Full Time Environment Artist jobs in Vancouver, BC

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At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Photo Digital Technician contributes to the instruction, practice, and research of photography for the Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory (AHVAT). Major responsibilities include: overseeing daily operations of photography facilities; ensuring the safe use, maintenance, and supervision of photographic facilities and equipment, orienting students at all levels in studio, darkroom and digital imaging practices; performance of highly skilled technical tasks requiring education, training and experience in the field of photography; and working collaboratively with colleagues to support delivery of the visual art curriculum with an emphasis on photography.

The department is housed in several buildings at UBC Vancouver campus: the Frederic Lasserre Building, Auditorium Annex A, Wesbrook Building, B.C. Binning Studios, Dorothy Somerset Studios, and the Audain Art Centre. Based at BC Binning studios, the Technician interacts frequently with AHVA's Visual Art faculty, sessional lecturers, staff, undergraduate and graduate students.

Organizational Status

Reports to the Senior Manager, Administration and Manager, Studios, Exhibitions, and Facilities; works directly with all Visual Art faculty and technical staff; liaises and collaborates with Art History faculty and fellow staff in the department as well as colleagues in Arts ISIT, Information Technology (IT), Facilities Management, Safety & Risk Services, and Building Operations.

Work Performed

• Oversees the operations of photographic facilities at BC Binning Studios.
• Supervises darkrooms and maintains photography, film processing, darkroom, and computer digital lab imaging equipment, printers, scanners and work areas for student and faculty use
• Consults with individual course instructors on the technical and digital processes used in the design, development, and teaching of photography and lens-based media courses.
• Supports the development of learning resources by initiating technical and digital processes for the design and delivery of courses.
• Provides guidance and develops resources for faculty and sessional instructors to enable photographic and lens-based research, learning, and practice.
• Prepares materials, chemicals, and equipment for demonstrations and practice.
• Performs routine equipment maintenance and develops signage and usage guides.
• Demonstrates studio photography, darkroom, and digital imaging techniques.
• Demonstrates proper handling and use of photography equipment and digital imaging equipment.
• Contributes to the development of safety standards through independent research and consultation with specialized resources.
• Collaborates with colleagues to design equipment-handling and safety training for photographic facility and equipment users.
• Ensures safety standards are met and complied with.
• Is available outside of scheduled class time to assist students and faculty in photographic and imaging techniques.
• Remains current with developments in photographic practices generally and with particular emphasis on photo digital applications, IT developments, related equipment and maintenance.
• Researches and advises colleagues and students on new products and techniques in the areas of photography, digital imaging, and computer hard/software.
• Arranges repairs of equipment when necessary.
• Develops proposals for upgrades to photographic facilities and associated teaching and learning spaces.
• Participates in ongoing reviews of long-term departmental instructional support needs and assists in coordinating applications for support.
• Alerts Campus Security, Administration and/or Facilities Management immediately of core building concerns and/or security issues in the areas overseen.
• Prepares budgets for areas overseen in collaboration with colleagues and faculty and on approval of the Administrator and Head.
• Hires and manages student assistants to support facility and instructional needs.
• Procures approved budgeted items, tracks expenditures, monitors stock inventories and cost recoveries, and work learn student staff hours, and meets periodically to review actuals with the Administrator and Manager.
• Updates the online store and prepares receipts for photographic supplies and printing sales.
• Reconciles purchases, according to established procedures, and submits to the department administrator.
• Receives and safely stores supplies and equipment and maintains availability for distribution as required.
• Manages and maintains the online equipment inventory.
• Manages use of equipment from the equipment cage and photo digital supplies used by faculty and students, and supervises distribution and return of all equipment.
• Photo documents departmental activities for archival purposes and public relations initiatives.
• Identifies and supports opportunities for ad hoc student exhibitions and critiques at BC Binning Studios.
• Liaises with other university departments as required.
• Performs other related duties that may arise.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

As this position is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the photography and digital facilities at BC Binning Studios and requires contact with faculty, staff and students, the technician is given wide latitude for exercising independent initiative and judgment in order to create a good teaching and learning environment. Prompt attention to potential problems in all areas of responsibility is essential to the smooth running of these areas of the department.

Supervision Received

Works independently under the general direction of faculty and administration and in collaboration with other technicians. Reports to the Senior Manager, Administration and Manager, Studios, Exhibitions, and Facilities. Receives initial instruction on duties and thereafter only on new or unusual problems.

Supervision Given

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• University degree or technical college training of at least three years in both technical and creative aspects of photography, including a demonstrated knowledge of darkroom printing processes and other advanced techniques.
• A thorough understanding of both field and studio equipment and techniques, including 35mm, large format cameras and lighting.
• Knowledge of computer hardware and software for digital imaging, including Adobe Creative Suite.
• Working knowledge of some, or all, of the following core equipment: digital cameras, lighting equipment, scanners, large format printers, projectors, monitors, macOS/Windows/Linux platforms, etc.
• Ability to coordinate and oversee work processes.
• Ability to effectively use spreadsheets, word processing, calendar, communication and email applications at a basic level (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) in a PC/Mac environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner.
• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Demonstrated commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ability to exercise tact, discretion, and judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and schedule the work of students
• Knowledge of studio art theory and practice, and art history is recommended.
• Ability and experience in the instruction and demonstration of the handling of photography and lighting equipment,computer hardware and software.
• Experience installing photographic artworks for exhibitions is an asset.

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