Digital Fabrication Technician

St. Olaf College; Northfield (MN); On-site; USD 29,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, invites applications for a part-time Digital Fabrication Technician in the Art and Art History department. The 0.38 FTE position supports teaching spaces and a digital fabrication lab, coordinating with faculty, staff, and students.

Responsibilities include maintaining equipment, safety compliance, training learners, inventory, and assisting with purchases, while evenings and weekends may be required during the semester.

Qualifications

• Education and experience equivalent to an associate degree in studio art or related field.
• Experience with digital fabrication, digital rendering software and equipment.
• A two-year degree or equivalent experience and a focus on studio art or related field.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to maintain a welcoming, safe computer lab.
• Train learners in digital fabrication, safety practices, and equipment operation.
• Lead student workers, schedule training, and coordinate safety protocols.
• Maintain equipment, inventory, and safety compliance in the lab.

Skills

Digital fabrication

Safety procedures

Training students

Lab equipment maintenance

Inventory management

Adobe Creative Cloud

CAD software

CNC programming basics

3D printers

Laser cutter / CNC router

Education

Two-year degree or equivalent experience

Studio art focus

Driver’s license

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

CAD software

CNC programming software

3D printers

Laser cutter

CNC router

Job description

Job Description

Position Title: Digital Fabrication Technician

Department: Art and Art History

Classification: Non-Exempt

FTE: 0.38

Work Schedule: 25 hours per week; hours to be worked Monday through Friday and hours will be coordinated based on the current semester schedule with some occasional evening and weekend hours. Ongoing position from August 15th through June 15th, offering summers off.

Work Location: On Campus

Hourly Rate: $21-$22.50

This part-time technician supports the teaching and learning spaces for St. Olaf College’s studio art program, with a special focus on digital fabrication. This position requires a high degree of competency with the materials and health and safety practices necessary to maintain classroom facilities and a digital fabrication lab. The technician will work closely with our faculty, other technical staff, and students to support the studio art curriculum. A high degree of responsibility, flexibility, and awareness of the studios’ needs is required.

Essential Job Duties

• People and Teaching:
  • Collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere in the computer labs while maintaining safety protocols.
  • Train students, staff, and faculty in digital fabrication, health and safety practices, running and maintaining relevant equipment. Coordinate with the Studio Technician on safety.
  • Help develop a student work job within digital fabrication and subsequently leads training, scheduling and supervisory roles for these student workers.
  • Demonstrate a serious commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Equipment and Supplies:
  • Ensure that digital fabrication lab equipment is maintained in a safe, clean, and orderly condition in compliance with safety procedures and state and federal regulations.
  • Regularly inventory and maintain digital fabrication lab equipment, perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on digital fabrication lab equipment, and maintain adequate stock of materials.
  • Recommend the purchase of new equipment as needed. Research vendors, pricing, delivery timelines; coordinate with the Technical Supervisor on purchases. Prepare all necessary materials for the digital fabrication lab. Regularly inventory photography and fabrication lab supplies and required studio/laboratory materials to maintain adequate stock.
  • Ensure proper storage and disposal of digital fabrication lab materials.
  • Coordinate with the Technical Supervisor on work requests to Facilities.
• Other Duties:
  • Attend meetings, workshops, and other events to obtain current subject matter information and resources.
  • Maintain professional relationships with other staff in similar positions on campus and at other institutions.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received And Exercised

• Reports to the Department Chair of Art and Art History and the Technical Supervisor.
• This position supervises students and in the next phase will supervise student workers as well.

