About Mills College:

Located in Oakland, California, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mills College is a liberal arts college for women and gender non-binary students, with graduate programs for all genders. Consistently ranked one of the top master's universities and one of the best value colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, Mills also has been named one of the Best Colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The Mills experience is distinguished by small, interactive classes, one-on-one attention from exceptional faculty, a culture of creative experimentation, and cutting-edge interdisciplinary learning opportunities which empower students to make a statement in their careers and communities. As one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, we have a strong record of academic success with first-generation students, students of color, Latinx students, LGBTQ students, and other underrepresented students. Mills College has recently become a Hispanic Serving Institution. Applicants with expertise and experience in supporting and promoting success for Latina/o students are encouraged to apply.

Mills College encourages diversity in hiring and particularly welcomes applications and nominations from women, gender non-binary individuals, and minorities. Mills College seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice and our desire to maintain the excellence of our faculty. In so doing, we offer our students not only the opportunity to learn about varied disciplines but to engage with diverse perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. For more information, please visit www.mills.edu.

Job Description:

Reports To: Program Head, Book Art
Supervises: Graduate Assistant(s), Student worker(s)

Summary of Position:
The Book Art Studio Manager's main focus is to keep the book art studios and equipment functioning and in top condition to ensure the safety of students working in and with them and to handle all aspects of the budgets for the Book Art Program. The Studio Manager establishes protocols for the operation of equipment and trains Graduate Assistants to follow them. The Studio Manager orders and receives supplies and materials, maintains equipment, works with Campus Facilities, supervises all equipment maintenance and schedules GA office hours and jobs, all in the most sustainable environment we can establish.

The position supports students in developing their individual strengths by ensuring that they have safe, well-maintained and stocked studios in which to pursue their own creative voices. By maintaining the critical supplies and materials budgets for the program, including the studio fees paid by the students, the Studio Manager assures that students have the materials they need to develop and complete their work. The Studio Manager is responsible for developing and promoting a sustainable studio environment and, by insuring that the studios are accessible to all book art students around the clock, helping to promote a vibrant and inclusive campus life.

Essential Job Functions:

• Maintain safe conditions in the studios, comply with all established safety policies.
• Supply and maintain the book art studios (press, binding, graduate), keep the machines and spaces in good working condition and perform equipment training with TAs, volunteer staff and students. This work should take approximately 50% of the time (including ordering).
• Oversee all aspects of budgeting for the Book Art Program. Handle the operating budget and several program budgets. Balance the studio fees collected each semester against the materials needed for the classes. File quarterly reports and handle discrepancies.
• Supervise graduate assistants in their work as studio, gallery and program assistants.
• Meet with GAs weekly to facilitate communication among the GAs and the Program.
• Train GAs in their work as studio assistants and Book Art Pocket Gallery curators.
• Coordinate two work days per academic year for TAs and volunteer staff.
• Supervise all computer equipment and peripherals. Coordinate with IT to repair, maintain, replace and update all computers used by students, faculty and staff.
• Support class projects and workshops. Train students as necessary.
• Work with Campus Facilities on maintenance, repairs, upkeep and similar issues.
• Handle all key requests and TA and student key lists for all studios.
• Coordinate all visiting artist honoraria.
• Maintain regular office hours.
• Oversee facility tours; train students to conduct tours for visitors and prospective students.
• Supervise undergraduate student worker.
• Maintain effective and productive working relationships with staff, faculty, students and TAs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Research new equipment and materials, train on new equipment when the program is able to add these to our studios;
• Work with campus committees on issues of safety, including materials safety and other sustainable issues;
• Establish and maintain effective and productive working relationships within a diverse and multicultural environment;
• Other duties as assigned.

Physical, Mental and Environmental Demands:

• Position requires long periods of standing during machine operation and maintenance, interspersed with periods of sitting at a computer for office work. Other physical duties include but are not limited to:
• Moving of materials (occasionally in excess of 50 pounds)
• Delivering and collecting packages to and from the mailroom
• Moving supplies to and from various storage spaces
• Extensive use of tools, such as wrenches and screwdrivers
• Paper and board cutting on large hand machinery
• Equipment repair when possible, or hiring of external repair people when necessary
• Other duties involving stooping, bending, lifting and carrying.
• Contact with low-toxicity solvents, petroleum-based products, and other studio materials on a regular basis. (The Program works diligently to eliminate as many solvents and other potential toxins from the studios as possible.)

The position requires the incumbent to move between the administrative office and studio environs on a regular basis. Interruptions by students, faculty, staff, and deliveries are frequent. There can also be a need to respond to equipment outages and/or urgent matters. Position requires close work with students and faculty. The studio director holds weekly office hours for students.

When necessary the studio director conducts studio tours for prospective students and other guests, so he/she must be prepared to meet the public in a cordial manner. Certain times of the year, such as the beginning of the semester, can create periods of stress.

This position description is not intended to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Additional duties may be assigned based on business operational needs.

Requirements:

Education:

• College degree in studio art, graphic design, communication or similar field
• 2-3 years in a comparable role
• Two years working in a multicultural environment

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge Of:

• Letterpress printing, including typesetting, saw and guillotine operation, etc.
• polymer platemaking
• General knowledge of applicable machinery and tools
• Higher education, preferred but not required
• Book art curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students
• Google and Microsoft Office suites
• Adobe Creative Suite

Technical Skills:

• Offset/ other printmaking skills useful but not essential
• Training/ background with letterpress printing
• Hand binding, helpful but not required
• Risograph skills, or willingness to be trained
• Basic papermaking skills, or willingness to be trained

Abilities:

• Process detailed instructions, maintain accuracy, and meet deadlines
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for a range of audiences
• Cultural competency necessary to work with a multicultural, diverse population
• Accurate record-keeping and other organizational skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Effective time-management skills, ability to handle multiple projects requiring independent execution

Soft Skills:

• Stable performance under pressure
• Motivated, flexible, cooperative?Able to adapt or modify behavior to reach a goal
• Good judgment?Makes quality decisions based on logic and factual information
• Initiative/drive?Takes action to achieve goals. A self-starter
• Resourceful, quick learner?Stays with a plan of action until completed, seeks guidance
• Reliable/punctual

Additional Information:

This is a part-time, non-exempt position with an FTE of 0.53. Hourly wage is commensurate with experience, and includes an excellent benefits package including medical/dental/vision/life/LTD insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with college-matching after 6 month qualifying period, 10 days of vacation for year one, 15 days of vacation for years 2-10, and 22 days of vacation years 10+ plus, 12 sick days and 17 paid holidays (subject to annual review). Staff members also receive free admission to campus events, use of the pool, fitness center, and tennis courts. Tuition remission is also available after an introductory period. Voluntary benefits include: pet insurance, long-term care insurance, legal-assistance insurance, cellular provider discounts and computer hardware discounts.

Mills College does not permit discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. For more information on Mills' non-discrimination policy, please go to https://www.mills.edu/policies/ada-policies/nondiscrimination-statement.php.

All positions are subject to a background check. Prior to the first date of employment, an applicant's background check must be cleared.

Application Instructions:

Click the "Apply Now" button below and follow instructions to submit the following documents:

• Employee Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter and
• Contact Information for 3 References

Please note that you can only upload 6 "Other" documents. You can consolidate multiple pages/documents into one file upload. The file size limit for each upload is 10Mb.

Review of applicants will begin immediately; applications will be accepted until the position is filled.