Instructional Facility Manager Fiber and Material Studies

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s 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. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

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• Job Classification: Full-Time Hourly Staff
• Grade Level: 6
  
  

BASIC FUNCTION

Lead the day-to-day management of operations for the Fiber and Material Studies Technical Facility and production facilities. Provide instructional and technical assistance to students and faculty on a day-to-day basis. Maintain studio equipment and inventory. Ensure safe working practices of fabrication equipment and textile lab usage. Train and supervise student employees.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

Staff Administration

• Advise Assistant Director on ordering for instructional resource needs to maintain adequate levels of materials in facilities.
• Manage inventory of circulating tools, lab supplies, and consumables.
• Help monitor and manage departmental supply purchases in coordination with the Assistant Director, Fiber and Material Studies Technical Facility.
• Recommend new and potential acquisition purchases made within the instructional supply budget and for Capital Asset requests.
• Assists in the hiring and scheduling of student employees.
• Trains, supervises, and assesses Student Employees in the delivery of critical services and support. Coordinates area efforts to provide mentorship and foster a meaningful work experience.
  
  

Equipment & Facility Management

• Manage the general operation of Fiber and Material Studies Technical Facility during evening and weekend hours.
• Key coordinator with IRFM Classroom Services to articulate classroom needs.
• Oversee daily preventative maintenance and repair to ensure the functional integrity of tools, equipment, and associated resources.
• Provide on-site problem-solving in regards to equipment repair to ensure a high degree of functionality.
• Manage inventory of circulating tools and new equipment acquisitions through an online tool checkout system.
  
  

Teaching & Instruction

• Train and supervise the development of student employees in the maintenance of lab equipment and resources in coordination with the Assistant Director.
• Organize and perform training workshops and demonstrations regarding 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 to Fiber and Material Studies Department students and faculty.
• Monitor and contribute to patron progress in Fiber and Material Studies Technical Facility through in-person technical instruction and through an online resource tool system called Canvas.
• Aid and advise students on class projects, new equipment authorizations, and material questions through Zoom or other online consultation platforms.
  
  

Research & Development

• Keep current with curricular needs and changes within the Fiber and Material Studies Department.
• Advise the Assistant Director of student and faculty needs and recommend services and training activities that will improve the community output.
• Responsible for organizing and disseminating relevant knowledge gained through training to Fiber and Material Studies students and faculty.
• Aid in research, implementation, and maintenance of resources and equipment through direct communication between Assistant Director and external providers.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art or related field desired. Master's Degree preferred. Knowledge in three or more of the following areas is required: printing, dyeing, machine sewing, embroidery, weaving, paper making, knitting, felting, and fiber sculpture/installation processes. Knowledge in two or more of the following areas: Microsoft Word, Excel, Illustrator, Photoshop.

Experience

Managing and/or Administrative experience required. Teaching/Instructional experience preferred. Experience conducting workshops or demonstrations on fiber-based processes. Experience maintaining a studio and facilities equipment in one or more of these areas: weaving equipment, sewing equipment, dye facilities, and print facilities.

Skills

• Ability to assist and instruct students in the safe and conceptual construction of projects.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Strong working knowledge of print, dye, and weaving processes.
• Requires the ability to lift 50 lbs or more in the performance of facility related duties
  
  

UNION

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