Woodcraft Manager

Location : Berea
Job Type: Full-Time
Division: Alumni, Communications & Philanthropy
Department: Craft Creative ACP
Opening Date: 06/03/2026
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Salary Grade: 07
Labor Supervisor?: Yes

Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position.
Description:

The Woodcraft Manager supports the Director of Woodcraft in the day-to-day operations of Woodcraft, including the management of students. This position is first and foremost a teaching position. Development and implementation of an educational curriculum focused on product design, conceptual storytelling, and technical skills appropriate to the craft area is primary. As an active design and production environment, the Manager has responsibility for student education in technical processes, design, as well as supporting the Director with necessary production schedules to meet budgetary requirements.

The Manager must learn to understand and implement standard OSHA safety regulations and guides the safe flow of work. The Manager is directly involved in the design of new items.
Your Key Responsibilities:

• Primary responsibility is the education and development of students in Woodcraft
• Develops and enacts educational curriculum to ensure student learning
• Contributions to the development of the storytelling and messaging goals of Student Craft
• Required to manage production schedules
• Responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Woodcraft
• Maintenance and repair of equipment
• Follows OSHA guidelines for safety in workshop
• Contribute to design, development and prototyping of new products for production that align with and support the College's Great Commitments.
• Aids campus community in special projects/needs as requested or appropriate
• In support of Berea College's great commitments this position requires student supervision. The fourth great commitment is to promote learning and serving in community through the student labor program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done. The Supervision would include scheduling, assigning and approving work performed. Developing students about common workplace acumen and giving them tangible work experience is an expected outcome.
  
  To learn more about the student labor program and requirements on this position see:
  Labor Program Goals

What You'll Bring:
Education required to ensure success in this position:

• Bachelor's degree preferred, unless significant experience compensate for a degree

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• 3+ years production/studio woodworking, and supervisory experience required
• 2-3 years of teaching or training experience in a studio setting
• Experience with curriculum development

Special skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Teaching experience in the studio setting; demonstrated ability to develop, support, and enact curriculum with learning outcomes including but not limited to design and technical execution.
• Leadership abilities and good communication skills; knowledge of production studio methods; costing/product development & prototyping; experienced in design and manufacturing techniques; experience will all types of woodcraft machinery, tools, and processes; understanding of OSHA and other safety guidelines.
• Support for the College's Great Commitments as well as the mission-aligned approaches in Student Craft.

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• Valid Driver's License

Physical requirements:

• lifting more than 50 lbs. on a regular basis

Environmental conditions:

• Constant dust and noise from woodworking equipment; eye; ear and dust protection necessary for many duties.

Ability to operate the following vehicles or equipment:

• Motor vehicles, fork lift, All Wood Shop tools and equipment

Founded in 1855, Berea College is nationally recognized as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls more than 1,500 students from 46 states and U.S. territories and more than 70 countries.

Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them with a no-tuition promise. Berea's students excel in the College's supportive yet demanding academic environment, and most are the first in their families to attend college. As one of only ten federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students are expected to work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus.

Berea College is also the only institution in Kentucky to receive the 5-Star Rating from Money Magazine, 2025. Washington Monthly has named Berea College the #1 Best College in the nation in its 2025 College Guide. Berea College appears in their rankings as #1 College (overall):
Best College for your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars, #1…