Technician, Sewing and Soft Construction (fixed term)
The New School
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
The New School's Parsons School for Design is seeking a Full-time Technician in Sewing and Soft Construction for the Making Center. This hands-on role supports sewing, shoemaking, and soft construction spaces, interfacing with students and faculty daily, in a fast-paced, year-round environment.
You will oversee tool checkout, supervise student workers, and help with safety, documentation, and demonstrations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or 3 years relevant experience.
- Flexible schedule with nights and weekends possible.
- Complete required staff trainings and COFs within 6 months.
- Proficient in WebCheckout or current equipment management system within 6 months.
- Knowledge of industrial sewing and soft construction techniques.
- Technical knowledge of multiple industrial sewing machines.
- Able to lift up to 50 lbs.
Responsibilities
- Maintain a safe, clean shop and respectful culture.
- Troubleshoot, repair, and support hardware/software in labs.
- Assist faculty and students in making activities.
- Lead equipment demos and trainings.
- Manage purchases and recommendations.
- Create and maintain technical documentation for labs.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
At The New School, we redefine the boundaries of education, creativity, and innovation. Founded in 1919 and located in the heart of New York City, we are home to over 9,000 students from over 100 countries, offering more than 135 degree and diploma programs across our renowned colleges, including Parsons School of Design, The New School for Social Research, Eugene Lang college of Liberal Arts, Parsons Paris, and the College of Performing Arts. Our progressive, interdisciplinary approach has earned us recognition as one of the most forward-thinking institutions in the world.
POSITION/ROLE OVERVIEW
Parsons School for Design, a division of The New School, seeks a Full-time Technician in Sewing and Soft Construction for the Making Center. Parsons Making Center is a collection of more than 70,000 sq. ft. of labs, shops, studios, and open workspaces that provide curricular support for making across a broad range of mediums and disciplines and supports experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Technician should be a personable, proactive, detail-oriented individual who will become integral to the daily workings of the facilities within the Making Center, with the ability to learn new skills and technologies as needed. This is a fast-paced, dynamic environment that runs year-round. The Technician will interface with students and faculty daily and work with Making Center staff to support multiple processes and resources for all users in a range of making spaces including the sewing, shoemaking, tool checkout/store, and soft construction facilities. This is an administrative position, governed by a Local 1205 Teamsters union contract, that reports to the Assistant Manager of Sewing and Soft Construction. The hire is for a 3-year fixed term subject to end unless otherwise approved for renewal.
- Maintain a clean and safe working environment and uphold a respectful shop culture for students, faculty, and staff.
- Work with other Making Center staff on the troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, installation, continuous operation, and support for a variety of hardware/software and technologies.
- Assist faculty and students.
- Lead demo sessions about various pieces of equipment.
- Make hardware/software purchases and process recommendations.
- Create web page content.
- Create and conduct orientations, trainings, and tours.
- Participate in the onboarding process for new technician staff, through peer-to-peer trainings and skills sharing.
- Maintain administrative systems for scheduling, record-keeping, inventory, and metric tracking.
- Provide support for store and tool checkout functions as related to assigned areas.
- Oversee daily workings of the Making Center facilities as assigned.
- Supervise student workers, including training, tracking accountability, and assigning tasks during shifts.
- Oversee tool and equipment checkout for both in-shop/lab use and off-site special requests.
- Create clear, accurate, user-friendly technical documentation, signage, and instructions for labs and equipment.
- Assist with facility improvement projects and special Making Center, program, school or Parsons-wide initiatives as needed.
- Adapt to changes in the work environment; adjust approach and prioritize competing demands as necessary.
- Provide a high level of customer service, maintaining a positive and professional demeanor and attitude in all interactions with students, faculty, and staff.
- Cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment with productive and positive workplace relationships.
- Stay current with relevant technology and developments within the field.
- Attend regularly scheduled Making Center staff meetings and perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.
- A Bachelor’s Degree and/or 3 years of relevant or professional experience within the industry.
- Flexible schedule - ability to work non-traditional schedules that may include nights and weekends, in addition to schedule shifts with semester changes.
- Completion of university required staff trainings and necessary COF's for all Making Center Facilities within the first 6 months of employment.
- Become proficient in WebCheckout or current equipment management system within the first 6 months of employment.
- Knowledge of industrial sewing and soft construction techniques, finishing, and troubleshooting for traditional garment and accessory construction, as well as experimental projects.
- Technical knowledge of a variety of industrial sewing techniques and machinery.
- Confidence in threading, safe operation and maintenance of sewing machines.
- Mechanical understanding, with a strong desire to learn how to troubleshoot and maintain several different types of industrial machines for repair and maintenance purposes.
- Understanding of working in a cross-platform (Windows and macOS) environment.
- Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud and Google Suite.
- Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, close attention to detail, and strong organizational and time management abilities.
- Strong ability to assist students working in an interdisciplinary and/or experimental manner from concept to fabrication.
- A desire to learn new skills and processes related to Parsons Making Center initiatives.
- Ability to handle objects weighing up to 25 lbs and on occasion may be expected to lift objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Experience with specialized industrial sewing machinery such as lockstitch, overlock, coverstitch, flatlock, post, walking foot, blind hem, chainstitch, embroidery.
- Experience with shoe making processes, leatherwork, and fiber art practices.
- Experience with fashion production processes such as patternmaking and textile manipulation.
- Experience with basic building and hand tools.
- Experience assessing and maintaining industrial sewing machines.
- Knowledge of Webcheckout or comparable equipment management systems.
- Experience with large-scale hardware and software deployments.
- Experience with Juki, Consew, Brother, and Singer sewing machinery.
This position is primarily in-person and is based on campus to support effective in-person collaboration and engagement.
$28.52 per hour/$51,906.40 per annum
This is an extraordinary opportunity to work closely with a visionary leader and contribute meaningfully to a forward-thinking institution that’s reshaping the future of higher education. You’ll be at the nexus of strategy, operations, and innovation in a role that grows with your impact.
- Health & Wellness Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Financial Wellness
- Retirement plan administered by TIAA
- Qualified Transportation Expense Plan
- Work-Life Balance
- Paid vacation and sick leave, with accruals starting on your first day
- Paid holidays and floating holidays
- Workmode & Telework Policy (if applicable)
- Professional Growth
- Career advancement and professional development opportunities
- Access to university programs, lectures, and events featuring world-renowned speakers and organizations
- Tuition waiver benefit for eligible employees and dependents
- Additional Perks
- Employee discounts with local vendors and service providers
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, marital or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The New School recognizes and values the benefits of a diverse workforce.
Interview finalists will be asked to come in for an in-person interview in which their technical skills will be assessed. We look forward to receiving your application! Since our founding in 1919, The New School has redrawn and redefined the boundaries of intellectual and creative thought as a preeminent academic center. At our university, students have the academic freedom to shape their unique, individual paths for a complex and rapidly changing world. As a New School employee, you will be a part of the university’s mission to prepare and inspire students to bring about positive change in the world. You can view our list of open positions on this site to apply, or visit our Job Opportunities page to learn more about working at The New School.
If you are a current TNS student interested in applying for an open position, please log in to MyDay and access the Jobs Hub through the global menu or by using the search bar. If you have questions about submitting an application, please contact Human Resources at hrcareers@newschool.edu. You can also view the Guru Card for written instructions. Please note that you can review the status of your submitted job applications in the Jobs Hub on MyDay. If you are a current TNS student with a MyDay profile or have previously worked as a TNS Student Worker, please visit the MyDay Jobs Hub to access available positions. If you are unsure whether you have a MyDay profile, please have your supervisor connect with their Student HR Partner for guidance.
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