NOW HIRING: Ceramics Technician
Qualifications
The Department of Art in the College of Liberal Arts invites applications for a 75 percent-time Ceramics Technician (Job ID updated 2019: 331638). This is a 75 percent-time position providing health and safety and technical support for the ceramic facilities in the Department of Art.
With this position, we seek to strengthen the Department of Art’s newly formed area of Sculpture and Ceramics with a technician who brings a broad perspective informed by active engagement with ceramics, knowledge of technical equipment, materials and processes used in the field of ceramic art, and experience working with undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty in a university setting. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical ceramics background with experience in maintenance, repair, design, and construction of ceramic equipment and can provide instruction on ceramic equipment and health and safety methods and processes.
Required Qualifications
• Minimum 2 years college training including courses in Studio Arts with an emphasis in ceramics or equivalent experience
• Experience with safety standards
• Experience with ceramics facilities and equipment
• Knowledge of materials and processes used in the field of ceramic art, including glaze calculation
• Meet the specific physical requirements and environmental exposures of the job including but not limited to lift/carry/push up to 100 lbs., work at heights up to 20 feet, operate large equipment and vehicles, work outside in a variety of weather and temperature extremes, exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, open flames, ability to give clear and precise instructions
• Experience with gas and electric ceramic kilns and their safety systems
• Certified forklift driver or ability to be certified soon after hire
• Experience with purchasing and budgeting of equipment and materials
• Ability to work with a diverse group of faculty, students, and staff
Preferred Qualifications
• BA/BS degree in studio arts with an emphasis in ceramics
• Four (4) years of related experience or a combination of related education and work experience to equal eight (8) years
• Experience teaching in ceramics at the undergraduate and graduate level
• Supervisory experience
• Ability to build and rebuild kilns
• Knowledge and training experience of safe practices in studio arts
• Certified forklift driver
• Knowledge of facilities and equipment in assigned areas
• Knowledge of materials and processes used in assigned areas
• Ability to instruct students in the safe operation of kilns and handling of materials
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Computer proficiency
About the Job
This is a 75 percent-time position providing health and safety and technical support for the ceramic facilities in the Department of Art. Provides instruction on ceramic equipment and health and safety methods and processes to undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty in the Department of Art’s ceramics facilities. Assist in the integration of ceramic technologies into Department of Art curriculum and research activities. Maintains, repairs, designs, and builds equipment in the ceramics area. Responsible for purchasing ceramics supplies and equipment. Reports to the Facilities and Technical Coordinator.
Ceramics Technical and Health and Safety Instruction – 30%
• Train graduate and undergraduate students and part-time faculty on ceramics equipment to for educational and research purposes -- provide broad knowledge of ceramic studio operations.
• Train graduate and undergraduate students and part-time faculty on health and safety processes and procedures of ceramic facilities including: 30 kilns and clay and glaze mixing.
• Collaborate with teaching faculty to integrate safety procedures of ceramic processes and methods into courses across Department of Art curriculum.
• Develop, maintain, and distribute ceramic safety instructional materials - digital and hardcopy and provide graduate and undergraduate students and faculty with technical reference materials that supplement course instruction.
• Teach workshops in a variety of technical and health and safety aspects of ceramics.
• Coordinate and supervise teaching assistant duties with area faculty and Director of Graduate Studies.
• Maintain excellent organizational skills and written, verbal, and interpersonal communications with faculty and staff.
• Oversee health and safety procedures and processes for ceramics facilities in the Regis Center for Art ensuring safe and efficient operation of the ceramics teaching facilities and proper working condition of ceramics equipment meeting EPA and OSHA standards.
• Serve as the expert user and instructor of ceramic production equipment including gas, electric and atmospheric kilns.
Equipment Safety and Maintenance Ceramics Area Technician - 30%
• Ensures safe and efficient operation of the ceramics equipment and teaching facilities, test ceramics equipment to ensure proper working condition, meet EPA and OSHA standards
• Maintain and repair (30) gas, electric, and wood-fired kilns, clay mixers and de-airing pug-mill, clay mixers, 37 pottery wheels including both electric and kick powered and other equipment in assigned areas.
• Assess the needs for new equipment, research new products, and present best product information to area faculty for discussion of future purchases.
• Provides safety and technical assistance to students and faculty for ceramic materials used in department courses.
• Support all technical aspects of ceramic facilities including glaze and clay chemistry development and mixing.
• Assesses the needs of the ceramics area for new equipment, research new products and present best product information to area faculty for discussion of future purchases
• Provides safety training, technical assistance, and material and equipment instruction to undergraduate and graduate students
Supervision – 20%
• Coordinate and supervise TA duties with Ceramics Area Faculty Representative and DGS
• Maintain excellent organizational skills, written, verbal and interpersonal
Purchasing and Fiscal Oversight – 20%
• Responsible for purchasing ceramics supplies and equipment
• Maintain inventory of consumable goods for assigned areas
• Identify vendors and pricing sources for supplies and equipment
• Consult with Facilities Coordinator and Department Chair on large expenditures for equipment and supplies
• Keep the Facilities and Technical Coordinator informed of inventory and fund balances
• Maintain inventory of consumable goods for assigned areas and purchase supplies and equipment in assigned areas.
• Monitor student fees use in ceramics related courses.
• Keep the Facilities and Technical Coordinator informed of inventory and fund balances.
• Research vendors and pricing to find the most economical source for supplies and equipment.
• Forecast and plan for large expenditures of equipment and supplies.
About the Department
At the Regis Center for Art, we believe that art has the power to transform our understanding of the world. The artistic practice and research undertaken by our students and professors has a lasting impact on the individual, the community and the environment, and resonates on visceral, emotional and philosophical levels.
We experiment, we take risks, we engage critically and collaboratively with one another. With our work, we help to provide crucial leadership and context to the ongoing, urgent societal conversations that are taking place at the university and beyond, about our roles and responsibilities to ourselves, to one another, and to the planet itself.
The Regis Center for Art is 145,000 square feet of studios, classrooms, labs, and galleries, incorporating state-of-the-art facilities in sculpture, foundry, ceramics, digital fabrication, imaging and editing, printmaking, drawing and painting studios, black and white photography labs, and digital moving image studios. Exhibition spaces include the 5,000 square foot Katherine E. Nash Gallery, the Regis West Gallery and the Quarter Gallery.
Our department provides instruction for graduate and undergraduate students in four areas of study: Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking, Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice, Photography and Moving Images and Sculpture and Ceramics. Our students benefit from the resources of a world-renowned institution dedicated to research, education, and outreach. Courses focus on the conceptual and material understanding of creative practice and also on the significance of art within the broader social and historical contexts in which it is made.
Our faculty are all accomplished, practicing artists with active exhibition careers, and their passion for teaching and research creates a rigorous and challenging environment for students.
Our urban location gives students access to one of the most vibrant and diverse arts communities in the nation, and proximity to internship and career opportunities across a wide spectrum of arts-related professions. Internationally renowned institutions such as the Weisman Art Museum, Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and numerous local galleries provide inspiration, resources, and exhibition opportunities.
After graduation, our students embark upon a wide variety of careers in studio practice, teaching, nonprofit arts organizations, and creative services. We are continually expanding collaborations with other academic departments, community, and international partners to provide students with pathways to professional opportunities in the arts and beyond.
How To Apply
Go to https://humanresources.umn.edu/jobs
Select either External Faculty and Staff Applicants or Current U Employees
In the keywords search box at top, enter 326640
Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume. Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Activities" page and uploading documents there. Position is open until filled.
To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647).
Diversity
The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.
The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu.
Background Check Information
Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.
About the U of M
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
