Head of Digital Fabrication Lab & Woodshop

Head of Digital Fabrication Lab & Woodshop

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar

Position: F25990

Salary: Commensurate with experience and training. Generous international benefits available

This full-time, 10-month position is at the rank of Assistant Professor, is non-tenure-eligible, and begins August 10, 2023.

Application Deadline: For best consideration, applications are due due Friday, January 7, 2023.

The Opportunity:

VCUarts Qatar invites applications for the position of Head of Digital Fabrication Lab Woodshop. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Digital Fabrication Lab and Woodshop facilities support the creative production and fabrication of students and faculty in all of the School's programs and majors. The facilities are comprised of the FabLab, PrintLab and the PrintGrid, the Woodshop, and the Flexlab. The successful candidate will be a critically-engaged practitioner whose work advances the creative and critical possibilities of digital and analog fabrication. We are looking for a candidate with demonstrated teaching abilities and a commitment to the art and design context. The successful candidate will provide leadership and vision for the Digital Fabrication Lab and Woodshop, teach or co-teach undergraduate or graduate-level courses, and engage in creative practice and/or scholarly research that speaks to their own areas of interest. Our ideal candidate will have experience applying digital fabrication proficiencies to interdisciplinary applications in art and design.

VCUarts Qatar :

VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts (VCUarts). Located in Richmond, Virginia, VCUarts (www.arts.vcu.edu) is the top-ranked public art school in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar was established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation and offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking; a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUarts Qatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from 34 countries.

VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to global outreach and education and provides students with an environment for cross-cultural exchange that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation. Examples of this mission are the two significant international conferences hosted by VCUarts Qatar-the biennial design conference, Tasmeem and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. VCUarts Qatar attracts globally recognized designers, artists and scholars while fostering partnerships within the region, and beyond, that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. Having established itself as a center of excellence for education and research, VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the influential art and design world of the Middle East, and is a catalyst for the growth and development of these fields in the region. VCUarts Qatar has 120 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of over 300 students. VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2500-acre multiversity campus. VCUarts Qatar was joined by Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, HEC Paris and University College of London.

Qatar, with English as the standard second language, is a progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city, while honoring a rich tradition that is evident in the old markets and the city's Islamic Arab architecture. Al-Wakrah Stadium, a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, designed by the defunct deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid was inaugurated in 2021. The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in March 2019 while the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) opened in 2010. The U.S. Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.

VCUarts :

Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 170 full-time teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 60 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university's 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city's historic Fan District. Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business.

Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership and vision for fabrication facilities that currently include the FabLab (3D printing and scanning, laser cutting, vinyl cutting and plotting, wire bending, thermo-forming); PrintLab and the PrintGrid; the Woodshop, and the Flexlab.
• Supervises staff who oversee day-to-day operational aspects of the facilities and coordinates use of the facilities by multiple departments and collaborators.
• Fosters technical and instructional support for students and faculty in the undergraduate programs and the MFA Design Studies program, management of equipment maintenance, repair, and ordering of supplies.
• Develops and teaches courses on topics relevant to areas of expertise, and demonstrates a willingness to teach courses across the academic departments at VCUarts Qatar and across Education City;
• Develops and monitors programmatic initiatives including workshops, demonstrations, tutorials, community outreach, research collaborations, and entrepreneurial engagements;
• Generates national and international academic, scholarly, or community partnerships, including relationships with academic institutions and industry partners;
• Engages in departmental, school, university, professional, and community service activities, and other service duties as assigned, in line with expectations of VCUarts Qatar faculty.
• This position is responsible for the development of health and safety plans and oversees that these rules are taught to and observed by all users of the facilities. Generating reports including, but not limited to, facilities usage statistics and annual activities may be requested, among other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• MFA or equivalent professional experience and an academic career distinguished by an exhibition record, research, or equivalent professional accomplishments.
• Comprehensive knowledge of digital design and fabrication processes and applications, and traditional woodshop equipment use, maintenance and safety.
• A Broad range of expertise in art and design fields including those that push the boundaries of the practice, particularly those with a demonstrated commitment to professional involvement.
• Ability to support a combination of hardware and software technologies including CNC milling, laser cutting, 3D printing, 3D scanning, UV printing, vinyl cutting, and thermo-forming along with industry-standard CAD/CAM software, and a woodshop.
• Knowledge of critical theory and contemporary practices is required.
• Strong collaboration skills and demonstrated enthusiasm toward working within a multicultural environment as a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar;
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment, or the commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU and VCUarts Qatar.
• A well-developed scholarly portfolio in area of specialization with the potential for multi-disciplinary applications and interest in developing external partnerships appropriate to complement and expand existing expertise in the department;
• Must possess excellent verbal and written English, as all courses are taught in English;
• Grounding in current theoretical and methodological discourses, preferred;
• Established research agenda and a clear potential for external funding, as well as a potential for a scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand existing expertise in the department/unit.

Application Instructions:

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion – an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences, and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU's mission of promoting equity and inclusion. Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/.

In addition, the following documents should submitted:

• Cover Letter (address interest and qualifications for the position; include discussion of research agenda and service activities)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Reflective teaching statement (include approaches and philosophies; evidence of effective teaching; and potential courses in area of specialization)
• Portfolio of creative work that demonstrates creative abilities as well as visual and written communication skills to the department
• List of three professional references including names with titles and contact information (references will not be checked prior to candidate's approval).

Only electronic applications submitted via VCU Job Portal will be accepted. For best consideration, completed applications are due Friday, January 7, 2023. Questions about the application process should be directed to Ms. Kristin Brown, HR Administrator, at brownka@vcu.edu or Mr. Ryan F. Ellington, HR Director, VCU School of the Art, at rfellington@vcu.edu.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100%
Tenure: Ineligible
Rank: Assistant Professor
Months: 10
Department: VCUarts Qatar, School of the Arts

Salary: Commensurate with experience and training. Generous international benefits available