Job Description

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Hiring Unit:

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Course Title and Course Number:

EPSC 185 Natural Disasters

EPSC 210 Introduction to Mineralogy

EPSC 220 Principles of Geochemistry

EPSC 221 General Geology

EPSC 233 Earth and Life Through Time

EPSC 240 Geology In The Field

EPSC 320 Elementary Earth Physics

EPSC 445 Metamorphic Petrology

EPSC 570 Cosmochemistry

ESYS 104 The Earth System

Estimated Number of Positions:

32

Total Hours of Work per Term:

80

Hourly Salary:

According to the collective agreement

Position Start Date:

2026-08-31

Position End Date:

2025-12-11

Deadline to Apply:

2025-05-24

McGill University is committed to equity in employment. Must be registered in a graduate program at McGill University. Priority will be given to students enrolled in a graduate program in Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Use a personal email when creating an account to submit your application. Do not use @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca email accounts when you apply.

EPSC 185 Natural Disasters

Key Responsibilities

• Attend lectures as required and give occasional lectures.
• Maintain office hours.
• Keep tutorial hours.
• Prepare and mark assignments.
• Assist in preparing, setting, and marking midterms and final exams.
• Invigilation of midterm exams.
• Work with a group of students, serving as their mentor.
• Logistics for assignments (recording grades, returning assignments).

Note: TAs may be required to perform some or all of the duties online.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the course subject and material.
• Must be organized and approachable.
• Ability to work directly with a diverse range of people.

EPSC 210 Introduction to Mineralogy

Key Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the course instructor:

• Set up material (specimens, microscopes) for weekly lab exercises.
• Return teaching material to storage after labs.
• Answer student questions during laboratory exercises.
• Grade lab reports and provide feedback via MyCourses.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. degree.
• Ability to work in person with students of diverse backgrounds.
• Familiarity with physical properties used for macroscopic mineral identification
• Experienced in transmitted-light polarizing microscopy (birefringence, optical figures used in mineral identification).

EPSC 220 Principles of Geochemistry

Key Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the course instructor:

• Prepares course material (including laboratory preparation, if applicable).
• Performs grading and maintains grading records.
• Assists with tutoring in and out of the lab.
• Performs related duties.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. degree.
• Must be organized and approachable.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people.
• Must have demonstrated knowledge in equilibrium thermodynamics and kinetics applied to high- and low-temperature geological systems as covered in chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, in the book Geochemistry by W.M. White and published by Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, in 2013.
• Must have at least basic knowledge of Matlab.

EPSC 221 General Geology

Key Responsibilities

• Review the laboratory material ahead of lab session
• In-person lab attendance is required (8 weeks in the semester).
• Set up the 4 first laboratory sessions based on hand specimens.
• Put the specimens and material back in storage after lab sessions
• Answer student questions during lab periods.
• Grade laboratory assignments
• Provide feedback on laboratory assignments via MyCourses or e-mail
• Report student absences and grading issues to the lab coordinator
• Contribute to grading one part of the final exam.

Qualifications

• Basic geology background (BSc Geology).
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.

EPSC 233 Earth and Life Through Time

Key Responsibilities

• Attend lectures.
• Hold weekly office hours.
• Respond to student enquiries.
• Lead study/review sessions.
• Grade quizzes, exams, and problem sets.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of introductory geology.
• Familiarity with the geological time scale and Earth and life history.

EPSC 240 Geology In The Field

Key Responsibilities

• Lead lab demonstrations.
• Grade.
• Hold weekly office hours.
• Answer student questions.
• Participate in short field trips within the Montreal area.
• In-person class attendance required.

Qualifications

• Basic field geology skills such as how to use a Brunton compass, how to read a map.
• Entry-level Geology knowledge.

EPSC 320 Elementary Earth Physics

Key Responsibilities

• The TA will hold weekly office hours.
• Respond to student questions.
• Lead tutorial/demonstration sessions.
• Grade homework assignments.
• Assist the course instructor with course logistics.

Qualifications

• Have a degree in Earth Sciences or similar fields.
• knowledge of solid Earth geophysics, including basic theories of geophysical methods and their applications.
• Basic knowledge of Matlab//Python or an equivalent computing language.

ESPC 445 Metamorphic Geology

Key Responsibilities

• Assist the course instructor in course logistics and laboratory preparation
• Lead laboratory sessions
• Respond to student questions
• Review, comment and grade laboratory reports

Qualifications

• The teaching assistant needs to be:
• An expert user of the petrographic microscope and able to explain and train students in its use, including in PPL, XPL and conoscopic microscopy
• Be able to identify the common metamorphic minerals in hand specimen and thin section
• Have a general understanding of (metamorphic) phase diagrams, ACF, AKF and AFM ternaries and geothermobarometry and be able to explain these to students
• Have a thorough understanding of chemical thermodynamics and ideally experience with using thermodynamic modelling software.

EPSC 570 Cosmochemistry

Key Responsibilities

• Attend lectures and participate (perhaps lead) discussions
• Hold weekly office hours
• Respond to student enquiries
• Grade assignments, exams, and term papers

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Earth Science or Astronomy, preferably both, at the undergraduate level

ESYS 104 The Earth System

Key Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the course instructor:

• Prepare course material drawn from Geology, Atmospheres, Oceans, Geography, and related fields.
• Performs grading and maintains grading records.
• Assists with tutoring.
• Hold weekly office hours.
• Answer student questions.
• Perform related duties.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. degree.
• Enrollment in the Earth & Planetary Sciences M.Sc. or Ph.D. graduate program.
• Knowledge of the course subject and material.

Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence,accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.