---
title: 'Applied Engineering Lead at UATX'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/applied-engineering-lead-uatx-bastrop-rvk0dkp92efc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Applied Engineering Lead at UATX

- **Company:** UATX
- **Location:** Bastrop, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-04-07
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin/c42c5523-f1ce-4cde-a403-0dbd01c497c8

## Job description

Location Bastrop, TX, with occasional travel to the Austin campus.

Job Summary UATX is seeking a visionary engineer and educator for the position of Applied Engineering Lead to serve as the architect of our new engineering laboratory in Bastrop and to help us build the future of technical education. This role is for a founding-minded leader who is passionate about educating future engineers in an innovative way. Beyond the laboratory, the Applied Engineering Lead will serve as a vital connector and liaison to industry partners, bridging the gap between academic innovation and commercial engineering.

## About the Bastrop Facility

UATX is launching a ~16,000 sq. ft. lab in Bastrop, TX, supporting mechanics, electronics, robotics, optics, prototyping, and fabrication. It is designed for students and staff to build real systems in a high-performance, lab-based environment.

## Responsibilities

Program Innovation and BuildoutCommissioning: Lead fit-out of the new facility, designing workflows and equipment installation.Strategic Procurement: Lead ordering and setup of laboratory equipment to meet state-of-the-art standards.Project Development: Partner with faculty to develop and integrate rigorous, hands-on engineering activity into the curriculum.Industry Liaison: Act as a connector to companies and external partners to ensure projects remain relevant to modern engineering needs. Instruction and Mentorship Hands-on Teaching: Teach core principles of engineering, design, fabrication, and testing. Active Mentorship: Directly mentor students as they navigate complex technical research and individual projects. Operational Excellence Daily Management: Oversee daily operations to ensure a technically-ready environment for student focus. Staffing & Vendors: Manage Bastrop-based staff and contractors as the facility scales. Budget & Growth: Identify equipment gaps and manage upgrade budgets to maintain state-of-the-art laboratory standards. Safety and Compliance: Establish and maintain a safe, compliant laboratory environment, including safety protocols, training, equipment safeguards, and adherence to applicable OSHA, fire code, and environmental requirements.

## Qualifications

Education: Master's, Ph.D., or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Technical Skills: Proficiency in CAD/CAM, machining, rapid prototyping, and/or circuit design. Mission Fit: A firm commitment to open inquiry and the pursuit of truth.

## About UATX

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: The University of Austin (UATX) is a private, donor-funded, tuition-free four-year college that combines a Great Books core curriculum with rigorous training in mathematics, sciences, and artificial intelligence.
- **Entity Type**: Private (non-profit, donor-funded)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Not publicly listed (leadership includes President Carlos Carvalho, Provost David Ruth, and Interim Dean of STEM Clinton Staley)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Higher Education
- Target customers: Undergraduate students (B2C) selected on merit alone, as well as high school and college students via summer programs
- Mission or purpose: "Forming the leaders and builders a free country depends on" by reviving fearless inquiry and open discourse

## Products & Services
- **[Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies]**: Four-year undergraduate degree with a core curriculum centered on the Western tradition, small seminars (~15 students), and quantitative training including mathematics, data science, and AI. Tuition-free for all admitted students.
- **[Polaris Projects]**: Capstone experiences where students launch a company, intern for a public official, pursue original research, or build alongside industry leaders.
- **[Summer Fellowship]**: A one-week, credit-bearing residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors; includes building an LLM from scratch, studying Lincoln and Douglass, and debating founding principles. Cost: $2,500 (full scholarships available).
- **[Weekend Programs]**: Free, short-term on-campus events offering small seminars, talks with faculty/guests, and a taste of UATX life.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (non-profit)
- **Key Metric**: Tuition-free model; entirely donor-funded; no government funding. First freshman class entered Fall 2024.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly disclosed. Supported by donors (names not listed).
- **Growth Signals**: Rapidly expanding faculty (nearly 30 full-time professors as of late 2024). Hiring for multiple professor positions and administrative roles. New campus operations in Austin and Bastrop, Texas.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Tuition-free**: All students pay no tuition, funded entirely by donors, eliminating student debt.
- **Merit-based admissions**: No essays, no legacy preferences – only SAT, ACT, or CLT scores.
- **Small class sizes**: Seminars of ~15 students with heavy reading and high standards.
- **Unique curriculum**: Great Books core combined with quantitative training in AI and data science.
- **Intellectual independence**: Strong commitment to open inquiry, civil discourse, and academic freedom; no government funding.

## Strategic Focus
- **Faculty expansion**: Hiring professors across STEM, history, and other liberal arts disciplines to support growing student body.
- **Program development**: Building the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CSTEM) and expanding the undergraduate concentration in quantitative fields.
- **Campus growth**: Establishing a permanent campus in Austin (current operations at temporary locations).
- **Brand building**: Attracting high-achieving students through the free-tuition model and distinctive intellectual mission.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven environment**: Opportunity to help shape a new university dedicated to open inquiry and rigorous education.
- **On-site roles**: Positions are based in Austin, TX (and Bastrop, TX for some roles). Remote/hybrid policy not specified; likely on-site.
- **Small, collaborative community**: Close interaction with faculty and leadership; ability to influence curriculum and culture.
- **Faculty benefits**: Long-term stability (though no tenure), full-time teaching load of six quarter-length courses per year, and support for research.
- **Diverse openings**: Roles range from professors and academic leadership to accounting and innovation partnerships.

## Sources
1. [uaustin.org](https://uaustin.org/)
2. [jobs.lever.co/uaustin](https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin)
3. [uaustin.org/our-people](https://uaustin.org/our-people/)
4. [jobs.lever.co/uaustin (Professor of CS)](https://jobs.lever.co/uaustin/2c923907-2611-47da-bef1-5bcf30d8963f)
5. [indeed.com](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/The-University-of-Austin-(uatx))

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