Upper School CDL (Collaborative Design Lab) Director

Upper School CDL (Collaborative Design Lab) Director
                    

Thayer Academy is seeking a creative, collaborative, and technically proficient full-time Director of our Upper School Collaborative Design Lab. This position reports to the Assistant Head of School for Academics, Peter Brooks, and the Media Lab Director, Emmett Knox.

Lead our Upper School Collaborative Design Lab – a makerspace in which students and teachers use fabrication tools and design principles to turn ideas into tangible projects. The CDL is a collaboration hub that fosters curricular understanding, personal expression, and community engagement.

• Facilitate the use of the Upper School CDL for all community members by offering project consultation, materials, and equipment management.
• Teach Upper School design classes.
• Teach Upper School robotics classes.
• Support prototyping components of the entrepreneurship program. 
• Provide student and faculty-led learning opportunities in the CDL, such as drop-in workshops and open studio times. 
• Collaborate with the Middle School IDEA Department (including MS CDL Director)  to create projects that interweave different disciplines and media; invite participants to utilize various creative spaces on campus.
• Collaborate with academic teachers to support the integration of design concepts and making processes into their core curricula. 
• Oversee the budget for the CDL.
• Apply practices in the classroom and other settings that foster an inclusive and robust community.
• Establish clear safety practices in the CDL.
• Engage in ongoing professional development.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master's (or higher) preferred in Education or Arts, Technology, or a related field. 
• 3+ years of teaching experience at the Secondary School or Middle School level.
• Passion for experiential learning and ability to break down complex skills and processes in order to teach them to others. Passion for creating a curriculum to ​​​​​ develop young designers and artists.
• Experience teaching computer programming and robotics.
• Fluency in various design software (i.e., Adobe Illustrator, Rhino, Fusion, Blender, Arduino IDE, or the like) and with various machines (i.e, laser cutter, CNC, power tools, 3D printer).
• Passion for working with adolescents and desire to build relationships with students.
• High level of comfort and experience in troubleshooting technological problems.
• Passion for collaboration and idea generation. Willingness to take in new ideas and help mold them into finished projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively with peers, students, and parents.

• $75,000 - $95,000 

• Please click here to complete an application and upload your resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information for three to five references, including two present or past supervisors.

• Equal Opportunity Act: Thayer Academy is an equal opportunity employer. The Academy complies with and adheres to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws with respect to its employment practices. Thayer Academy does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, or any other category protected under state or federal law. This policy extends to recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, assignment, working conditions, promotions, transfers, termination, re-employment, education, tuition assistance, employee treatment, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. All employment-related decisions are made on a nondiscriminatory basis so as to further the principle of equal employment opportunity.

• Americans with Disabilities Act: Thayer Academy complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws. This means that we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment, hiring, promotions and/or advancement opportunities, termination, compensation, training, and any other conditions or privileges of employment.