3D Lecturer/Lab Technician in Ceramics

UNC Charlotte; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Charlotte invites applications for a lecturer in Ceramics within the Department of Art & History. The role focuses on teaching undergraduate Ceramics Wheel 1 and 2, Handbuilding, and 3D Foundations while overseeing a comprehensive ceramics studio.

The successful candidate will bring MFA credentials, exhibit evidence of teaching excellence, and participate in budgeting, safety, and coordination of student workers. Starts August 16, 2027, with a nine‑month contract.

Qualifications

• MFA in the teaching discipline required by the date of appointment.
• Minimum two semesters of documented college-level teaching experience with an emphasis in ceramics.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate university courses: Ceramics Wheel 1 and 2, Handbuilding, and 3D Foundations.
• Manage a comprehensive ceramics studio and facilities.
• Budgeting and purchasing; kiln firing; equipment maintenance; safety protocols; coordinate work-study students; provide technical assistance for ceramic faculty.

Skills

Ceramics teaching

Interdisciplinary trends

Studio management

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

MFA in teaching discipline

Tools

Ceramics equipment

Job description

The Department of Art & Art History empowers students to broaden their creative perspectives through rigorous engagement with Art, Design, Art History, and Art Education. Our programs cultivate innovative studio methods, scholarly research, and arts pedagogy, operating on the premise that art and visual culture are vital to our academic community and broader society. Currently, the department awards a BFA in Graphic Design, a BA in Art (with an Art Education concentration), and a BFA in Art featuring six concentration areas, alongside an Art History minor and an Honors Program in Art History. Furthermore, our faculty support the broader University General Education program.

The B.F.A. in Art with a concentration in 3D Interdisciplinary Studies: Art in Space brings together Ceramics, Digital Fabrication, Fibers, and Sculpture to offer a contemporary and flexible approach to making art in three dimensions. This area exposes students to a mix of materials—including clay, fabric, wood, metal, and 3D-printed components to create functional pottery, sculptural forms, installation environments, wearable pieces, and digitally fabricated structures. Introductory courses focus on materials and techniques, while advanced courses support self-directed projects and the development of a personal artistic voice.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of this lecturer position include teaching undergraduate university courses and maintaining the Ceramics lab facilities. Assigned courses may include Ceramics Wheel 1 and 2, Handbuilding, and 3D Foundations. This position may, at times, be assigned to teach advanced Ceramics and beginning-level Sculpture courses. The candidate is expected to understand interdisciplinary trends in contemporary ceramics. In addition to teaching, the person in this position will manage a comprehensive ceramics studio. Duties will include: budgeting and purchasing; kiln firing; equipment maintenance; maintaining and enforcing safety protocols; hiring and coordinating work-study students; and providing technical assistance for ceramic faculty.

Minimum Education/Experience Requirements:

An MFA in the teaching discipline or a related discipline is required by the date of appointment. Candidates must have a minimum of two semesters of documented college-level teaching experience with an emphasis in ceramics. Graduate teaching experience as an instructor of record can count toward this requirement.

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• The ability to teach Ceramics Wheel 1 and 2, Handbuilding, and 3D Foundations
• An understanding of interdisciplinary trends in contemporary ceramics and ability to teach interdisciplinary courses.
• Ability to manage a comprehensive ceramics studio, including: budgeting and purchasing, equipment maintenance, kiln firing and safety, and coordination of work-study students.
• Ability to teach additional courses, such as: kiln building, glaze and material research, mold making, digital fabrication, and ceramic design.
• Competence working in a comprehensive 3d studio that includes a woodshop, metal shop, and foundry
• While Lecturers are not evaluated on research practice, a record of studio accomplishment, engagement with professional organizations, and an active research agenda are highly valued.
• Evidence of effective communication skills; collaboration; working supportively in a professional learning community.

Starts August 16, 2027. Salary and start up package commensurate with qualifications. The nine-month contract includes 4 courses per year (2/2 course load) with potential for summer teaching for additional compensation. Hiring is subject to budget availability.

Please note that applicants will be subject to a criminal background check.

This position is subject to research-security screening. As part of the application, applicants must disclose, either in their CV or in a separate document submitted with the application, all current appointments or affiliations with foreign institutions or organizations, foreign research support, and ongoing research collaborations with foreign institutions, organizations, or their personnel. Before candidates advance to an on-campus interview, the university will review this information and other publicly available information for relationships involving institutions on the current Section 1286 list and any other applicable U.S. restricted-party lists. A disclosed or identified relationship does not automatically disqualify a candidate. As a condition of employment, a selected candidate must resolve any relationship the university determines would violate applicable law or sponsor requirements or materially impair the candidate’s or the university’s eligibility for federal funding.

About the College and Department:

The Department of Art & Art History is one of five units housed in the College of Arts + Architecture, which includes Dance, Music, Theatre, and the School of Architecture. The Department is accredited by NASAD, consists of 31 full-time faculty and nearly 400 art students. The Department offers a BFA in Art with 6 studio concentration areas (3D Interdisciplinary Studies: Art in Space,Digital Media and Game Design, Illustration, Painting, Print Media, and Photography), and a BFA in Graphic Design. In addition to the BFA degrees, it offers a BA in Art History, BA in Art (with a concentration in Art Education) and a minor in Art History. For more information, see https://coaa.charlotte.edu/.

About the University:

UNC Charlotte is categorized as an R1 doctoral-granting institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Located in one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas, the University is approximately 10 miles from uptown on an expanding modern campus. It is part of one of the oldest public university systems in the US and offers approximately 33,000 students a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. For more information about the university, please see https://www.charlotte.edu/.