The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses 23 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university’s largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. Graduate students work alongside world-renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.
Department/Program Description: The Department of Art & Art History is an interdisciplinary department offering degrees in art history, art practice, documentary filmmaking, and film and media studies. The team of 16 staff support the research and teaching of 25 faculty and some 30 lecturers each year. The core values of our department include integrity, respect, inclusion, creativity, and service. The department is committed to building an equitable, antiracist, and non-discriminatory environment that empowers all students, staff, faculty, and community members. Department courses offer opportunities for students to gain enhanced understanding of the meaning and purpose of the arts, their historical development, and their role in society through practical engagement with a variety of physical and digital media and theoretical and critical study.
Position Summary: The Department of Art and Art History Department is seeking a Film Production Technical Manager. The Film Production Technical Manager will work under general supervision of the Facilities Manager and will work closely with faculty and students in the MFA Documentary Film program. The successful person in this role must possess and demonstrate a positive outlook on continuous process improvement efforts while maintaining a team-based and customer-focused mindset. It is critical that the person in this position exhibit the abilities to practice sound judgment and decision-making, effective written & oral communication, strong attention to detail and respectful relationship management. This position must also exhibit a strong desire to continuously learn new and unfamiliar business topics, policies and procedures as they relate to facilitating filmmaking in graduate and undergraduate courses offered in the Department of Art & Art History – the ability to translate this information into operational successes will be critical.
The Technical Manager organizes and conducts technical training, management of film and video equipment, support for editing systems and technology in coursework and in faculty and student research, as well as budgeting and spending. This role supervises one direct report. The successful candidate should demonstrate expertise in the following ten areas:
*Experience and expertise working with 16mm and 8mm film cinema cameras in addition to high-end digital cinema cameras,
*In-depth knowledge of digital audio recording tools, green screen lighting, and compositing.
*In-depth knowledge of video projection, including 4k, HD, and different aspect ratios.
*In-depth knowledge of video compression and mastering for distribution
*Ability to design production and post-production workflows.
*In-depth knowledge of Adobe Premiere CC software and Final Cut Pro.
*Experience running and troubleshooting high-end film projectors and conducting film screenings.
*Demonstrated successful project management, people management, and financial management experience.
*Ability to configure new and existing computers to accommodate film editing needs.
*Ability to train others on film and video equipment and software.
This is a 100% FTE, continuing, exempt position. This position will be based on the Stanford campus and will be considered for telecommuting (a hybrid of working on-site and off-site), subject to operational needs.
If you believe that this opportunity is a match for your knowledge, skills, and abilities, we encourage you to apply. Along with a resume, please submit a cover letter detailing your experience and reference your skill levels as it relates to the above areas. Thank you for considering employment opportunities with the School of Humanities and Sciences.
CORE DUTIES:
- Management of film/video production hardware and software: equipment purchases, distribution, and returns associated with class needs, inventory tracking, and general maintenance.
- Training students, faculty, and staff on film and video equipment and software (cameras, sound recording equipment, lighting, etc.) both in the classroom setting and on an individual basis; working with vendors to organize equipment demos and loans.
- Providing day-to-day support to the AV environment and classroom computing including edit suites, audio and video capture workstations and hardware, and projection systems; configuring new and existing computers to accommodate editing needs for both graduate and undergrad level production; inventorying hardware and software; troubleshooting hardware, software, and networking problems; perform or oversee vendor repairs of equipment.
- Providing technical and AV support for departmental events; executing final screenings of student work, both in-person and virtually; maintaining an archive of student work in the MFA in Documentary Film program
- Supporting faculty research: identifying appropriate workflows and vendors for projects; purchase, configuration, and maintenance of production and postproduction equipment to support faculty filmmaking; media management for faculty projects.
- Managing the program budget: the Technical Manager develops the annual spending request in collaboration with the faculty, monitors spending to ensure compliance with appropriate policies and parameters, and plans, coordinates, and tracks extrabudgetary spending in collaboration with faculty and the DFO.
- Facilities management: in collaboration with appropriate staff, the Technical Manager oversees configuration and use of program facilities including a suite of student edit rooms, green screen room, audio recording studio, 44-seat screening room, and equipment checkout room; coordinates program scheduling requests and classroom scheduling; manages room access and provides input to develop facilities use policies and procedures.
- Supervise the digital media group activities including scheduling and assigning work to meet school/unit needs.
- Supervise all digital media personnel including hire/fire responsibility, providing guidance, and training to personnel.
- Oversee the functionality and maintenance of all equipment. Keep records of service and support provided, purchases, and inventory.
- Partner with clients on strategic and creative approaches to projects involving abstract or technical content to meet objectives: setting timelines, articulating the production process and expectations, communicating issues, providing status updates, and suggesting appropriate methods for improvement.
- Research, recommend, and implement hardware and software purchases and configurations to meet customer needs and to help ensure compatibility with university systems and architecture.
- Recommend new equipment purchases, prepare requisitions, and purchase orders for digital media equipment and supplies as necessary.
- Provide input to develop facilities-use policies and procedures.
- Act as liaison with vendors ensuring scheduling, costs and requirements are met.
- May set goals, objectives, and manage budget for department.
In addition to the above, the Technical Manager is responsible for providing general walk-up consulting support, as well as other duties as assigned.
*Other duties may also be assigned.
Education & Experience
• Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Advanced technical experience using digital media equipment, video creation, and editing software.
- Ability to understand the needs of the school/unit and to apply technical knowledge to fulfill the requirements.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, mature judgment, and diplomacy required to interact effectively with and provide customer service to a broad audience.
- Ability to stay informed with current digital media technology.
- Demonstrated supervisory/management skills including coaching, staff development and conflict resolution.
- Strong interpersonal, team and management skills.
- Ability to plan effectively and to manage/supervise projects and work queues.
- Excellent communication skills, verbal and written.
- Effective time management skills.
Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• A Master of Fine Arts degree
• The ability to successfully interface with a wide variety of internal and external collaborators and must be able to adapt to accommodate last-minute changes or emergencies, recommending alternatives and workarounds as needed.
• In-depth knowledge of current and legacy technology, including a variety of film (16mm and 8mm) and digital cinema cameras; digital audio recording tools; green screen lighting and compositing; video projection including 4k, HD, and different aspect ratios; video compression and mastering for distribution, and the ability to design production and post-production workflows.
• Expert skills using Adobe Premiere CC software and Final Cut Pro X.
• Familiarity with WebCheckout software is desirable.
Physical Requirements:
- Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks
- Frequently stand/walk, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, grasp forcefully, and reach/work above shoulders.
- Occasionally sit, twist/bend/stoop/squat.
- Visual acuity including color vision.
- Ability to occasionally lift film/video equipment weighing as much as 50 pounds.
*-Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
Working Conditions:
- Occasionally work on weekends, evenings, holidays, and flexible shifts.
- May have exposure to high voltage electricity, noise > 80dB TWA, confined spaces, and working at heights above 10 feet.
The expected pay range for this position is $113,000 to $127,000 per annum.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
Why Stanford is for You
Imagine a world without search engines or social platforms. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enrich the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy. Our culture and unique perks empower you with:
• Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.
• A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
• A healthier you. Climb our rock wall or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We also provide excellent health care benefits.
• Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.
• Enviable resources. Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and more.
The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classifications and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of their job.
Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.