What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, Labriola Innovation Hub position at Colorado School of Mines?
Job no: 496038
Work type: Administrative Faculty Full Time
Location: Golden, CO
Categories: Director/Executive/Management, Academic Affairs, Global Initiatives
Work type: Administrative Faculty Full Time
Location: Golden, CO
Categories: Director/Executive/Management, Academic Affairs, Global Initiatives
Position Title
Director, Labriola Innovation Hub
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Vice-Provost, the director of the Labriola Innovation Hub will provide programmatic
vision and oversee the operation of the Labriola Innovation Hub, an innovation-centric education,
collaboration, and fabrication facility serving students and the community. The Innovation Hub is set to
launch in July 2023, and the director will be responsible for launching the building and its associated
programs, including responsibility for build-out, equipment installation, establishing a safety management
plan, and operations, staffing, and scheduling of the facility. Once the facility is open, the director will
provide strategic leadership for the building and its programs, including project management and team
leadership, building operations, equipment maintenance, facility and user safety, collaboration with
academic programs (e.g., coordinating with the Cornerstone Design director to train and certify 1000
incoming students annually), events coordination and scheduling, and outreach (e.g., admissions tours,
alumni and external visitors, public events, and Mines’ VIPs).
The Labriola Innovation Hub is designed to be a dynamic, student-focused design, innovation, and maker
space facility. The building and the surrounding outdoor work areas include extensive high-end fabrication
equipment requiring expert oversight, repair, and maintenance. The director will be responsible for
verifying users are trained and qualified to safely and properly use the higher risk fabrication equipment.
The hub will include equipment spanning metal working, wood working, additive (3D) printing, largeformat
(2D) plotters, electronics, composites, project-build spaces, a software makerspace, and abundant
collaboration, breakout, and student workspaces. The Labriola Innovation Hub is not a professional
production facility but is instead an educational space intended to train students, student workers, and
faculty to safely and appropriately use the tools needed to design, refine, build, and test their innovation
concepts. The facility is intended to serve as a resource for the entire campus community, spanning
academic units and majors across the university. Facility users will have a wide range of skills and
experience, the director will ensure easy and clear information is available for facility users.
The building’s operations will be supported by an extensive network of student workers, including those
associated with the Mines Maker Club as well as professional staff. The director will be responsible for the
hiring and management of this staff to ensure the building is fully operational and dynamically utilized.
The staffing team will be responsible for ensuring: 1) all equipment is maintained and safely operational,
2) appropriate materials are available and appropriately utilized, 3) student instructors are adequately
trained and authorized to teach other students the safe and appropriate use of tools and equipment, 4)
student monitors are trained and effective in observing and correcting at-risk areas, and 5) the various
facilities are clean, safely operating, and equitably accessible to all users and user communities.
Coordination will be required among the professional staff and to support the hiring, managing, and
training of dozens of student workers on an ongoing basis.
Responsibilities
Programmatic Vision Development and Delivery of Facility’s Mission– 35%
- Establishing vision and mission of the building and its associated programming in design, innovation, and entrepreneurship
- Establishing user expectations for safe and proper use of the facility
- Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for safe student-led innovation
- Collaborating with the Mines Foundation and the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and
- Innovation to fund building operations and events, equipment upgrades, and other strategic outreach initiatives
- Collaborating with campus stakeholders including the Admissions Office, The Beck
- Venture Center, the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and various student organizations
- Engaging external stakeholders, including alumni and industry, government, and community organizations, to promote the mission and vision of the facility
- Envision and adopt a culture of community and safety – a culture that is practice based rather than enforcement driven – fabricating safely because it is the proper way of doing things rather than because there are prescriptive rules dictating behaviors.
Project Management and Team Leadership – 30%
- Implementing and delivering educational and training programming
- Coach and empower mentors, space supervisors and student workers – cultivating their skills to instruct and oversee safe space use.
