Innovation Lab Manager

Job Description

About the Company

Polaris School of Technology is India’s industry-first tech college, built in collaboration with Google, AWS and Microsoft.

About the Role : Makerspace Manager at Polaris School of Technology

The Innovation Lab is a hands-on makerspace supporting students in prototyping, fabrication, and electronics. This role is the operational backbone of the space: keeping equipment running, welcoming and guiding walk-in students, and rapid prototyping complex hardware products.

Responsibilities

1. Equipment Maintenance & Lab Operations (primary)

\n
• Maintain, calibrate, troubleshoot, and repair all lab equipment (3D printers, soldering stations,electronics benches, hand and power tools).
\n
• Track and manage inventory of consumables (filament, solder, flux, wire, components, connectors)and initiate procurement of replacements.
\n
• Keep software/firmware on lab machines and workstations up to date (slicers, CAD, KiCadtoolchain).
\n
• Establish and enforce safety protocols; create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs)and equipment usage guidelines.
\n
• Assess existing equipment and recommend new purchases; assist with budget planning.
\n
• Build and document pipelines/processes to streamline procurement and other operationalworkflows (purchase requests, inventory tracking, equipment booking, maintenance schedules).
\n

2. On-the-Job Training (OJT) Support

\n
• Support students undertaking OJTs at the lab: onboarding, equipment access, day-to-day technicalguidance.
\n
• Help scope OJT projects to available lab equipment and student skill level.
\n
• Track OJT student progress and coordinate with supervising faculty/staff.
\n
• Ensure OJT students follow lab safety protocols.
\n

3. Weekly Workshops & Training

\n
• Design, schedule, and host recurring introductory sessions, including:
\n
• Introduction to 3D Printing (printer operation, slicing, materials)
\n
• Introduction to CAD (parametric modeling for fabrication)
\n
• Introduction to KiCad (schematic capture, PCB layout)
\n
• Soldering (through-hole and SMD basics, safety)
\n
• Digital Electronics (logic, microcontrollers, breadboarding)
\n
• Develop supporting materials: handouts, example projects, training checklists. Iterate curriculumbased on student feedback and uptake.
\n

4. Walk-in Student Support

\n
• Serve as the first point of contact for all walk-in students during lab hours.
\n
• Guide students through safe, correct use of equipment; provide project-level design and fabricationadvice.
\n
• Create per-equipment training guidelines (e.g., required training hours before independent use of agiven machine).
\n
• Foster a welcoming, low-barrier environment for students with no prior experience.
\n

5. Showcase Projects (Tech × AI × Art)

\n
• Build exemplary projects at the intersection of technology, AI, and art that showcase what makingcan bring to the table — for students and anyone else.
\n
• Aim for large-scale installations that give the lab and the campus a living, breathing feel — ambient,interactive pieces people encounter in shared spaces, not shelf demos.
\n
• Use showcase projects as reference material in workshops and OJT project scoping.
\n

Qualifications

\n
• Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in engineering, design, or related technical field (or equivalent demonstrated hands-on experience).
\n

Required Skills

\n
• Hands-on expertise with 3D printers, soldering, and basic electronics prototyping.
\n
• Proficiency in at least one CAD package and working familiarity with KiCad (or ability to pick it upquickly).
\n
• Experience teaching or mentoring beginners in technical skills.
\n
• Strong safety awareness; ability to write and enforce SOPs.
\n
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
\n
• Strong communication skills across students, faculty, and staff.
\n

Preferred Skills

\n
• Preferred Qualifications- Prior experience running or working in a makerspace, fab lab, or university lab.
\n
• Experience with additional fabrication tools (laser cutting, CNC).
\n
• Embedded systems / microcontroller experience (Arduino, ESP32, RP2040, etc.).
\n
• Experience supervising student assistants or volunteers.
\n
• Experience developing workshop curricula or community education programming.
\n