Studio Operations Manager - Digital Fabrications

California College of the Arts•San Francisco, CA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Studio Operations Manager (SOM) - Digital Fabrication is responsible for the administration and oversight of Digital Fabrication Studios and provides assistance to the Furniture Design Studios of the California College of the Arts; this includes the Lasers & 3D Printer studios, CNC, Digital Craft Lab, and the Furniture Machine Room. Additionally this position coordinates with other staff and faculty on the administration and oversight of the Resource Hub, Furniture Studio, Metal Shop, Spray Booth & Casting Room, Sanding & Finishing Room, and Model/Omni Wood Shop. The SOM reports to the Associate Director of Studio Operations at CCA, working to guide, develop and manage daily shop and studio operations. The Studio Operations Manager - Digital Fabrication manages Studio Managers (Digital), Graduate Student Assistants, and student workers to create an open, accessible and safe learning environment and to demonstrate and uphold positive and professional studio culture at CCA. This person is responsible for coordinating with Studio Managers, Program Chairs, Academic Administration, and CCA faculty to ensure consistent, reliable, and appropriate support in the studio teaching and learning environments. The SOM helps bridge gaps between ideation and execution for teaching faculty and College administration; they help studio staff navigate administrative and technical complexities to get tangible results for students and faculty. In order to provide informed leadership and support to their team, the Studio Operations Manager is required to have significant direct experience and knowledge of digital fabrication, and to have the interest and capability to build their skill set in all of the areas that they supervise staff in; they should be capable of providing front-line service to students and studio users as needed. The SOM coordinates development and delivery of safety orientations and studio use and access policies in the Digital Fabrication Studios, ensures that College policies and procedures are applied consistently and correctly across their unit, and maintains studio compliance with regulations for health, life, and safety. Experience with a student population is key; the Studio Operations Managers work directly with studio users and interact on a daily basis with students, including many international students and English-language learners, shaping their CCA educational journey. The Studio Operations Manager coordinates with Studio Operations leadership on budget planning, including sourcing materials, supplies and equipment to support courses and plan for future studio needs, and participates in campus-wide projects for campus unification and studio sustainability. Please note that CCA is transitioning and working towards a wind down of operations with the 2027 academic year.

Requirements

BA or BFA required.
3+ years working experience in the area of supervision.
3+ years of management and/or leadership experience in art, design and/or higher education.
Confident using independent judgment in decision making.
Leadership experience, proven success developing relationships across organizations.
Highly developed organizational and task management skills; strong verbal and written communication skills.
Two years of budget management experience required: planning and executing annual operating budgets; tracking ongoing purchases; prioritizing major expenditures; coordinating with colleagues and leadership to support departmental priorities.
Knowledge of a broad range of physical materials and fabrication techniques.
Knowledge of and commitment to environmental health and safety regulations and best practices.
Digital fabrication experience required.
Familiarity using a variety of software applications including G Suite, Excel, Adobe Illustrator, CAD applications and Mac/Apple proficiency.
Technical expertise in wood, metal, and polymer fabrication required, including a thorough knowledge of use and maintenance of hand and power tools, as well as stationary equipment found in heavy-making studios and shops.
Ability to work in a culturally-competent manner with diverse groups.
Strong work ethic; ability to work independently and proactively.
Must demonstrate competence, reliability, and honesty.
Proven success establishing and maintaining positive and cooperative working relationships; commitment to quality of service.
Must possess a valid California driver's license.
Ability and knowledge to use industrial moving equipment such as: forklift; scissors lift, pallet jacks, etc. required.

Nice To Haves

Practicing artist, designer, or craftsperson preferred.
Experience working within a team, managing a team and working with students is preferred.
Familiarity working with unions and collective bargaining agreements is preferred.

Responsibilities

Management and oversight of Digital Studio Managers that supervise day-to-day operations and provide front-line support to the Lasers & 3D Printer studios, CNC, and Digital Craft Lab.
Coordinates with other staff and faculty on the administration and oversight of the Resource Hub and Furniture Studio.
May supervise Graduate Student Assistants and student workers.
Works with Studio Operations team and faculty leadership to develop, coordinate, and maintain policies for studio access, health, and safety.
Ensures that these policies and procedures are communicated to the College community and used by studio staff, faculty, and students.
Responsible for implementing policies and procedures, ensuring safe use and appropriate conduct in the studios.
Ensures that urgent conduct issues are escalated to the correct College authorities.
Supports and ensures productive and appropriate professional collaboration between studio staff, student workers, and faculty.
Consults with leadership on studio budgets for materials, equipment, labor, and capital projects; works with leadership and stakeholders on annual and long-term budget development.
Ensures that Studio Operations documents and systems such as orientation manuals, studio contracts, maintenance logs, equipment inventories, studio websites, checkout systems, scheduling applications, hazardous materials documentation, and SDS records are current, accurate, and easily accessible.
Coordinates with academic partners and Studio Operations colleagues to allocate funding, space, and staffing for course and program support.
Collaborates with Studio Operations leadership and Program Chairs to plan equipment purchasing, maintenance, and refresh; makes periodic assessments to ensure that equipment spending is effective, appropriate, and in accord with College curricular priorities.
Ensures that regular and structured communication takes place throughout the academic year between Studio Operations staff and academic, technical, and administrative stakeholders.
Responsible for annual performance reviews of full-time staff, for soliciting ongoing feedback from academic partners, and for ongoing check-ins to ensure staff alignment with College goals and priorities.
Creates and delivers orientations for specific tools and techniques in the studios; collaborates with colleagues to maintain continuity across all campus studios, and with Chairs and program faculty to ensure compatibility with teaching practices and curricular goals.
Collaborates with program Chairs on development and execution of short and long-term studio-based projects and initiatives, such as the introduction of new technologies and materials, studio sustainability, or faculty/staff training.
Holds instructors accountable for teaching safety standards; works with academic leadership and expert faculty to develop and communicate safety and use policies in accordance with government regulations, risk-management requirements, and best discipline practices.
Ensures that all studio staff are provided with all required training, guidance, and supervision needed to maintain a safe and effective studio environment.
Works directly in area studios as needed to support Studio Managers and student workers.
Works with Studio Operations team and academic partners on content, scheduling and delivery of studio user orientations, ensuring that safety rules, shop policies, and essential instructions for use are consistently communicated and applied throughout the operation.
Collaborates with leadership, academic partners, CCA Facilities & Operations, and contractors on design, planning, and management of large-scale studio improvements.
Supports Studio Manager team on budgeting, planning, and execution of in-house projects.
Ensures that studio staff are performing and documenting equipment maintenance and repairs; provides or procures training as needed.
Supervises and/or assists Studio Managers in managing vendors, technicians, contractors; assists them with relationship-building and collaboration with internal CCA departments such as Facilities & Operations, Academic Administration, and the Business Services Office.
Researches, plans, and implements area-specific reuse/recycling systems.
Offers technical oversight and back-up support for other CCA studios.
Participates in institutional committees and program meetings.
Manages students in distress.
Serves as a member of the College’s Emergency Response Team.
Performs additional duties as required.