Sculpture Studio Technician

Cornell University•Ithaca, MI

7d•$26 - $30•Onsite

About The Position

The Sculpture Studio Technician oversees the day-to-day operation and continued development of Cornell AAP’s Sculpture Studios. The technician keeps spaces, equipment, and shared resources organized, safe, functional, and ready for teaching, independent work, and research, while identifying improvements and following through on practical solutions. The role supports a broad range of sculpture and fabrication practices, including wood, metal, ceramics, mold making, soft sculpture, papermaking, laser cutting, and CNC. It involves refining studio layouts and storage, establishing operating routines, maintaining and repairing equipment, and helping assess equipment needs and carry out approved purchases, installations, and improvements. Working closely with Sculpture faculty, the technician prepares studios for courses and provides technical guidance on materials, processes, equipment, and fabrication challenges. The technician assists with in-class demonstrations, helps plan process-appropriate safety instruction, and trains thesis students, independent users, and others who need access outside Sculpture courses. The role also recruits, trains, schedules, and supervises student monitors who help operate the studios, including approved evening and weekend access, and prepares monitors for appropriate digital fabrication responsibilities. In collaboration with the Director of Material Practice, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Material Practice colleagues, and Rand Shop colleagues, the technician maintains safety practices, oversees chemical and regulated waste management, and helps improve training and access across the Sculpture and Rand woodshops. This position is 100% onsite in Ithaca. The schedule is Monday through Friday and may require work until 7 p.m.

Requirements

Associate degree and 2–4 years of relevant experience with sculpture, fabrication equipment, techniques, and safety practices in a shop or studio environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated knowledge of sculpture techniques and materials, including wood, casting, and ceramics.
Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud.
Ability to provide clear technical instruction and guidance to users with varying levels of experience.
Strong communication and customer service skills.
Sound judgment in assessing projects, equipment use, and safety.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an academic or shared-use studio or shop.
Experience supervising, training, or scheduling student employees or staff.
Experience with papermaking and metalworking.
Experience with CNC machining and laser cutting.
Experience maintaining equipment, implementing upgrades, or developing shop procedures and documentation.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations of the Sculpture Studios and keep spaces, equipment, and shared resources organized, safe, functional, and ready for use.
Refine studio layouts, storage, operating routines, and shared-resource use to meet evolving teaching and studio needs.
Maintain and repair equipment; assess equipment needs and carry out approved purchases, installations, and improvements.
Work with Sculpture faculty to understand courses and research and prepare studios to support course activities.
Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting on materials, processes, equipment, and fabrication challenges.
Assist with in-class demonstrations and help faculty develop safety instruction suited to course activities.
Train thesis students, independent users, and other users who need access outside Sculpture courses.
Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise student monitors who support studio operations and approved evening and weekend access.
Prepare student monitors for appropriate responsibilities involving digital fabrication equipment.
Collaborate with the Director of Material Practice, EHS, and Material Practice colleagues to maintain safety practices and oversee chemical and regulated waste management.
Work with Rand Shop colleagues to improve training and access across the Sculpture and Rand woodshops.