Job title: Garment/Textile Education Technician
Company: The Possible Zone
Job description: Garment/Textile Education Technician
THE POSSIBLE ZONE
BOSTON, MA
The Possible Zone (TPZ), a nonprofit organization, seeks a Garment/Textile Education Technician. The ideal candidate is a maker and mentor passionate about closing the opportunity gap with a strong track record of apparel design and fabrication, including operating and maintaining associated design software and equipment, and a passion for teaching young people the skills and techniques required to create their own garments and textiles. This is a part-time, in-person role based in our Boston Innovation Center.
ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ZONE:
The Possible Zone is an afterschool program that uses entrepreneurship as a framework to close the skills and opportunities gap facing young people with untapped potential.
We guide students through a dynamic curriculum, including hands-on work experience and individualized career planning, to develop the personal qualities that predict future professional success. In short, we believe anything is possible
Making, design thinking, and STEAM education are deeply embedded within The Possible Zone's entrepreneurship and social enterprise programs. In 2022, TPZ launched a 35,000sqft youth innovation center in Boston which will serve 1,000 students at scale. This facility includes four makerspaces embedded in its classrooms as well as a 4,000sqft advanced manufacturing fabrication lab (the Fab Lab) on its lower level. The Fab Lab houses specialty 3D printers, electronics workstations, laser cutters, large-format printer/cutters, direct-to-garment printing, CNC embroidery, sewing machines, CNC milling, large-format UV printing, large-format CNC routing, a digital media studio, and a woodshop. The Fab Lab will be a resource not only for our students but also for our staff and community members, hosting classes, hackathons, workshops, and open studio hours. Anticipated student and community projects include (and are not limited to) robotics, apparel, game design, photography, music production, product design, packaging, and furniture making.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The Garment/Textile Education Technician will oversee operations of TPZ's garment and textile design and fabrication equipment at our Boston Innovation Center, and will be instrumental in making sure these resources are safe and accessible for our high school-aged students, staff, and community members. This includes developing and delivering hands-on, project-based workshops in individual and group contexts, as well as managing the supplies, equipment, garment design software, and workspace in our fashion design studio. Additional duties include creating, documenting, and leading equipment operation and safety training; developing tutorials on garment and textile design, creation, and alteration; inventory management; equipment maintenance; mentoring students with their project ideas; and assisting in classes. We are seeking candidates who are passionate about apparel design and who enjoy empowering others to learn and create with textiles in high-tech and low-tech contexts. Tools in the Garment/Textile Education Technician's domain include our suite of Bernette sewing machines, Bernina serger, two direct-to-garment printers, CNC embroidery machine, CNC textile cutter, and CLO garment design software.
This position is part-time, 24 hours per week.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Serve as a passionate and dedicated care-taker of TPZ's fashion design studio, including organization and upkeep of the workspace; oversight of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly equipment maintenance; troubleshooting; and coordinating with equipment manufacturers for servicing;
- Develop documentation, tutorials, guides, trainings, and workshops for sewing, garment printing, pattern design, garment alteration, and apparel design;
- Create and document example textile projects;
- Develop and maintain inventory of sewing supplies and accessories;
- Create, implement, and enforce safety protocols for garment and textile fabrication equipment and tools;
- Cross-collaborate with other TPZ technicians, Fab Lab coordinator, and STEAM and Program teams to help shape interdisciplinary projects and curricula;
- Develop and lead training and certification for fashion design equipment, tools, and software;
- Consult with students, community members, and other stakeholders about their textile and garment design and fabrication projects and ideas;
- Train and oversee student shop assistants and TAs;
- Oversee related inventory, maintenance tracking, user credentialing, and small equipment check-in/check-out;
- In collaboration with members of the STEAM team, develop and teach workshops to make apparel design, prototyping, and production safe and accessible for staff, students, community members and other stakeholders;
- Create online and in-person tutorials for students, educators, and community members, updating TPZ's MakerHub online resource center (makerhub.possiblezone.org) with resources for sewing and apparel design;
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion;
- And other duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 3+ years experience with apparel design and production
- Prior teaching/mentoring experience with sewing and/or in a makerspace environment
- Prior experience creating with design and fabrication technologies with exposure to general tools and maker processes beyond apparel design and production
- Ability to quickly learn new pieces of technology, including digital fabrication equipment and design software
- Proficient with Adobe Illustrator
- Experience with soft circuits, digital fabrication, and CAD a plus
- Ability to work with a diverse audience of varying numbers and experience levels
- Creative spirit and collaborative nature
- Ability to take initiative, work independently, and troubleshoot in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
- Very high attention to detail
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Passion for and understanding of the mission and vision of TPZ
- Commitment to live the values of Diversity, Equity and inclusion (see Statement below)
- Bilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, or Hatian Creole a plus
Compensation & Benefits:
$35-45/hr depending on experience
DEI Statement:
We believe every member of our team and student body deserves opportunities for growth, success and inclusion. We recognize that for many of our students, staff and communities, their life journeys run through oppressive structures and systems (e.g. classism, racism, sexism) ? and that's what makes our organizational culture and work so necessary and important.
We believe that diversity in perspective, backgrounds, ethnicities and lived experience is a strength, and from that strength, we can accomplish great things with the students we serve. Together as students, staff, organizations, communities, volunteers, and partners, we are intentional about creating safe spaces where all members can speak authentically and be themselves.
We are committed to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity. As members of The Possible Zone community, our progression along this ongoing journey raises thoughtful questions, reveals biases, and opens conversations. We celebrate one another and are unified in our commitment to young people, excellence, and innovation. This work is our shared responsibility and our opportunity to welcome all members who share in our mission and strive to provide pathways that further prepare students in achieving their desired success.
COVID Vaccination Policy
The Possible Zone is requiring that all employees receive a primary series of COVID-19 vaccination as well as a booster dose. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen, and receives a booster dose when eligible. In order to be qualified for employment at The Possible Zone, final candidates must comply with the vaccination requirement or receive an approved exemption.
More About The Possible Zone
The Possible Zone's (TPZ) mission is to advance economic equity by ensuring young people develop the entrepreneurial spirit, skills, and networks to launch successful careers. Based in Boston, TPZ offers high school students a year-round, multi-year entrepreneurship program that includes project-based curriculum, STEAM education, hands-on work experience, and individualized college and career advising. TPZ's young entrepreneurs launch their own companies, learn design and advanced manufacturing, intern with local companies, and map their postsecondary goals and plans. In the process, they develop career readiness, social-emotional, and technical skills, and strengthen their professional identity, preparing them to succeed in any future path they choose.
Expected salary: $35 - 45 per hour
Location: Boston, MA
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