Fabrication Lead Instructor

Community Craft Works; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Craft Works at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem seeks a Fabrication Lead Instructor to guide 16 students through foundational hand-tool work to advanced digital fabrication, including CNC routing and 3D printing. The role emphasizes safety, tool certification, and progress toward the WCA certificate within a structured, school-based program.

The instructor collaborates with an in-kind assistant and Safety Lead to maintain supervision ratios, coordinate with the Design Pathway, and

Qualifications

• Associate degree or higher; or documented industry credentials/experience equivalent to postsecondary training.
• Minimum 3 years paid professional experience in woodworking, carpentry, fabrication, or a related trade.
• Willingness to operate and be trained on desktop CNC router and 3D laser printer, with safety responsibility.
• Willingness to complete Woodwork Career Alliance Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE) training to administer the WCA Sawblade Certificate.
• Must pass DOE-standard fingerprinting/background check prior to first day.

Responsibilities

• Delivers the Fabrication Pathway curriculum (Fabrication I in Semester 1, Fabrication II in Semester 2) to a cohort of 16 students five times weekly, aligned to NYS CDOS standards.
• Teaches Semester 1 hand-tool fundamentals and Semester 2 tool progression.
• Facilitates OSHA-10 Construction Safety and First Aid/CPR certification at Semester 2 start and sequences tool introductions with safety checks.
• Sets up and zeroes the CNC router and enforces supervised operation of CNC and 3D laser printer; ensures ventilation and safety protocols.
• Guides Capstone Build, The New Gothic Revival, using CAD/CAM files provided by Design II students.
• Leads Semester 2 touchpoints and coordinates with the Design Pathway on feasibility and file handoffs.
• Evaluates and prepares students for the WCA Sawblade Certificate and pursues ASE training as needed.
• Maintains shop tools, CNC router, 3D printer, safety logs, and completes safety and maintenance checks.
• Tracks attendance and CDOS hours, supports students missing content, and conducts makeup briefings.
• Co-teaches 8th Grade Intro to Design & Fabrication with the Design Lead Instructor when funded.

Skills

Woodworking

Carpentry

Fabrication

CNC Router

3D Printer

Safety Awareness

ASE Training

Education

Associate degree or higher

Tools

CNC Router

3D Laser Printer

Job description

The Fabrication Lead Instructor leads the Fabrication Pathway of CCW's Fabrication & Design Program at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem, guiding a dedicated cohort of 16 students from foundational hand-tool craftsmanship through supervised power-tool and digital-fabrication work - including a desktop CNC router and 3D laser printer - to a shared capstone piece. Two additional adults, an in-kind DOE Assistant Instructor and a Safety Lead, are present in the classroom for all Fabrication sessions, bringing the pathway's supervision ratio to approximately 5.3:1 given the power tools, CNC router, and 3D laser printer introduced in Semester 2. Fabrication and Design are staffed and delivered independently - with no shared classroom coverage between the two - but connect through scheduled touchpoints each semester and the year's shared capstone, The New Gothic Revival. The role carries direct responsibility for shop safety, tool certification, and student progress toward the WCA Sawblade Certificate, an industry-recognized credential from the Woodwork Career Alliance.

Position Overview

The Fabrication Lead Instructor leads the Fabrication Pathway of CCW's Fabrication & Design Program at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem, guiding a dedicated cohort of 16 students from foundational hand-tool craftsmanship through supervised power-tool and digital-fabrication work - including a desktop CNC router and 3D laser printer - to a shared capstone piece. Two additional adults, an in-kind DOE Assistant Instructor and a Safety Lead, are present in the classroom for all Fabrication sessions, bringing the pathway's supervision ratio to approximately 5.3:1 given the power tools, CNC router, and 3D laser printer introduced in Semester 2. Fabrication and Design are staffed and delivered independently - with no shared classroom coverage between the two - but connect through scheduled touchpoints each semester and the year's shared capstone, The New Gothic Revival. The role carries direct responsibility for shop safety, tool certification, and student progress toward the WCA Sawblade Certificate, an industry-recognized credential from the Woodwork Career Alliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivers the Fabrication Pathway curriculum (Fabrication I in Semester 1, Fabrication II in Semester 2) in 45-minute sessions five times weekly to a cohort of 16 students, following CCW's established scope and sequence, aligned to New York State CDOS standards.
• Teaches Semester 1 hand-tool fundamentals - measurement, layout, marking, and basic joinery using hand saw, chisel, mallet, hand drill, marking gauge, and sanding block - enforcing the hand-tools-only rule until Semester 2, and guides students through a practice board, joint sample board, and an individual Personal Storage Box project presented at a peer showcase.
• Facilitates OSHA-10 Construction Safety and First Aid/CPR certification at the opening of Semester 2, then introduces Semester 2 tools one at a time in sequence - cordless drill/driver (Week 4), impact driver (Week 5), random orbital sander (Week 6), oscillating multitool (Week 7), and jigsaw (Week 8) - each preceded by a mandatory 20-minute safety demonstration and signed safety acknowledgment.
• Sets up and zeroes the CNC router for each job and enforces supervised-only operation of both the CNC router and 3D laser printer, including ventilation/fire safety protocol during laser printer operation, culminating in the Capstone Build (Weeks 8-13).
• Guides students through the Capstone Build of the year's capstone piece, The New Gothic Revival , working from CAD/CAM files delivered by Design II students: the CNC router cuts structural profiles, the 3D laser printer prints tracery and detail profiles, and hand-tool joinery and finishing complete the piece.
• Leads two touchpoints in Semester 2 (aligned to the oscillating multitool and jigsaw introductions), coordinating with the Design Pathway on feasibility review and cross-pathway file handoff.
• Evaluates and prepares students for the WCA Sawblade Certificate (a written test plus demonstration of 5 tool operations / 10 skill points), and completes - or is working toward - Woodwork Career Alliance Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE) training, required to administer the credential.
• Works alongside the in-kind DOE Assistant Instructor and Safety Lead assigned to the Fabrication classroom to maintain required instructor-to-student supervision ratios during power-tool and machine sessions.
• Tracks attendance and CDOS hour documentation, and supports students who miss sessions in catching up on missed content, including mandatory make-up briefings for any missed power-tool or machine safety demonstration.
• Maintains shop tools, the CNC router, and the 3D laser printer, and safety logs; completes biannual shop safety refresher and equipment maintenance checks.
• Leads Career Week activities and the final skills assessment closing Semester 2, alongside the Community Showcase.
• Co-teaches the 8th Grade Intro to Design & Fabrication course alongside the Design Lead Instructor, contingent on additional funding being secured for that course.
• Participates in required professional development: pre-program curriculum and safety orientation, IEP/ELL roster review, and semester-end debriefs.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or higher; OR documented industry credentials/experience equivalent to postsecondary training.
• Minimum 3 years paid professional experience in woodworking, carpentry, fabrication, or a related trade.
• Working knowledge of, or willingness to be trained on, desktop CNC router and 3D laser printer operation and safety.
• Willingness to complete Woodwork Career Alliance Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE) training in order to administer the WCA Sawblade Certificate.
• Must pass DOE-standard fingerprinting/background check prior to first day.

Work Environment

Work is performed primarily in a school fabrication shop setting involving standing for extended periods, close supervision of students using hand tools, power tools, and CNC/3D-laser-printer equipment, alongside two additional adults present in the classroom, and required use of personal protective equipment (safety glasses, hearing protection, dust masks, and ventilation/fire precautions during 3D laser printer operation).