- Leading strategic development activities for Mines and participating units
- Staff management, including hiring, mentoring, and annual performance reviews
- Establish and implement a safety inspection program
Academic Program Support – 20%
- Supporting university-wide academic programming in design, innovation, entrepreneurship, and making, including high-utilization programs such as Cornerstone
- Design, Capstone Design, and Innov8x, to deliver learning outcomes
- Engaging with the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) and its associated
- McNeil Center for E&I the Beck Venture Center to create a clear pipeline for student innovators
- Coordinate course times with the Registrar
Building Operations – 10%
- Maintaining operational status of fabrication equipment and other building functions
- Identify and addressing the need for a space/tool reservation system vs. “first come first serve”
- Establishing a preventative maintenance schedule for instruments and ancillary equipment (e.g. baghouse filters)
- Ensuring all building spaces are dynamically utilized, serving their intended purposes, and equitably accessible to the Mines community
- Planning for expansions and upgrades as needs and funding opportunities arise
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in an engineering, industrial/product design, STEM, or
related field.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Ability to develop and implement a vision to meet the objectives outlined in the Job Summary section above.
- Five years of direct supervision and managerial experience.
- Five years of experience working within higher education or with education/training related activities.
- Experience working with college aged students.
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders and demonstrated effectiveness fostering inclusivity and a diverse environment for innovation.
- Experience with safety training involving fabrication equipment.
- Experience with education via hands-on learning.
- Understanding of the need for shop equipment lockout tagout procedures and personal protective equipment requirements
- Experience developing safe operating procedures for fabrication activities
- Ability to cultivate a makerspace safety culture from leadership, to mentors, area supervisors, student workers and space users.
- CAD design
- Experience establishing equipment preventative maintenance schedules
- Experience working with internal and external stakeholders in the fields of design and innovation.
- Expertise with equipment and tools typically found in fabrication spaces, including wood and metal machining, 3D printing, large format 2D printing, and PCB/CNC mills.
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a collaborative team.
- Ability to communicate persuasively orally, in writing, and via presentations.
- Demonstrated success with financial management.
Preferred Qualifications
Education
- Graduate degree (or foreign equivalent) in an engineering, industrial/product design, STEM, or related field.
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Experience with design education, including teaching design and leadership in design pedagogy, as evidenced by curriculum development and/or design pedagogy scholarly contributions.
- Teaching experience in a STEM-related field.
- Experience with fundraising, specifically in higher education or non-profit environments.
- Leadership experience in higher education or a related field.
- Experience training others in safe-equipment usage or experience with safety certificationprotocols.
- Working knowledge of best practices in entrepreneurship, innovation, and design.
- Experience collaborating across disciplines, especially among STEM, design and innovation, andbusiness/entrepreneurship fields.
- Basic first aid
About Mines & Golden, CO
Mines is consistently ranked among the top engineering colleges in the United States and ranks number one as the best public school in the state for best value colleges. Mines is located in the heart of Golden, Colorado, a western suburb of Denver. The campus location offers a small-town ambiance with close proximity to all that the Denver metropolitan area has to offer with an abundance of cultural events, museums, theaters and sporting venues. A sunny, high-altitude climate with outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play. We seek individuals who value a diverse and inclusive community – offering different perspectives, experiences, and cultures that enrich the educational and work experience.
Equal Opportunity
Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.
Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce.
Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety.
Pay Range
$108,500 - $124,000
Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.
Total Rewards
Mines is proud to provide exceptional benefits that include pay, health & wellness and work/life balance offerings. Our portfolio of benefits includes medical, dental, vision, disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and retirement savings plans. Additionally, Mines employees are eligible for tuition benefits (for employees and dependents), generous paid holidays and leaves and discount programs. For more information, visit Mines benefits.
How to Apply
Applicants will be asked to complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, references, veteran status) and upload a resume and cover letter (required). References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, with priority given to those submitted by January 2, 2023. Those applications received after January 2, 2023 may not be reviewed.
Background Investigation Required
Yes
Advertised: Nov 22, 2022 Mountain Standard Time
Applications close:
Salary : $108,500 - $124,000
Assistant Director - Energy Innovation
Colorado State Land Board -
Denver, CO
Senior Director Health Innovation
EGYM GmbH -
Denver, CO
Senior Director, F&B Experience & Innovation
Vail Resorts Corporate -
Broomfield, CO
