Studio Manager

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Position summary

The Studio Manager is the senior facilitation role in NIAD’s 23rd Street Studio. Working alongside up to 80

artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and a team of facilitators, this position models

excellent person-centered facilitation across media, mentors and develops the facilitation team, and helps

the Studio Director keep the daily rhythm of the studio safe, well-staffed, and creatively alive.

The Studio Manager is also the studio’s primary point of connection to NIAD’s Exhibitions & Partnerships

team, helping artists move work toward exhibitions, commissions, and sales when that is what they want.

This is a good fit for a practicing artist with real breadth across materials, a mentor’s patience with

colleagues as well as artists, and the steadiness to keep a busy, social studio running well.

Like all NIAD staff, the Studio Manager shares responsibility for running programs safely and in accordance

with the requirements of the Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB) and California Community Care

Licensing (CCL), and for upholding NIAD’s commitments to confidentiality, accessibility, and person-centered

practice.

4. Essential functions and responsibilities

The groups below are listed in general order of priority; the balance among them shifts with the needs of

the studio on any given day or season.

Artist facilitation and creative practice

Facilitate artmaking using a person-centered approach, meeting each artist where they are — equally

able to support open, process-driven exploration and to help an artist pursue an exhibition,

commission, or sale when that is their goal.

Facilitate directly in painting and drawing, and draw on working knowledge of NIAD’s other media —

ceramics, fiber and textiles, printmaking, sculpture, and digital work — to support artists across the

studio.

Set artistic goals with artists and record progress through daily notes in NIAD’s artist documentation

system and semi-annual reflections.

Teach and demonstrate materials, techniques, and processes, including new ones, so that artists and

facilitators are working with the best materials and methods available to them.

Help plan and, on a rotating basis, staff community outings, field trips, and occasional off-site events

and opportunities.

Studio operations and safety

Work with the Studio Director on the daily flow of artists and staff across studio areas to maintain

coverage, safety, morale, and the studio’s culture.

Keep the studio and its areas clean, accessible, free of hazards, and well stocked with the materials,

equipment, and supplies artists need for their practices.

Order studio supplies, submit receipts to the bookkeeper promptly, and keep the Studio Director

informed about spending, stock, and anticipated needs.

Follow NIAD’s health, safety, and emergency procedures, including the Workplace Violence Prevention

Plan and Injury and Illness Prevention Program, and work with colleagues to keep the studio safe

throughout the day.

Work with care support staff and facilitators as a team so that artists can make art, eat, and attend to

personal needs across the program day.

Act as a substitute for the Studio Director on request.

Exhibitions, partnerships, and artist opportunities

Partner with the Studio Coordinator and Exhibitions & Partnerships team on artist

opportunities—including exhibitions, workshops, commissions, and special projects—contributing

knowledge of artists’ practices, interests, materials, access needs, and studio support requirements

Prepare for and participate in biweekly meetings with Exhibitions & Partnerships to review upcoming

projects, artist developments, and projections. Collaborate with Studio Coordinator to provide timely

updates on upcoming opportunities, project status, deadlines, decisions needed, and barriers

requiring follow-up.

Coordinate with artists, the Studio Coordinator, and fellow facilitators so that deadlines are met and

artists are well supported through each opportunity.

Develop “Artist of the Month” presentations within the 23rd Street Studio, and, where appropriate,

work with the Exhibitions & Partnerships team to bring those presentations into public space at NIAD

or beyond.

Coordinate visiting artists and artist residencies in the studio and other key studio projects.

Team leadership and development

Supervise NIAD’s facilitators across all media, ensuring the team upholds the standards, procedures,

and policies set by the Studio Director and Executive Director.

Mentor, coach, and develop facilitators: lead facilitator meetings, offer regular office hours, and give

real-time guidance on the floor.

Prepare and coach facilitators to participate effectively in portfolio reviews, bringing substantive

knowledge of artists’ recent work, materials, creative interests, and stated goals; support appropriate

follow-through in the studio after reviews

Train new staff on studio safety, studio culture, and facilitation practice, and train all staff annually on

confidentiality.

Lead problem-solving conversations with the facilitation team about supporting individual artists’

practices.

Participate in hiring for facilitator and substitute positions, including interviewing candidates and

recommending hires to the Studio Director.

Assign and direct the day-to-day work of facilitators in the studio, and raise performance concerns to

the Studio Director.

Guide and supervise volunteers working in the studio, and coach facilitators on working effectively

with volunteers.

Carry out the policies and procedures in NIAD’s Employee Handbook and Working in the Studio

manuals consistently, and offer the studio’s perspective when asked to weigh in on training and

staffing matters.

Communication and coordination

Document changes in artists’ needs, routines, or participation, and communicate them to the Service

Coordination and Community Programs teams so that services stay coordinated.

Contribute a studio perspective at facilitator meetings, all-staff meetings, and NIAD’s shared learning

sessions.

Shared responsibilities of all NIAD staff

Treat artists as professional artists and colleagues: honor each person’s autonomy, preferences,

communication style, and consent.

Maintain confidentiality of artist, family, staff, and organizational information in accordance with NIAD

policy and applicable law.

Participate in staff meetings, required trainings, and NIAD’s shared learning model.

