Engineer, Research and Development, School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources

The Geotechnical Center of Excellence (GCE) is an industry-funded and stakeholder-led organization within the University of Arizona's School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources dedicated to advancing mine safety and geotechnical innovation. The Engineer, Research and Development (R&D Engineer/Scientist II) supports applied research, field data collection, and professional development courses focused on slope stability, highwall safety, and thermal imaging-based rockfall detection. Working under general supervision of senior research staff, this position assists with instrumentation deployment, data acquisition, and testing activities, including field work on active mine sites. Much of this work will occur in real mine environments and may require moving safely between office, laboratory, and field settings. While the role reports to senior R&D Engineers, the ability to work independently and exercise good judgement in field and office settings is strongly valued.

Fieldwork at active mine sites and occasional travel to industry events are expected.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties and Responsibilities:

Applied Research & Field Support:

• Assist in planning and execution of field data collection and research testing programs related to highwall safety, slope performance monitoring, and thermal imaging applications.
• Work will occur both on campus and on active mine sites.
• Support installation, calibration, and operation of sensors, collect and process data, perform preliminary analyses, contribute to technical documentation and serve as co-author / presenter of written reports, abstracts and publications under the direction of senior research staff.

Professional Development Support:

• Collaborate with senior staff and industry advisors to develop and maintain professional courses on geotechnical topics.
• Prepare course materials and draft assessments (e.g., quizzes, knowledge checks).
• Support editing and organizing contributor content (including video editing).
• Provide participant and instructor support during course delivery, including live webinar facilitation and logistics under the direction of senior staff.

Collaboration & Growth:

• Work closely with senior staff to coordinate project tasks, communicate progress, and review student and undergraduate assistant work products for accuracy, completeness, and data quality.
• Participate in team discussions, field campaigns, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Take on progressively greater responsibility as skills develop.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Foundational understanding of geotechnical engineering and slope stability principles.
• Ability to work independently on defined tasks and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail in data handling and documentation.
• Interest in emerging technologies for mine slope monitoring and data analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate tasks, track progress, and keep workstreams organized to support timely completion of deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly document methods, summarize findings, and communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geology, or a related discipline.
• Basic experience with data collection and analysis in field or research settings.
• Experience with geotechnical instrumentation, slope monitoring data, or remote sensing applications.
• Familiarity with geotechnical software (e.g., RocScience suite, FLAC) and data visualization tools. Strong technical writing and organizational skills.
• Experience using Python or similar scripting languages for data processing, automation, or visualization is considered a plus.
• Experience writing technical material (e.g. methods, results, or data summaries) and/or contributing to conference abstracts, presentations, or publications.