Coordinator of Physics
University of California Santa Barbara
United States

Application Window

The Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for two positions of Academic Coordinator I (AC) for the 2023-24 academic year, with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and budget constraints.

Applications will be kept active for consideration until the position is filled. Upon starting the position, the successful candidate will be required to be physically present in the Santa Barbara area in order to commute regularly to campus.

The AC performs administrative functions for the UCSB Physics Department, serving as a key contact for Instructors of Record as well as undergraduate students, TAs, UCSB faculty, staff, and the off-campus community.

The UCSB Physics Instructional Lab Group (ILG) is looking to hire two resourceful Academic Coordinators I who will help them build and maintain lower- and upper-division instructional labs for UCSB undergraduate students. The AC will aid in the oversight, creation and maintenance of instructional lab activities for courses with ~400 students a quarter. The AC will work closely with staff, faculty, and other Academic Coordinators of ILG, the new hire will participate in an upbeat and inclusive culture while:

• Building, maintaining and prototyping new laboratory experiences at various levels of complexity, from simple pendulums to Mossbauer Spectroscopy.
• Managing equipment and stock room inventories in an orderly manner, including ordering parts and maintaining a budget.
• Managing and training graduate students on various equipment and procedures for a variety of lab courses.
• Being on call during instructional lab hours to help triage equipment issues and solve problems in real-time.
• Managing and training undergraduate student workers to perform useful tasks within the scope of your work.
• Handling the storage and retrieval of items and equipment during instructional lab flips.
• Completing occasional programming tasks to support educational functions, such as scripts to supplement some digital data acquisition sensors in senior labs. Design, document, and update instructional labs, lab equipment, and manuals.

Instructional Lab Group

The AC is a core member of the UCSB Physics Department’s Instructional Lab Group (ILG). The ILG is in charge of development, maintenance and administration of all undergraduate instructional laboratories and the associated coursework. AC responsibilities within the ILG include, but are not limited to, working both independently and also with other faculty & staff.

The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community.

Department: http://physics.ucsb.edu

At a minimum, applicants must be enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program in Physics or closely related field at the time of application.

Possess a Bachelor's degree in Physics or closely related field at the time of appointment.

• Masters degree in Physics or related technical degree, Bachelor's degree in Physics (or related) with experience teaching high school physics (single subject science teaching credential), or similar teaching experience.
• 1-2 years experience working in a laboratory environment involving optics, nuclear physics, AMO, electrical systems, chemistry or biophysics
• Ability to read and repair complex devices from circuit diagrams and user manuals.
• Experience troubleshooting complex electrical, mechanical, and optical devices
• Experience with equipment troubleshooting, circuit analysis, circuit design, and soldering.
• Comfortable with some programming and web development.
• Management experience.
• 1-2 years experience working in higher education.
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral skills.
• Machining experience.
• Experience with 3D printers or working in a makerspace.
• Adept with math and physics that may be encountered at the level of an undergraduate course
• Proficient with use of electrical test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and function generators.
• Willing to learn new technical skills and interested in playing a key role in higher education instructional course development.
• Proficiency with office software such as google sheets, documents, slides etc.

• 2-4 required (contact information only)

With the applicant's permission, the committee will contact the references listed in UCRecruit for top candidates.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.