Engage with artists, families, colleagues, volunteers, and the public in a respectful, professional

manner, in the studio and in the community.

Perform other reasonably related duties as assigned.

5. What you bring

Required

A strong studio practice of your own and substantial working knowledge of fine-art materials and

processes across painting/drawing plus additional media.

Demonstrated experience coaching, training, or supervising colleagues, including giving constructive

feedback.

Demonstrated ability to plan and facilitate productive meetings and move a group from discussion to

decisions and follow-through.

Demonstrated project-management skills: organizing multi-step work, coordinating multiple

stakeholders, managing deadlines, following up, and communicating when plans change.

Strong collaborative and cross-functional communication.

Five years of leadership experience.

Ability to balance artists' autonomy and goals with studio safety, organizational responsibilities, and

commitments to external partners.

An MFA or BFA in a studio discipline, an accredited teaching credential with training in art and/or

disability, or equivalent professional experience in a studio or teaching environment.

Experience supporting or working alongside people with disabilities, and comfort adapting to a wide

range of communication styles.

Experience mentoring, training, or leading colleagues — formally or informally — and the patience to

do it well in a busy room.

Clear verbal and written communication, and the flexibility to adjust your approach to different people

and situations.

Strong written documentation and ability to establish consistent documentation practices among a

team.

Working knowledge of Google Workspace, and the organization to keep daily notes, supply orders,

and receipts current.

Commitment to NIAD’s mission and to a person-centered, disability-justice-informed approach to the

work.

Preferred

Breadth across several of NIAD’s media — ceramics, fiber and textiles, printmaking, sculpture, digital.

A record of exhibiting your own work, or experience helping other artists prepare work for exhibition

or sale.

Lived experience of disability.

Spanish, ASL, or another language spoken by NIAD artists and families.

Experience with person-centered thinking, adaptive art-making, or augmentative and alternative

communication.

Research shows that people from historically excluded groups often apply only when they meet every listed

qualification. If you are excited about this role and believe you can contribute, we encourage you to apply

even if your experience does not match every item above.

6. Training and compliance requirements

Criminal record clearance. Because NIAD is licensed by the California Department of Social Services,

Community Care Licensing Division, this position requires fingerprint-based criminal record clearance

through the California Department of Justice and FBI (Health and Safety Code § 1522), completed after

a conditional offer of employment. NIAD will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction

records in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act and licensing requirements.

Health screening. Documentation of a negative tuberculosis test or risk assessment dated within the

past two years, provided after a conditional offer.

Certifications. Current CPR, First Aid, and AED certification, obtained within 30 days of hire and

maintained thereafter; NIAD provides or reimburses this training.

Mandated reporter. This position is a mandated reporter of suspected abuse or neglect of

dependent adults under California Welfare and Institutions Code § 15630 and will complete mandated

reporter training within 30 days of hire.

Required NIAD trainings. Confidentiality (at hire and annually); person-centered practice; emergency

procedures and assisted evacuation; Workplace Violence Prevention Plan; harassment prevention for

supervisors (within 6 months of hire and every 2 years thereafter); studio materials and equipment

safety.

Work authorization. Proof of eligibility to work in the United States (Form I-9) within three business

days of the start date.

7. Physical requirements and work environment

The requirements below describe the physical demands and environment of the essential functions of this

position. NIAD provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them

to perform the essential functions.

Move about a large, concrete-floored open studio for most of the workday, alternating between

standing, walking, and sitting alongside artists.

Lift and move art materials, equipment, and finished work up to 40 pounds, with assistance available

for heavier items.

Bend, reach, kneel, and position yourself at a range of work surfaces — tables, easels, wheels, presses,

and floor-level work.

Communicate in person, in writing, and by phone or video with artists, families, colleagues, volunteers,

and visiting partners; observe and respond to activity across an active room.

Work in a busy, social, sometimes noisy studio and gallery shared with up to 80 artists and staff, with

regular exposure to art materials including paints, solvents, clays, glazes, dyes, and fibers.

Use a computer and NIAD’s digital systems for documentation, supply ordering, and correspondence.

Travel occasionally within the Bay Area for field trips, openings, and off-site projects; NIAD arranges

transportation for group outings.

8. Compensation and benefits

Pay: $35.00–$38.00 per hour. Placement within the range is based on directly relevant experience and skills,

and NIAD’s internal equity across similar positions. This is an hourly, non-exempt position and is eligible for

overtime as required by law.

Schedule and breaks: Four days (28 Hours) per week, Monday–Friday. You will receive a 30-minute unpaid

meal break and a paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked, in accordance with California law.

Attendance at the weekly all-staff meeting is paid working time. Occasional remote work is available by

arrangement; on those days you remain reachable on email, phone, and Slack during scheduled hours.

Benefits: NIAD pays 100% of the base-plan medical and dental premium for staff scheduled 30–40 hours

per week, and 65% for staff scheduled 21–29 hours per week. Employees may elect vision coverage and

dependent coverage at their own cost, and pay the difference for higher-tier plans. All staff accrue paid sick

leave as required by California law, and regular employees accrue paid vacation and paid holidays as stated

in the Employee Handbook. Benefits are subject to eligibility and the terms of the applicable plans and NIAD

policies, which may change.

Pay: $35.00 - $38.00 per hour

Expected hours: 28.0 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person