(Causal Hire) Undergraduate Research Assistant (Mechanical Engineering)

(Causal Hire) Undergraduate Research Assistant (Mechanical Engineering)

Salary

$0.00 Semi-Monthly

Location

UH Manoa - College of Enginrg, Honolulu, HI

Job Type

Part-Time Temporary

Job Number

2026-01261

Department

University of Hawaii at Manoa - CoE - Mechanical Engineering

Opening Date

06/22/2026

Closing Date

6/29/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii

Position Number:

Casual

Description

Applicants seeking short-term or part-time work with the University of Hawai'i may apply for Casual Hire positions, which include administrative professional and technical (APT) or Instructional-type positions. Because of the temporary nature of these appointments, Casual Hire employees are not eligible for most benefits as provided to regular BOR and Civil Service employees such as paid leave and holidays. Casual Hire appointments may last for up to 89 days for full-time employees and up to one calendar year for part-time employees.

Title: (Casual Hire) Undergraduate Research Assistant (Mechanical Engineering)

Position Number: *Casual Hire

Hiring Unit: College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Location: University of Hawaii, Manoa

Date Posted: 6/22/2026

Closing Date: 6/29/2026

Salary: $16.5 per hour

Schedule: Up to 20 hours per week

Full Time/Part Time: Part Time

Temporary/Permanent: Temporary

Other Conditions:

This is a temporary position to work on the design, fabrication, modeling, and control of bio-inspired soft robots at the Soft Robotics and Intelligent Machines Laboratory (SAIL), under the guidance of Assistant Professor Tianlu Wang in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Duties and responsibilities for this work are listed below.

Duties: The casual hire will support ongoing research activities in the design, fabrication, modeling, and control of bio-inspired soft robotic systems.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with the mechanical and materials design of small-scale bio-inspired soft robots, including soft actuators, compliant mechanisms, and robotic structures.
• Support fabrication and assembly processes, such as soft material casting (e.g., silicone, elastomers, hydrogels), mold design and preparation, and basic benchtop prototyping.
• Conduct experimental testing and characterization of soft robotic components and systems, including actuation performance, locomotion, manipulation, and durability.
• Assist with modeling and analysis of soft robotic systems, including basic analytical models, simulation, or data-driven modeling approaches.
• Support control and electronics integration, including basic microcontroller programming, sensor integration, and experimental control setup.
• Help maintain laboratory equipment, organize experimental data, and document design iterations and experimental results.
• Collaborate with graduate students and faculty in a team-based research environment and participate in regular lab meetings as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

• Enrollment in a Bachelor's degree program (or higher) in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Bioengineering, or a closely related field; students currently pursuing their bachelor's degree are eligible.
• Prior hands-on, lab-based experience in soft robotics or closely related experimental research, demonstrated through coursework, research projects, internships, or independent projects.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with at least one of the following areas:
• Soft robotic design and fabrication (e.g., silicone molding, compliant mechanisms, 3D printing, basic machining)
• Experimental testing of robotic or mechatronic systems
• Basic modeling or simulation of mechanical or robotic systems
• Introductory control, electronics, or programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, Arduino, ROS, or similar)
• Ability to work independently with guidance, follow lab safety protocols, and maintain organized experimental records.
• Strong motivation to learn, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate effectively in a research laboratory setting.

To Apply: Click on the "Apply" button on the top right corner of the screen to complete an online application through NeoGov. Submit curriculum vitae, transcript, and the names of 2 professional references (include title, email and phone number) via the NEOGOV Online application portal.

Note: If this is your first time applying for a position using NEOGOV, you will need to create a profile.

Inquiries: Prof. Tianlu Wang, tianlu.wang@hawaii.edu

EEO, Clery Act, ADA

The University of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, including on the basis of veteran and disability status. For more information, visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/policies/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawaii may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request: The University of Hawaii complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/

Employer University of Hawaii

Website http://workatuh.hawaii.edu