Job Details

Description

Introduction

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the worlds most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAICs undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the worldas seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia OKeeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

Position Summary

Lead the day-to-day management of operations in the Digital Fabrication Studio and act as secondary support in the Materials Lab. Provide instructional and technical assistance to students and faculty. Maintain studio equipment and inventory. Ensure safe working practices on all lab equipment and processes. Train and supervise student employees.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

Student & Student Staff Administration

Hire, train, and supervise all student employees.

Review applications, conduct interviews, process paperwork, and produce recurring shift schedules.

Train, supervise, and develop student employees in the delivery of a spectrum of Shop facility services and resources.

Develop and organize orientation training and mentorship programs for student employees.

Facility Administration

Place orders needed for instructional resources to maintain adequate levels of materials in facilities. Monitor and manage budgets and purchases made within the institution.

Manage inventory of circulating tools, lab supplies, and consumables.

Help monitor and manage budgets and departmental supply purchases in coordination with Associate Director.

Lead workshops and technical training regimen for students and faculty in coordination with Associate Director in laser engraving, 3D printing, CNC milling, CNC plasma with secondary support in small metals casting, powder coating, mold-making, and other prototyping techniques.

Equipment & Facility Management

Manage the general operation of Digital Fabrication Studio equipment and personnel.

Coordinate daily and weekly preventive maintenance, and repairs to laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC equipment.

Oversee daily preventative maintenance and repair to ensure the functional integrity of tools, equipment, and associated resources.

Provide on-site problem-solving / equipment repair to ensure a high degree of functionality.

Manage inventory of circulating tools and new equipment acquisitions through an online tool checkout system (WebCheckout).

Work closely with Associate Director and departmental stakeholders to plan for medium and long-term resource utilization initiatives.

Teaching & Instruction

Train and supervise the development of student employees in the maintenance of lab equipment and resources in coordination with the Associate Director.

Organize and perform training workshops and lectures for faculty and students pertaining to departmental equipment.

Train and mentor student employees on facilitating daily equipment access.

Commit to, demonstrate, and enforce safety procedures.

Facilitate access to circulating equipment and associated resources.

Monitor and contribute to patron progress.

Research & Development

Keep current with curricular needs associated with Digital Fabrication in various academic departments and participate in advancing technical processes with academic departments.

Maintain high-level technical competencies in Digital Fabrication methods, processes, and equipment including emergent processes.

Advise Associate Director of student and faculty needs and recommend services and training activities that will improve the community objectives.

Organize and disseminate training information through vocational training to the SAIC community.

Aid in research, implementation, and maintenance of resources and equipment through direct communication between Associate Director and external providers.

Qualifications

EDUCATION

Bachelors Degree in Studio Art or related field required, commensurate experience may be considered. Master's Degree or technical experience considered.

Experience

Managing and/or administrative experience required. Previous staff supervision preferred. Teaching/Instructional experience preferred. Experience maintaining a studio and facilities equipment.

Strong working knowledge of 3D printing and laser cutting. Knowledge in: CAD (Rhino preferred), CAM (RhinoCAM preferred), Adobe CS (Illustrator and Photoshop), and MS Office Suite. Some experience with centrifugal casting, lost wax casting, CNC milling, CNC plasma, mold-making, powder coating, metalworking, welding, and woodworking.

Skills

Ability to assist and instruct students in the safe construction of projects.

Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Requires the ability to lift 50 lbs or more in the performance of facility related duties

Benefits

We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

Generous paid time off

Paid holidays (up to 14 days)

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits

Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)

Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program

Great employee discounts

Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions

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Application Time Out Warning

The Art Institute of Chicago requires all applicants to complete an online application to be considered for employment. 60 minutes are allotted for applicants to complete the employment application. The application will automatically time out after 60 minutes. If you are unable to submit the completed application at this time, please choose the "Save for Later" option to avoid losing the information you have entered so far.

Closing Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.

Union Info

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31

Grade 7