Harvard UniversityPosition Details
TitleSenior Preceptor in Engineering DesignSchoolHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied SciencesDepartment/AreaPosition DescriptionThe Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) seeks applications for the position of Senior Preceptor in Engineering Design with an expected start date of July 1, 2026. This renewable position has an initial appointment period of five years.
The Senior Preceptor will offer courses in the SEAS undergraduate curriculum as well as in the Master’s in Design Engineering (MDE) program, which is a collaborative degree program run jointly by SEAS and the Harvard Graduate School of Design and is geared towards understanding complex societal grand challenges and building prototypical solutions that can be assessed for impact.
Responsibilities include:
In the MDE Program:
- Co-teach the spring semester of MDE Studio course (STU 1232) annually. Studio is both a space as well as a pedagogical setting which can best be described as project based, highly interdisciplinary, and fluid. For the MDE courses in particular, we seek candidates comfortable with a highly collaborative, interactive mode of teaching.
- Serve as Academic Advisor to a limited number of MDE students.
- Advise a limited number of student projects in the ADV 9381/ADV 9382 Independent Design Engineering Project course.
- Participate in the MDE admissions process, including reviewing applications, representing decisions in a full admissions committee meeting, and attending a new-admit open house event.
In the SEAS undergraduate curriculum:
- Teach or co-teach two core undergraduate design courses each year, including introductory-level Fundamentals of Engineering Design and one section of Engineering Capstone Design Projects; with the opportunity for additional teaching in a core undergraduate engineering discipline. The core design courses are cross-disciplinary engineering courses that are part of the Engineering Sciences SB (including Bioengineering Track and Environmental Science & Engineering Track), Electrical Engineering SB, and Mechanical Engineering SB concentrations. Instructors for these design courses will build additional connections with partners both within Harvard University and externally to develop a pipeline of projects for student work in these courses.
We seek candidates who have strong expertise in design in the context of a computational engineering or applied science field such as computer science, applied mathematics, applied physics, data science, computational science and engineering, human-computer interaction, design engineering, or a related area. We appreciate a record of teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Basic QualificationsDoctorate in an engineering or related field is required by the time the appointment begins.Additional QualificationsSpecial Instructions Please submit the following materials through the ARIeS portal (
https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15818 ). Candidates are encouraged to apply by March 1, 2026; applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Cover letterCurriculum VitaeTeaching/advising statement (describing the candidate’s philosophy and practices as well as their approach to creating a learning environment in which every student is encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas)Teaching materials (e.g., teaching chart listing courses taught in reverse chronological order [please indicate which, if any, courses were taught remotely, whether partially or in full, due to the COVID-19 pandemic]; representative syllabi; teaching evaluations).Service statement describing efforts to strengthen academic communities, e.g., the candidate’s department, institution, and/or professional societies.Names and contact information of three to five referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received. Contact InformationKim LaSpinaContact Emailklaspina@seas.harvard.eduSalary Range$90,000-$125,000
Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as rank, years of experience, training or qualification, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field.
Minimum Number of References Required3Maximum Number of References Allowed5Keywords
EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment StatementHarvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes.
Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy . Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.
Supplemental QuestionsRequired fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant DocumentsRequired Documents Curriculum VitaeCover LetterStatement of Teaching PhilosophyCourse EvaluationSample SyllabusList of Courses TaughtService Statement
Optional Documents Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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