in multiple axes; CNC certificate required on onboarding.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, prints, rough sketches, and verbal instructions.
• Experience designing and constructing tools, jigs, fixtures, and gauges for fabrication.
• Welding experience across processes (oxy-acetylene, TIG, MIG) and plasma cutting.
• Knowledge of finishing operations (grinding, buffing, polishing, hardening, coating).
• Strong planning skills for unusual or difficult set-ups and machining methods.
• Ability to collaborate with engineers to develop new designs from minimal information.
• Experience teaching or supervising students and maintaining a safe, orderly shop.
• Flexibility to receive shipments and move equipment as needed.
• Materials handling knowledge: titanium, stainless steel, low-carbon steel, aluminum.

Nice to Have

• None specified.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary and benefits are not disclosed in the posting.