Fabrication Facilities Manager, Design Arts Annex

Job Summary

The Fabrication Facilities Manager is responsible for the workshops in the Design Arts Annex, including a full woodshop, metal shop, sculpture classroom, two large-format CNC routers, and multipurpose spaces throughout the building. Their duties include ensuring safe, welcoming, and well-maintained shop facilities for students, assisting faculty and students during classes, ordering materials and supplies for courses, and the hiring and management of additional support staff and work-study students to supervise the shops during evenings and weekends.

The start date for this position is no earlier than April 1, 2024.

Essential Functions

Maintaining equipment and shop spaces

• Ensure that the tools and equipment are operating correctly and safely.
• Conduct maintenance and routine inspection of machines including changing of saw blades and cutters, calibration of gauges, routine lubrication and bearing placements, etc.
• Routine servicing of welding and metal fabrication tools.
• Daily removal of waste containers and hazards such as scrap plywood, outdated projects, etc.
• Monitor supplies of consumable materials (hardware, sawblades, sandpaper, welding wire, etc.) and order replacements as necessary.

Building oversight

• Monitor and ensure the safe, clean, and efficient use of the Design Arts Annex.
• Oversee the safe operating procedures of the wood and metal shops, the CNC facility and all class and storage rooms.
• Act as a liaison with facilities staff to ensure proper operation of infrastructure systems.
• Assist students with fabrication help and technical expertise during open lab hours.

Shop safety

• Provide safety training and orientation to faculty, staff and students using the shop equipment.
• Produce and update the safety and machine operation manual.
• Maintain and ensure shop policy standards are followed.

Faculty support

• Provide support to faculty teaching in the Annex shops, including ordering materials and special tooling, providing with technical expertise, instructing students, managing lab fee payments, ensure availability of machines and tooling for custom class projects.
• Ensure materials, tools and equipment are prepared for use during class time.

Budget oversight

• Track purchases made via Smart Source and P-Card expenses.
• Monitor the operating budget for the shops.
• Track the collection of lab fees from students.
• Work with Westphal administrative staff to ensure funding for building and maintenance requests.

Supervision

• Supervise work-study and staff positions.
• Hire and manage work-study students and professional staff positions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or similar accolade in a related field (design, fine arts, fabrication/construction, etc.)
• Minimum of a combined 2 years of experience in woodworking and/or in a position of responsible authority such as a makerspace or college shop.
• Demonstrated ability in wood and metal fabrication.
• Thorough working knowledge of techniques, materials, and operation of hand and power tools utilized in wood and metal working.
• Customer service experience, good organizational skills, and ability to interact with a diverse population of faculty and students.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4 years of experience in woodworking and 1 year of metalworking.
• Experience supervising, directing, and assisting faculty/students in the safe operation of shop tools and equipment within an educational fabrication environment.
• Knowledge and experience in CNC fabrication.
• Understanding of academic goals and project requirements for sculpture, metalworking, furniture, and woodshop classes at the undergraduate level.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, in extenuating circumstances (special events, shift coverage, etc.)

Physical Demands

• Ability to stand and walk.
• Ability to lift up to 50lbs.
• Ability to bend, crouch, stoop.
• Ability to climb.

Location

University City, Philadelphia PA

Additional Information

This position is classified as Exempt, grade I. Compensation for this grade ranges from $41,120 - $61,680. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate's qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.   

We encourage you to explore Drexel's Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on our compensation framework.  

You can also find valuable information about our benefits in the Benefits Brochure.  

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

Review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.