Required Qualifications

• Education:
  • A two-year degree or equivalent experience.
  • A focus on studio art or a related field.
  • Maintain a valid driver’s license and meet St. Olaf College’s driver authorization criteria with a satisfactory driving record.
• Experience:
  • Education and experience equivalent to completion of an associate degree in studio art or a related field.
  • Experience working in digital fabrication: digital rendering software and equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: A two-year or four-year degree in studio art or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience: 2+ years of experience in digital fabrication and the ability to teach these processes. Mechanical and/or construction experience.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Administrative & Management Experience:
  • Confidence in using independent judgment in decision making.
  • Developed organizational and task management skills.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Experience with inventory, setup, and maintenance of detailed records:
  • Knowledge of and commitment to health and safety as they apply to digital fabrication materials, processes, and regulations.
  • Computer proficiency with programs such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Computer Aided Design, and CNC programming software. Ability to adapt knowledge to equivalent software previously used to those used at St. Olaf College and within the Art and Art History Department. Ability to learn new software as needed.
  • Knowledge of safe practices with digital fabrication equipment, including, in order of importance: (1) 3D printers, (2) laser cutter, and (3) CNC router.
  • Willingness to learn new skills and applications relevant to digital fabrication practices.
  • Proficiency in maintenance and repair of digital fabrication equipment and machinery.
• Interpersonal Skills:
  • Ability to build and maintain positive and cooperative working relationships.
  • Strong work ethic.
  • Ability to work independently, collaboratively, and proactively.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a culturally conscious manner with diverse groups of students, staff, and faculty.
  • Demonstrated interest in working with college students engaged in active learning environments.
• Physical Requirements:
  • This position requires bending, stooping, pulling, pushing, reaching overhead, kneeling, standing and sitting for extended periods of time, and lifting and moving objects of up to 25 lbs. It also requires exposure to noise, chemicals, fumes, dust, and odors in order to perform the essential functions. Must possess the ability to safely perform the physical work required of all duties.

Prerequisites

Employment in this position is conditioned upon successful completion of a background check which may include criminal background checks, reference checks, verification of work history, verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, a motor vehicle check, verification of DOT certification, a credit check, employment eligibility verification, and/or a pre-employment physical. Whether a background check is deemed successfully completed will be at the sole discretion of St. Olaf College. Please note, St. Olaf College reserves the right to conduct periodic background checks at its sole discretion.

Disclaimer

• This position may require you to report early, stay late or work different shifts depending on staffing levels. It may also require you to perform all essential job functions whenever needed and during campus emergencies when necessary.
• This job description is for general information purposes. It is not intended to list all duties and responsibilities of the position. This job description is subject to change at any time by St. Olaf College, with or without prior notice.

About Us

Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff. The college is located on a picturesque 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota, a vibrant, historic river town of 20,000 located 45 minutes south of culturally rich and diverse Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The college offers an academically rigorous, nationally ranked liberal arts education that fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit and emphasizes learning in an inclusive and globally engaged community. We encourage applications from candidates committed to multicultural understanding and the enrichment of our diverse community.

The college offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 9% retirement match, contributions to eligible employees' health savings accounts, a significant tuition discount (up to a 90% reduction) at ACM, GLCA, and ELCA colleges and universities for employees' children, and generous paid time off. For a full review of the college's benefits, please see the summary of our benefits here: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/benefits/

To provide a safe and secure educational environment, St. Olaf College verifies the accuracy of all credentials presented by applicants and conducts a criminal background check on every new hire.

A summary of the Flexible Work Policy for staff: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/flexible-work-policy/

A link to our Community and Belonging page: https://wp.stolaf.edu/equity-inclusion/

A virtual campus tour: https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?p=483

An overview of Northfield: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/northfield/

An overview of the Twin Cities: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/twincities/

For Staff Application Assistance

[e-mail]

507-786-3068

For Faculty Application Assistance

[e-mail]

507-786-3356

Nondiscrimination Policy

St. Olaf College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. St. Olaf College prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon these and any other legally protected status in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admissions and employment.

Inquiries about this nondiscrimination policy may be referred to St. Olaf College's Director of Equal Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. St. Olaf's Director of Equal Opportunity (who serves as the College's Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504 Coordinator) is Pamela McDowell, Tomson Hall, [e-mail] , [phone].