Associate Director of Shops and Instructional Technicians - Sam Fox School

Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Shops and Instructional Technicians will support teaching and creative activity in art, architecture, and design by providing broad oversight for the safe operation of the Sam Fox School shops and making spaces and manage the school’s shared instructional technician staff. The Associate Director will work directly with shop technicians, students, faculty, and staff to develop and implement training on safety, equipment operation, proper use of chemicals and materials, and specific techniques and processes across all Sam Fox School shops and technical spaces. The Associate Director will be critical to the school’s goal of increased skills and access to all shops for Sam Fox students across disciplines. They will collaborate closely with the Manager of Facilities to contribute to the overall facilities safety practices and promote facilities management best practices. The Associate Director will work closely with the Directors of the College of Art and Graduate School of Art and College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design to facilitate their current and future curricular needs. This position reports to the Associate Dean of Finance and Operations.

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis is a unique collaboration in architecture, art, and design education within the context of an internationally recognized research university. Comprising the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, the College and Graduate School of Art, and the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum, the Sam Fox School offers a depth of professional education in conjunction with one of the premier university art museums. The School has a strong commitment to social justice, environmental justice, and community-based work, and supports a diverse population of approximately 200 graduate students and 580 undergraduate students.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Manage team of instructional technician staff in Sam Fox School shops, studios, and making spaces.

• Directly manage 4-5 instructional technician staff who support Sam Fox School’s shared shops in Givens, Weil, Walker, and Bixby Halls. The shops include 3D foundations, wood and metal shops, ceramics, foundry, plaster, mold making, and digital fabrication.
• Broad oversight of student shop monitors employed in the Sam Fox shops.
• Collaborate with 3 additional Art-specific instructional technicians to build shared policies and procedures across all Sam Fox shops, studios and maker spaces. These facilities include printmaking, book studio, photography, time-based media, and communication design.
• Broad oversight of shop and making space budgets managed by the instructional technicians.
  
  

Oversee safe operations of Sam Fox School shops and making spaces.

• Develop and maintain a common set of Sam Fox School shop protocols and norms that are practiced across the School in coordination with individual shop technicians and the Manager of Facilities.
• Coordinate policy, training, and maintenance to ensure the facility, equipment, and working conditions are maintained within OSHA and other relevant regulatory standards.
• Implement and maintain a new digital safety data sheets (SDS) system.
• Manage security for the shops including protocols for student, faculty, and staff access and use by other WashU students.
• Research and recommend ongoing improvements to the shops to ensure best practices are implemented.
  
  

Oversee standardized training for Sam Fox School shops.

• Develop required training regarding safety and equipment usage for student access to shops and making spaces. Ensure training is delivered by appropriate staff and faculty and monitor compliance.
• Implement and maintain a new digital system for tracking required and completed training for students and student monitors, including digital liability release forms.
• Oversight of student and faculty training and workshops specific to equipment/materials/techniques identified by a studio or class or identified as a broader academic need across the curriculum.
• Develop technical safety training programs for students in their positions as student shop monitors.
  
  

Support curricular and furniture/fixture/equipment needs of academic programs.

• Work with the School’s leadership (dean, directors, and chairs) and faculty to support the curricular needs of both Art and Architecture.
• Manage programmatic lab, shop, and specialized instruction furniture, fixture and equipment needs in collaboration with academic leadership and Manager of Facilities.
• Collaborate with faculty to identify new practices and methodologies outside the School and develop training to keep faculty and students current with emerging practices.
• Develop a long-term capital plan for equipment needs in coordination with instructional technicians and leadership.
• Collaborate with University partners and community makerspaces to share information and continuously improve on best practices.
  
  

Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Job Location/Working Conditions

• Work is in a shop environment with noise, various odors, and exposure to wood, plaster, and some airborne particulates.
• Occasional adjusted non-standard hours may be required to meet training availability of students and faculty.
  
  

Physical Effort

• Requires lifting capacity of 60 pounds on regular occasions.
  
  

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Education:

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree

Certifications:

No specific certification is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Relevant Experience (5 Years), Management (2 Years)

Skills:

Not Applicable

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

More About This Job

• MFA or master’s degree in art, architecture, or relevant field.
• Five years of management experience, managing staff and/or students.
• Experience with art, architecture, and/or design education and facilities.
  
  

Education:

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree

Certifications:

No additional certification beyond what is stated in the Required Qualifications section.

Work Experience:

No additional work experience beyond what is stated in the Required Qualifications section.

Skills:

Budget Management, Chemical Safety Awareness, CNC Routers, Communication, Digital Fabrication, Hand Tools, Laser Cutters, Machine Maintenance, Machine Shop Operations, Metalworking, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Organizational Efficiency, Plastics Design, Pneumatic Tools, Power Tools, Raw Materials, Resin, Safety Protocols, Shop Equipment, Student Training, Supervising Students, Welding, Woodworking, Work Collaboratively, Working Independently

Grade

G12

Salary Range

$58,400.00 - $99,700.00 / Annually

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Personal

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
• Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
  
  

Wellness

• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
  
  

Family

• We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
• WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.
  
  

For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/

EEO/AA Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and especially encourages applications by those from underrepresented groups. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

Diversity Statement

Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.