3D Fine Arts Lab Lead Technician

3D Fine Arts Lab Lead Technician

The 3D Fine Arts Lab Lead Technician is crucial to the 3D Arts program, ensuring student success by managing the ceramics studio, glaze area, kiln room, sculpture studio and sculpture classroom. The position will be responsible to maintain equipment, uphold safety protocols, and keep labs ready for student and instructional use, which allows instructors to focus more on teaching and feedback, enhancing student learning outcomes. Overall, the 3D Fine Arts Lab Lead Technician is indispensable for maintaining a functional and safe learning environment, managing resources effectively, and supporting both technical and artistic aspects of 3D Fine Arts education.

Duties and Tasks

• Manages and maintains ceramics and sculpture labs for traditional and contemporary ceramics processes, ensuring all working areas are fully operational to support effective instruction.
• Responsible for maintaining an extensive equipment inventory.
• Manages, maintains, and repairs equipment, including ceramic wheels, kilns, glaze formulation scales, table saw, hack saw, scroll saw, jigsaw, belt sanders, palm sanders, nail guns, spray booths, 3D printers and scanners, and a wide array of hand tools for both ceramic and sculpture.
• Coordinates open studio hours and staff schedules; monitors shift coverage and studio operations while liaising with the division office.
• Coordinates gallery installation, preparation, and de-installation for the annual 3D Fine Art show or annual topics show, and pop-up shows.
• Supports the 3D Fine Arts program with administrative work, including purchasing, inventory of equipment, and other record keeping. Serves as the program's designated Inventory Liaison for college-wide inventory reconciliation.
• Assists faculty in daily classroom instruction and preparation, providing technical support as needed.
• Provides direct support to 3D Fine Arts students and solves problems with equipment and software.
• Supervises and assists students using the facilities and equipment outside of classes.

Minimum Qualifications: KSA's

• Must be familiar with the function, use, and construction of a wide range of 3D Fine Arts equipment related to both ceramics and sculpture.
• Ability to maintain, troubleshoot, clean, calibrate, and repair a wide range of equipment.
• Must have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills and be able to work with faculty and students cooperatively.
• Proven ability to program, load, and operate computer-controlled electric kilns.
• Self-directedness is crucial for this role to manage multiple labs independently.
• Ability to take the initiative in problem-solving.
• Ability to maintain expertise through self-learning.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to provide clear technical instruction to a diverse population of students and faculty.
• Knowledge in a wide array of sculpture processes. Examples include: ceramics, wood fabrication, plaster casting, and mold-making.

Minimum Work Experience

• Experience managing the equipment, processes, and daily functions of a ceramics and sculpture laboratory.
• Experience with tracking inventory and staff scheduling.
• Experience in the advanced operation and routine maintenance of industrial laboratory equipment.
• Experience with basic software programs, including Microsoft Excel.
• Experience working in a professional Fine Arts studio environment, or academic laboratory.

Additional Considerations

• Experience in the management of ceramics and sculpture laboratory facilities.
• Previous experience as a 3D Fine Arts Laboratory Technician or in a comparable role.
• Experience or interest in emerging technologies, such as 3D scanning, 3D printing, and digital fabrication as applied to fine arts.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer