Job Description

Overview

The Manager of Laboratory Facilities in the Department of Mechanical Engineering will manage, operate, and maintain fabrication-related and machine shop teaching and research laboratories and equipment. This role supports the manufacturing needs for courses and research projects while ensuring safety and compliance in the laboratory environment.

Responsibilities

  • Manage, operate, and maintain fabrication-related and machine shop laboratories and equipment.
  • Support instructional functions in mechanical engineering courses with manufacturing needs.
  • Assist faculty and students with research and design project needs.
  • Ensure compliance with safety regulations and facilitate a safe laboratory environment.
  • Perform preventive maintenance on equipment and troubleshoot issues.
  • Maintain clean and organized laboratory facilities and manage inventory.
  • Oversee Work Study students and Teaching Assistants in laboratory activities.
  • Represent the university within the engineering community and serve on committees.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's Degree in engineering technology or related field or two years of trade school/technical arts training.
  • Minimum three years of progressively responsible experience in operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment.
  • Familiarity with CNC machines, manual machine tools, welding, and forming tools.
  • Demonstrated skill in interacting effectively with a diverse student body and faculty.
  • Strong troubleshooting skills and understanding of technical drawings.
  • Competency in CAD software (SolidWorks) and CNC machine programming.
  • Ability to use precision measurement tools and a strong understanding of electronics and mechanics.
  • Basic computer skills including email, internet, and spreadsheets.

How this job compares in Los Angeles, CA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Los Angeles, CA currently run a median of $43/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $35–$64/hr across 53 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Los Angeles, CA

We're tracking 81 other active welding openings in Los Angeles, CA right now, from 51 different employers. 33 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 565 other active welding openings from 258 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Los Angeles, or widen the search to California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Relativity Space (21), and Honeywell Aerospace (17). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Long Beach at $49/hr, Santa Ana at $48/hr, and Los Angeles at $43/hr. Los Angeles is among them.

Similar openings near Los Angeles, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Manager of Laboratory Facilities – Mechanical Engineering figures were last recalculated when this page was built.