Creative Technician

Organization: Victoria College of Arts and Design Job Title: Creative Technician Reports to: Programme Leaders Location: London Salary: £42,000 Per Annum Hours: Full-time Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm, with flexibility to provide evening support where required Overview As a Creative Technician/Lecturer at the Victoria College of Arts & Design, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality teaching, practical technical support for students and the teaching team, mentoring and academic guidance to students across the Graphic Design and Fashion Media and Marketing provision. This is a hybrid academic and technical role, combining subject-specific teaching with hands-on technical expertise in visual communication, photography, image editing and industry standard creative software. You will work closely with the Programme Leaders and wider academic team to support students in developing their creative and technical capabilities and in translating design concepts into professionally constructed outcomes. The role will involve delivering and supporting subject-specific practical workshops and demonstrations. You will provide technical guidance during timetabled teaching and open-access studio sessions, helping students overcome practical challenges and encouraging high standards of craftsmanship, experimentation and professional practice. You will also contribute to the effective operation and development of multimedia studios and the photography studio, ensuring that specialist equipment, machinery, resources and learning environments are maintained to a safe, professional and industry-standard level. We are looking for an experienced professional with strong technical expertise, a passion for teaching and mentoring, and the ability to bring current industry practice into the student learning experience. Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Support, Workshops and Student Development

• Plan, develop and deliver high-quality demonstrations and practical workshops across Graphic Design and Fashion Media and Marketing.
• Utilise a range of teaching methods to support different learning styles, abilities and levels of technical experience.
• Support students during timetabled sessions and open-access studio time, providing constructive guidance on technical and creative challenges.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the creative industries, machinery and contemporary industry practice.
• Embed current developments in technology, sustainable practice and production methods into teaching and practical learning where appropriate.
• Create and develop a skills digital library, technical resources and physical discipline appropriate archives.
• Contribute to curriculum review and development where appropriate.

2. Digital, IT and Creative Software Support

• Provide specialist technical advice and guidance to students across all levels in graphic design, fashion media marketing, digital production and photography.
• Advise on appropriate techniques and production processes.
• Demonstrate and support the use of industry standard equipment.
• Develop technical samples, demonstrations, templates and step-by-step learning guides to support student learning.
• Support students in identifying and resolving technical problems during the development and production process.
• Encourage professional standards of workmanship, accuracy and presentation.
• Support students in developing appropriate technical and professional working practices in preparation for industry.

3. Photography and Mixed Media Studio, Equipment and Resource Management

• Maintain and develop a professional, safe and industry-standard studio environment.
• Carry out or coordinate routine checks of equipment and report maintenance or repair requirements through the appropriate channels.
• Ensure students receive appropriate guidance regarding the safe operation of machinery and specialist equipment.
• Support compliance with health and safety requirements, risk assessments and relevant institutional policies.
• Support the organisation and management of consumables and other studio materials.
• Assist with stock control, inventory management, equipment bookings, software requirements and studio purchasing as required.

4. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement:

• Adhere to all VCAD and Partner institution policies, procedures and quality assurance standards.
• Participate in relevant academic and technical review processes.
• Engage in peer review, teaching observation and evaluation activities to support the continuous improvement of teaching and technical practice.
• Contribute to the evaluation and enhancement of practical teaching resources, studio provision and student learning experiences.
• Maintain appropriate records relating to teaching, workshops, equipment, resources and student support.

5. Professional Development:

• Participate in professional development activities, keeping abreast of innovations and developments within the field of higher education teaching and learning and regulatory requirements.

6. Administrative and Departmental Responsibilities:

• Undertake, as required, administrative duties, as well as any other appropriate duties reasonably requested by your line manager, including attendance and participation in departmental meetings.
• Actively contribute to departmental goals and participate in activities such as open days, student recruitment, induction events, knowledge transfer and other outreach work. Qualifications & Experience: Essential
• A bachelor's degree in graphic design, Visual Communication, Digital Media, Photography, Fashion Media, Marketing, Creative Arts or a relevant subject.
• Significant professional experience in the creative industries.
• Confidence and ability to communicate complex technical and digital information clearly to students and colleagues.
• Ability to deliver practical workshops, technical demonstrations and one-to-one digital support.
• Experience using Adobe Creative Cloud and other industry-standard creative software.
• Strong understanding of health and safety requirements within digital, creative and photography studio environments.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage studio resources, IT/creative equipment, software, photography bookings and competing priorities.
• Strong digital literacy and confidence working across IT systems, Microsoft 365 and cloud-based platforms.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding and inclusive teaching and learning.
• Advanced working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, with the ability to support students across professional design workflows.
• Experience with photography, digital image capture, lighting and post-production workflows.
• Experience managing or supporting a photography studio, including equipment booking, setup, maintenance, safe working practices and studio workflows. Desirable
• Experience of teaching, mentoring or supporting students in higher education, further education or professional learning environments.
• Experience with video, motion graphics, social media content creation, digital marketing platforms or other creative technologies.
• Experience with additional Adobe applications such as Lightroom, Premiere Pro, After Effects or Acrobat. Benefits
• Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
• Workplace pension scheme.
• Company Sick Pay.
• Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
• Virtual GP access (Livi)
• 'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
• Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
• Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
• Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
• Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
• Financial coaching (MUNNY)
• Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
• Self development and Self taught trainings