Manager of Fabrication

MASS MoCA

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The Manager of Fabrication is a key position within the Visual Arts Department at MASS MoCA. The Manager of Fabrication works in close collaboration with the Managers of Installation and Registration, as well as the Director of Exhibitions, to plan, design, fabricate, install, and care for exhibitions and installations throughout the museum. The Manager of Fabrication oversees the fabrication of artworks, casework, and other materials elements of the museum’s often site-responsive installations and exhibitions, focusing on research and design, sourcing of materials, fabrication, and project management. This position excels at problem solving and creative thinking, translating artists ideas into achievable designs, and producing and executing fabrication plans for each of our exhibitions.

The position is responsible for developing production plans and designs for installation, working directly with artists, their studios, outside fabricators, and curators, overseeing the Art Fabrication Shop (including maintaining shop spaces and ensuring the safe use of all tools), and assigning and reviewing fabrication projects for the preparator/ fabricator team in conjunction with the Managers of Installation and Registration. In collaboration with the Director of Exhibitions, the Manager of Fabrication will support project management, research, and sourcing, liaise with vendors, and ensure quality and safety for all built elements museum exhibitions. The role reports to the Director of Exhibitions, and manages and reviews tasks for all temporary and part-time hires for the installation/fabrication crew.

About the Museum

MASS MoCA is a vibrant non-collecting art museum with approximately 300,000 square feet of exhibition space on a 16-acre campus which also contains public art. Approximately half of that space is dedicated to rotating 10-18 month exhibitions of which we present 4 to 6 large-scale per year, along with smaller projects. The additional space is dedicated to long-term exhibitions in conjunction with artists, estates, and collections that run from 10 to 25 years. MASS MoCA frequently works directly with artists on the fabrication of new work, through residencies and site visits.

Responsibilities

Fabrication and Design:

Work directly with artists, their studios, curators, and VA team on the design of newly commissioned artworks for installation at MASS MoCA, using CAD tools (Rhino, Fusion, and/or Sketchup) to visualize and iterate designs.

Collaborate with Managers of Registration and Installation to develop designs to meet shipping, installation, accessibility, and safety needs.

Collaborate with Managers of Registration and Installation to produce exhibition and installation manuals.

Produce shop drawings for in-house or contractor fabrication.

Source tools, materials, and finishes for fabrication projects.

Oversee, delegate, and carry out fabrication projects in a variety of sculptural materials, including wood, metal, composites, fiber, plaster, concrete and more.

Manage digital fabrication using CNC and other digital fabrication tools , prepare CAD/CAM files for processing.

Coordinate with outside vendors and specialists where necessary.

Workshop Oversight:

Manage wood and metal shops, and ad hoc satellite work spaces for projects (such as on campus temporary studios for artists in residence).

Maintain tools and shop supplies.

Advise on new equipment and resources for the department.

Manage material storage and casework inventory.

Manage and delegate cleaning and maintenance of shared workspaces.

Maintain safety equipment, documentation, and procedures.

Administration / Management / Project Management:

The position will hire, evaluate, assign duties, and undertake performance reviews of the art installation/fabrication temporary and part-time crew members, as well as assigning these team members tasks as needed.

Manage fabrication budgets for individual builds and projects, including coding and submitting receipts and invoices.

Work with artists and curators to create accessible designs for all exhibitions, and keep up on building codes and ADA requirements.

Help to develop budget estimates for projects and perform value engineering to reduce costs, in collaboration with the Director of Exhibitions.

Collaborate with Managers of Registration and Installation and Director of Exhibitions to develop and meet deadlines for all exhibitions and projects.

Coordinate building and in-gallery fabrication interdepartmentally with Buildings & Grounds and Communications & Content, in consultation with Manager of Installation.

Requirements

5-7 years of experience in custom fabrication, within fine art or museum fields.

Bachelor’s degree in Art and Design (or equivalent experience)—we are open to any combination of alternative experience and/or school that you feel qualifies you for this position. Please use your cover letter and resume to convey this experience and why you feel it is relevant to the position.

Experience managing small teams and ensuring quality and deadlines are met.

Computer literate with the ability to understand and use project management tools, spreadsheets, and Google Drive.

Deep understanding of and commitment to DEAI work within the context of art museums and exhibitions.

Strong working knowledge of Sketchup, Rhino, and/or Fusion 360.

Knowledge and experience with CNC routing, 3D printing and scanning, and other digital fabrication techniques.

Strong working knowledge of fabrication and installation methods for visual art installations including metal, wood, composites, fibers, plaster, concrete, and other sculptural processes.

Excellent work ethic, craftsmanship, practical problem-solving, creative thinking, embracing collaborative practice, and understanding of team spirit.

The ability to communicate clearly with colleagues, collaborators, and artists.

Experience working in a high volume production environment is a plus.

The most competitive candidate will have experience working with artists to realize their vision.

Additional Skills:In addition to the above list qualifications, please outline your experience with any of the following:

Audio/Visual installation, including projection mapping and multi-channel video and sound.

Skills in wood, metal, moldmaking, and plastics, along with experience in the broad range of hand and power tools for manipulating these materials

MIG, TIG, oxy-acetylene welding and cutting, arc welding, plasma cutting, and miscellaneous metal engineering machines

Exhibition lighting design.

Coding, microprocessors, or other new media technologies.

Art-handling and packing etiquette, for installation and deinstallation.

Technical direction for performing or interdisciplinary artists.

Work Conditions

Some duties of this position require being able to work outside, potentially in inclement weather for extended periods of time.

Duties require sitting at a desk.

Duties require working in dusty and loud environments.

Potential for overtime and weekends during installation periods

Physical Requirements

Ability to stand, walk, and/or sit for extended periods of time with limited breaks

Ability to use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arm, and reach above shoulder height.

The employee is regularly required to climb or balance, squat, kneel, and crouch.

The employee must regularly be able to lift and/or move up to 50+ pounds and move heavy objects as required.

Ability to climb ladders and operate mechanical lifts and power tools

Ability, mobility, and license to drive a motor vehicle

Acute vision, hearing, voice, smell, and sense of touch

Employee is required to move about their work area, between buildings and the campus grounds, ascend and descend stairs

Must be able to wear PPE when necessary

Exempt

Minimum starting salary of $55k

How to Apply

Please apply directly through our website: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2175808/Mass-Museum-of-Contemporary-Art/Manager-of-Fabrication-Full-Time

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