Operations and Safety Coordinator, Robohub

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Job Requisition ID:

2025-00418

Time Type:

Part time

Employee Group:

Staff

Job Category:

Laboratory Support

Employment Type:

Temporary

Department:

Faculty of Engineering – Dean of Engineering Office – RoboHub

Hiring Range:

$76,958.46 – $96,198.07

Posting Information:

12 Months Term /22.5 hours a week

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The RoboHub Operations & Safety Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day operations and safety of both the people and equipment involved in RoboHub’s research, training, prototyping, and other activities. They will ensure the safe operation and routine maintenance of a variety of heavy machinery, advanced sensors, and modern robotic systems, facilitate, develop, and run training sessions on similar equipment, and maintain an ongoing record of users meeting (and, ideally, exceeding) health and safety requirements at the organizational, provincial, and federal levels. They are responsible for providing expert advice on executing complex research projects, ensuring health and safety compliance across the facility and fleet, developing and running training materials and workshops, and coordinating the customization of both RoboHub equipment and the main RoboHub showcase facility itself.

Key Accountabilities

Responsible for reliable and safe day-to-day RoboHub operations

• Produce and maintain an inventory of RoboHub resources (or oversee the same), including regular schedules for charging and examining the batteries used in various handheld and mobile systems
• Preparation of all required documentation to facilitate the procurement of new equipment
• Initiate or oversee regular lab maintenance and minor work requests
• Oversee the work of casual employees as needed (e.g., contractors, co-op students, etc.)
• Assist with the design of practical experiments and oversee their execution in the RoboHub facility
• Develop and implement best practices in the lab to maintain the overall cleanliness of the facilities

Providing expert advice on complex engineering solutions for industrial and research projects

• Offers problem-solving for design, machine, and material choices for manufacturing components
• Interpretation of drawings, blueprints, instruction and technical manuals, and software programming
• Act as a resource for problem-solving for the RoboHub team on academic and industrial projects
• Provides recommendations on acquisitions of equipment, tooling, supplies, and software for effective operation of the RoboHub. May include leading the acquisition process from concept to procurement

Monitor and enforce health and safety compliance in RoboHub and remote laboratory settings

• Create and maintain a database of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for tools, fixed and mobile robots, machinery, and heavy equipment included in the RoboHub facility and fleet
• Responsible for monthly laboratory and equipment safety inspections and reporting
• Manage the development and implementation of all safety policies and operational procedures
• Coordinate, provide, maintain, and verify up-to-date safety training for all users of the RoboHub
• Monitor student activity within the RoboHub facility to ensure health and safety practices are followed
• Issue and monitor notices on non-compliance, notifying supervisor of repeated deficient requests
• Ensure health and safety protocols, accident and incident protocols, equipment logbooks, and operational manuals are in place, accessible, followed by all users, and up to date

Development and delivery of training materials, online modules, and workshops

• Provide stakeholders with practical knowledge on the safe and correct operation of many varieties of robots, machinery, and tools, and in the reading of drawings, schematics, and blueprints
• Collaborate with faculty and other technical staff within and outside the RoboHub for scheduling, ensuring proper resources, and organizing RoboHub-hosted training workshops each term

Coordination of customization of both the RoboHub showcase facility and RoboHub equipment

• Adaptation and creation of prototypes for RoboHub-related projects in a broad range of materials
• Support the RoboHub team with long-term development projects, such as the MagLev system, including the design, modification, sourcing, and machining of custom components as required
• Develop an itemized list of desired and/or required modifications to the RoboHub showcase space, including construction defects, and work with plant operations to facilitate and oversee the same.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Minimum 3-year Diploma in a related field (Automation, Robotics, Machining, Mechatronics, Engineering Technology, etc.) or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Certifications (existing or to be completed within 6 months of hiring): First Aid (with CPR), Working at Heights / Aerial Work Platform training (including rescue of same), Overhead Crane training, Confined Space training (including rescue of same), and Transport Canada Drone Pilot license

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a related industrial, governmental, or academic setting
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with robotics, automation, or other advanced systems

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Familiarity with advanced manufacturing processes such as 3D metal printing, MIG/TIG/stick welding, CNC machining, plasma/waterjet/laser cutting a variety of materials (experience preferred)
• Excellent mathematical and modelling skills, along with experience applying them in prototyping
• Experience working at heights, using hoisting and rigging equipment, and flying drones preferred
• Valid driver’s license (minimum G) required, experience towing trailers with electric brakes preferred
• Although certification is not required, corollary knowledge of electronics, electrical systems, hydraulics, and pneumatics is preferred to ensure system-level understanding of robots & equipment
• Understanding of current health & safety and WHMIS requirements on campus is mandatory
• Demonstrated ability to interact well with a range of people, including students, faculty, and the public

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.

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