Electronics technologist

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Job Summary

1. Give a short summary of the duties and responsibilities of your job.

This position encompasses duties in three distinct areas of the department: the classroom area the undergraduate teaching laboratories and the upper year project area.

The incumbent acquires maintains and ensures the functionality of all of the equipment some of which is complex used in demonstrations during Physics labs. This includes making repairs and calibrating equipment for experiments and ensuring that the equipment is distributed to the appropriate lab.
The incumbent also sets up maintains repairs and calibrates all of the equipment used for Physics lab demonstrations. When required the incumbent designs and fabricates new equipment for demonstrations and/or experiments and provides instruction on how to use the new equipment.
Incumbent maintains computers used in the laboratory and makes hardware repairs/replacements and software upgrades as required
In collaboration with the teaching staff the incumbent will modify and construct equipment as necessary particularly as it relates to the undergraduate Engineering labs. For example building special apparatus to demonstrate a physics concept such as using a domino setup to trigger various mechanical arms that in turn initiate various actions. This could also include designing a special rigging system to accommodate weights and counter weight building unique enclosures for the use and testing of lasers modifying computer circuit boards to allow the use of ancillary instruments etc.
The incumbent assists students in the 2nd and 3rd year engineering courses with design projects when requested. For example the incumbent works on CAD diagrams to design a piece of equipment for use in a project reviews design layouts and makes suggestions for how to implement a conceptual idea into a functional/working model. The incumbent also advises students on how to model and build instrumentation that illustrates Physics principles such as building a circuit board to produce musical tones for string instruments based on the signal strength using a lawnmower engine to build a hovercraft building a guidance system for selfdriven robot etc.
The incumbent develops and maintains a detailed equipment inventory of all demonstration and experimental equipment ensuring that all equipment supplies and procedures meet the required safety standards. The physics equipment is extremely varied and involves every aspect of physics (e.g. electronic optical mechanical radioactive and magnetic) and includes the associated counters amplifiers power supplies oscilloscopes and computerized equipment.
The incumbent creates timetables to indicate what is occurring in each laboratory and lecture space every period throughout the week.

Job Description

2. To fulfil your duties what knowledge skills and specialized techniques are required How would each be normally acquired How long would it take to become proficient in each of the areas of your work

Community college training in electronic engineering technology complemented with a high degree of mechanical and instrumentation aptitude is essential. This position requires a minimum of a 3 year Electrical Engineering program from community college with a high level of electronics and computer knowledge or the equivalent training plus experience.

This position requires a minimum of three years experience to be proficient. The knowledge and skills required for this position can only remain current (especially in the computing area) by taking additional courses or selfstudy.

The following skills and abilities are required:
Build and troubleshoot generalpurpose analogue and digital circuits.
Remain current in Physics instrumentation in a challenging environment where demonstrations change on a regular basis. Under the direction of faculty the incumbent may need to acquire apparatus in a short time frame to meet expectations.
Stay abreast of current developments in computing hardware and software
Familiarity with Arduinos (opensource electronics platform)
Troubleshoot unusual problems.
Design new lab experiments and lecture demonstrations.
Demonstrate appropriate techniques to fabricate and repair demonstration and experimental equipment.
Strong organizational skills so that several undergraduate lab experiments and lecture demonstrations can proceed effectively and simultaneously.
Excellent communication skills so that the competing needs of instructors can be accommodated smoothly.
A high level of energy and focus to carry out greatly varied tasks in widely different parts of the building and in a challenging environment.


3. Is it necessary in this position to oversee the work or to instruct other staff If so what does this involve

The incumbent instructs lab demonstrators students external users and faculty in the proper use of all of equipment focusing on safety and using the equipment effectively. The incumbent oversees the initial operation of all equipment used by external individuals at conferences and some demonstrators.

4. What other people must you deal with in this job and why (i.e. is there direct contact with students teaching staff other departments and people outside the university community).

The incumbent deals with course instructors and the students who utilize the classrooms labs lecture theatres and equipment within the department. Faculty staff lab demonstrators visiting speakers other technicians and undergraduate/graduate students all make demands of the incumbents time for reasons of direction and/or use of tools equipment and audiovisual facilities. The incumbent also consults with and advises secondyear and thirdyear Engineering undergraduate students in design and/or instrumentation course work as needed. Provides backup to the upperyear technician in the event of his absence.


5. How is your work assigned to you and how closely is your work checked by someone else

Requests for laboratory experiments and demonstrations audiovisual setups and other equipment come directly from the faculty or teaching staff individually. The incumbent takes responsibility and initiative for the operation and monitoring of the laboratories teaching areas and the equipment assigned with little daytoday supervision required. The successful operation of these areas is the primary check of completed work.

The incumbent reports to the Department Manager on matters of attendance workload and review of performance. The Department Manager may occasionally assign duties to the incumbent that are not related to the demonstration core or teaching laboratories.

6. a) Are the sorts of problems encountered in this job usually covered by established procedures or do you frequently have to develop or invent solutions to problems yourself.

Most problems are due to an equipment breakdown resulting from heavy use and/or misuse. Quick solutions are required by either repairing or replacing the equipment. While some problems are routine unexpected ones require ingenuity in the type of repair and resourcefulness in finding substitutions and solutions. Consultation with the Department Manager may also be required in the event of difficult issues.


b) Are you involved in establishing standard procedures (Give examples)

The incumbent develops and maintains standard procedures for identifying storing and distributing equipment particularly as it relates to the undergraduate Engineering labs. Some of this equipment is shared among several laboratories (for example within Arts and Science) and may be switched from one location to the next. In some instances the incumbent must coordinate with the instructors and revise the lab schedule accordingly.

7. a) What is the size of your department (i.e. #of classes for which you are involved with labs# of students# of staff you might come in contact with# of technicians in department).

The Physics department size is as follows:

Faculty40
Adjunct professors3
Graduate students113
Admin staff7
Technicians6
Department Manager1
Research staff25
Associates2
Emeritus Professors12
Firstyear students1600
Secondyear students400
Thirdyear students250
Fourthyear students110
Laboratories17
Classrooms11

b) What kind of equipment or material are you responsible for Are you solely responsible for it and what is its approximate value

The equipment associated with this position involves the optics mechanics electronics equipment involved in all areas of physics used for both teaching and sometimes research purposes.
It should be noted that most of this equipment is very specialized and/or unique to the physics department.
The replacement value (combining the laboratory and demonstration area) of equipment would be no less than $1000000.

8. Give details of any unusual factors affecting this job i.e. hazards unusual working conditions requirement for a high degree of manual dexterity etc.

There are a number of hazards: electrical shock due to high voltages eye damage from lasers possible exposure to radioactivity and chemical or thermal burns.
The incumbent is exposed to the normal workshop hazards of saws grinders rotating machinery lathes and computerized mills.
The classrooms labs and teaching demonstration areas of the department have few or no windows and very limited air circulation (at most times it is nonoperational).
Occasionally the incumbent must repair or operate equipment in the labs with as many as
60 students looking on.
Effective communication with instructors can sometimes be extremely challenging.

9. Do you have any general comments about this position which may not be covered by the preceding questions

This position in Physics is unique. The incumbents duties are widespread throughout the department and the timing of these operations are precise so they must be executed accurately efficiently and within allotted time.

During holidays or the absence of the second and thirdyear labs technician for the undergraduate Arts and Science program the incumbent is solely responsible for those labs and must also carry out the regular duties assigned.

The incumbent also provides backup to the upperyear technician in the event of holidays and absence.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queens is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women visible minorities Aboriginal Peoples persons with disabilities and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code including those with disabilities. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at .