Overview of Perennial
Perennial is a non-profit community workshop in St. Louis, MO that offers educational programming in creative reuse. Perennial’s mission is to build a creative culture of sustainability in which discarded items are transformed into cherished resources. Through classes, workshops, and events Perennial empowers adult beginners with the creative skills and resources they need to start their sustainability journey.
Perennial’s Woodshop
The woodshop includes a SawStop table saw, miter saw, planer, band saw, scroll saw, drill press, lathe, hand power tools, sanders, traditional woodworking hand tools, and more.
The woodshop is primarily used for these programs and purposes:
• Public Workshops: woodworking classes offered to the public.
• ReCreate Outreach Studio: open studio time where participants from Perennial’s outreach programs can use the shop for personal projects. Clients come from partner agencies that work with women in transition including former prisoners, survivors of domestic violence, women experiencing homelessness, and immigrant women.
• Open Studio: Time offered on the first Saturday of the month where past class participants can come use Perennial’s space and tools to work on personal projects.
• Class Preparation and Custom Projects: production of tools, kits, and commission projects for Perennial’s workshops and retail sales. Some shop build-out projects.
Job Summary:
First and foremost, the Woodshop Specialist must have the passion and patience to share woodworking skills with adult beginners. This position will teach the majority of Perennial’s woodshop classes including the Tools 101 series and project based offerings. As with all Perennial classes there is an emphasis on incorporating and sourcing reclaimed materials and encouraging the use of sustainable materials and practices.
The Woodshop Specialist manages and develops all projects and programs that take place in the woodshop. This staff person is essential to Perennial’s operations, and works to maintain a safe and efficient woodshop environment. Perennial’s Woodshop Specialist provides one-on-one assistance to community members as they execute projects, maintains and oversees systems to keep the woodshop clean, safe, and user friendly, and proposes, develops and teaches engaging woodworking classes.
Responsibilities:
Educational and Community Engagement:
• Teach Perennial woodworking classes including basic tool training and woodworking projects for adult beginners
• Work with Perennial’s Program Director to develop new woodworking classes and provide lesson plans
• Work closely with Perennial’s Outreach Specialist to guide, assist, attend, and supervise participants in Perennial’s ReCreate Outreach Studio
• Guide, assist, attend, and supervise participants in Perennial’s Open Studio program. • Supervise and demonstrate the safe usage of equipment to all woodshop users and ensure that woodshop
users are meeting Perennial’s expectations for safety at all times.
• Create an inclusive environment where anyone regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation will feel safe and comfortable using Perennial’s woodshop.
Woodshop Maintenance:
• Keep shop organized, clean, and create new systems to aid in this when necessary
• Provide maintenance or find maintenance providers for all tools and components including changing and
repairing broken blades, sanding belts, table saw blades and brakes, and cleaning and servicing a range of
woodworking tools and equipment.
Class Prep, Design and Production:
• Prepare wood for classes (both in the woodshop and the reuse studio)
• Additional production of Perennial-made kits and tools.
• Assist with projects related to Perennial’s space including maintenance, constructing new fixtures, etc.
• Design + execute community commissioned projects as needed
Leadership and Planning:
• Keep an up-to-date work plan in order to complete all tasks related to the Woodshop Specialist position including program planning, program material preparation, tool maintenance, design-build projects, retail production, and more.
• Develop report for weekly staff meeting to keep all other staff updated with woodshop activities.
• Provide customer service to program participants and visitors, such as checking folks out, answering phone calls, providing an introduction to Perennial, etc.
Qualifications:
Perennial seeks an organized, flexible, inclusive and skilled instructor and woodworker for this position. Below are an ideal candidate’s qualifications. We strongly encourage anyone interested in this position to apply, whether they meet a combination of some or all of these qualifications.
• 1+ years experience teaching arts-based programs or woodworking programs.
• Experience with a range of woodworking equipment and tools.
• Knowledge of tool maintenance and repair.
• Strong critical thinking, creative problem solving and planning skills.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations (i.e. mental illness, drug addiction).
• Passion for sustainability and knowledge of waste reduction practices.
• Great at multitasking and excited to help people succeed!
Work Schedule:
An average of 18-22 hours a week depending on skill set. The woodshop specialist schedule can be adjusted to fit
an ideal candidate’s schedule, but two evening classes a week and some weekend availability will be required.
Pay: $15-$16.50/hour depending on experience
To Apply: Send cover letter, resume, portfolio link or images, and a list of three references to Sophia Coon, sophia@perennialstl.org.
Application Deadline: January 31, 2023 or until position is filled