Ceramic Studio Staff

The Front Climbing Club; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 26,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full medical, dental, vision, and life

Short-term and long-term disability

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Free gym membership to The Front

Discounts on food and merchandise

Job summary

The Front Climbing Club’s Studio 1396 in Salt Lake City is seeking a Ceramics Studio Staff member. This full-time role centers on teaching, curriculum design, and hands-on studio operations, including handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing.

You’ll guide members, design lessons, and help maintain a vibrant ceramic community. Expect to oversee safety, manage kiln schedules, and collaborate on plans for indoor and outdoor planters, while nurturing a welcoming environment for all skill

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in studio work, higher ed, or trade training, with 2+ years hands-on in ceramics.
• Skilled across handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, surface techniques, and firing.
• Has taught ceramics before to any age or skill level and enjoys it.
• Clear communicator with ability to give constructive feedback.
• Mentors others and helps build an inclusive studio culture.
• Able to manage lesson planning, kiln schedules, and studio upkeep.
• Flexible schedule includes evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Build lesson plans, project outlines, and syllabi alongside management.
• Teach hands-on classes covering handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing.
• Keep the studio running by organizing tools, recycling clay, and overseeing kiln loads.
• Create a welcoming studio vibe where beginners feel comfortable asking questions.
• Walk members through studio safety and proper tool handling.
• Lend a hand producing planters for gym locations, indoors and out.
• Maintain department systems (SharePoint, SOPs, audits) up to date.
• Pitch in wherever else the studio or The Front needs you.

Skills

Teaching ceramics

Handbuilding

Wheel throwing

Glazing

Firing

Curriculum design

Communication

Mentoring

Tools

SharePoint

SOPs

Audits

Job description

Ceramics Studio Staff - Full-Time

Studio 1396 | Salt Lake City | $19–$21/hour, based on skillset and experience

Got Clay Under Your Fingernails and a Kiln Schedule Memorized?

If your idea of a good day involves centering clay on a wheel, coaxing a glaze to do something unexpected, and watching someone's face light up when they pull their first bowl off the bat - we should talk. Studio 1396 is looking for a Ceramics Studio Staff member to help our community fall in love with clay.

About The Front

The Front Climbing Club started life in the 80s as The Body Shop, and grew into Utah's first indoor climbing gym - one of the first in the country, period. Three facilities and a few decades later, we're still the same at our core: a place built for people to learn, grow, and get a little obsessed with something new. Studio 1396 is where that spirit shows up in clay instead of chalk - a working ceramics studio built for members who want to create with their hands.

About the Role

This is a full-time position based at Studio 1396 in Salt Lake City, paying $19–$21/hour depending on your experience and skillset. You'll design and teach curriculum alongside our studio management, guide members through handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing, and help run a working studio - from mixing reclaimed clay to loading the kiln. It's part teaching artist, part studio technician, and fully hands-on.

What You'll Do

• Build lesson plans, project outlines, and syllabi alongside management for members at every skill level
• Teach hands-on classes covering handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing
• Keep the studio running - organizing tools and materials, recycling and repugging clay, and helping oversee kiln loads and firing schedules
• Create a studio vibe that's welcoming, encouraging, and a little bit fearless - the kind of place where beginners feel comfortable asking questions
• Walk members through studio safety and proper tool handling so everyone can create with confidence
• Lend a hand producing planters for our gym locations, indoors and out
• Help keep department systems (SharePoint, SOPs, audits) organized and up to date
• Pitch in wherever else the studio - or The Front - needs you

What You Bring

You might be a great fit if:

• You've got at least 5 years of relevant experience between studio work, higher ed, or trade training - with 2+ of those years hands-on in a ceramics studio
• You're genuinely skilled across handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, surface techniques, and firing - and you're excited to keep leveling up
• You've taught ceramics before, to any age or skill level, and you actually enjoy it
• You communicate clearly, whether you're explaining a glaze chemistry quirk or giving feedback on a wobbly first pot
• You love mentoring people and building a studio culture where everyone feels like they belong
• You can juggle a full plate - lesson planning, kiln schedules, studio upkeep - without dropping any of it
• Your schedule has some flexibility, since evenings and weekends are part of studio life
• You care about the details, from a clean studio to a well-loaded kiln shelf
• You genuinely enjoy people, and you treat every member interaction as a chance to make their day better

Perks & Benefits

• Full medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability, plus accident coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Free gym membership to The Front
• Discounts on food and merchandise

Join Us!

Studio 1396 is a place where members come to make something with their hands and leave a little more inspired than when they walked in - and that starts with the people teaching and running the studio.

The Front Climbing Club is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and strives to create an inclusive environment for all.