Associate Director of Shops and Instructional Technicians - Sam Fox School
Washington University in St. Louis
Application
Details
Posted: 29-Jan-25
Location: ST. LOUIS, Missouri
Type: Full-time
Internal Number: JR86882
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 schoolâ™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 schoolâ™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 Schoolâ™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. Â
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 Schoolâ™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.Â
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.
Required Qualifications
Education:
Bachelor's degree
Certifications:
No specific certification is required for this position.
A driver's license is not required for this position.
More About This Job
Preferred Qualifications:
MFA or masterâ™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.
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
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 / AnnuallyThe 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 [email protected] 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? Weâ™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.
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 Universityâ™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 â“ fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.
Washington University in St. Louis, a medium-sized, independent university, is dedicated to challenging its faculty and students alike to seek new knowledge and greater understanding of an ever-changing, multicultural world. The University offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs. The faculty is composed of scholars, scientists, artists and members of the learned professions. They serve society by teaching; by adding to the store of human art, creativity, understanding, and wisdom; and by providing direct services, such as health care.