Ceramics Consultant

**Job Posting: Ceramics Consultant (full time)**

Are you an avid maker with a background in ceramics and pottery?

MAKE is seeking to employ a dynamic, imaginative, experimental, and motivated maker for the role of Ceramics Consultant.

**What is MAKE?**

MAKE is part workshop, lab, studio and garage with a wide range of professional
- grade machinery, tools and classes covering the technical, the mechanical and the tactile elements of engineering, making and design.

MAKE is a welcoming community of entrepreneurs and experimenters, designers and artists, DIY enthusiasts, hobbyists, learners, and doers. We welcome makers of all ages and capabilities, from absolute beginners to professional designers. It’s a place for young minds and old hands, where people with different levels of creative ability and making knowledge come together to make their ideas real.

From drop-in classes to monthly or annual membership plans, we have an option to suit all levels of interest, ability, and commitment.

**Current Location**:
**What the role entails**

As a Ceramics Consultant, you will play a crucial role in providing expert advice, guidance, and support to our community of makers, creators, artists and enthusiasts working with ceramics and pottery. Your deep knowledge of clay variations, hand-building techniques, wheel throwing and glazing techniques will empower our members to explore their creativity and achieve exceptional results in their related projects.

**Qualifications**
- Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent proven experience in Ceramics and Pottery.
- Knowledge of various types of clay such as firing clay, terracotta clay, and porcelain clay.
- Experience in hand-building methods such as coiling, pinching, and slab construction.
- Experience in plaster mold making and slip casting.
- Ability to guide students in creating three-dimensional ceramic artworks
- Expertise in wheel throwing, including centering, pulling, shaping, and trimming.
- Ability to guide students in creating functional pottery like cups, bowls, and vases on the pottery wheel.
- Ability to guide students in glazing techniques to achieve desired textures, colors, and finishes.
- Familiarity with electric kiln operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting is desired.
- Familiarity with digital tools related to ceramics, such as 3D modeling software for creating molds or digital design tools is desired.
- Experience in developing and delivering educational design programs/lesson plans and assessing participants’ work effectively.

**Responsibilities**:

- Deliver lessons covering ceramics hand-building techniques, glazing, and wheel throwing.
- Support in the development of Project Base Workshops tailored for different skill levels, such as workshops in functional pottery, dinnerware, and sculptural pieces
- Support in the development of ceramics and pottery workshops.
- Stay updated on emerging trends in ceramics and incorporate them into teaching.
- Evaluate and critique participants’ work to provide constructive feedback and guidance.
- Collaborate with other disciplines, such as electronics, woodworking, metalwork, and digital fabrication, to explore cross-disciplinary projects and foster a creative environment.
- Assist members in the development of their ceramics and pottery projects.

**Community Engagement**
- Create a vibrant and inclusive ceramics and pottery community within our organization.
- Actively engage with members, share knowledge, and promote collaboration and inspiration.

**Health, Safety, and Environment**
- Inspect and maintain tools and equipment regularly.
- Provide training on the safe use of equipment.
- Enforce proper safety protocols when using machinery or tools.
- Enforce the use of appropriate PPE, such as safety glasses, gloves, or hearing protection.
- Encourage the responsible use and disposal of materials.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and you may be required to undertake additional duties as necessary to support MAKE’s overall operations and community engagement efforts.