Employment at the IAT

The Institute for Applied Tinkering (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) is an organization dedicated to building a 21st-century model of education. Over the past 15 years we’ve brought child-centric, collaborative, hands-on education experiences to children in many different ways: sleep away camp, K-12 school, day camp, after-school programs, teacher workshops, and more. Thousands of kids, parents, and educators attest to the richness and lasting impact of the experiences we deliver.

We believe that all children deserve opportunities to engage with their world in creative and adventurous ways. We are committed not only to making our programs available to families of all income levels but also to sharing our learnings with parents, teachers, and schools around the world.

Open Positions

R&D Collaborator with Innovative Non-Profit

The Institute for Applied Tinkering (IAT) is seeking a full-time Research and Development Collaborator to be part of the R&D Team at the Institute for Applied Tinkering. 

The R&D Collaborator will work with staff from Brightworks, our K-12 school, and Tinkering School, our out-of-school programs and camp, to develop, document, and share new learning experiences. Additionally, you will work closely with the CED team to help improve how we share our techniques, pedagogy, and products.

The R&D Collaborator reports to the Founder/Chief Tinkerer.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Function as an educational anthropologist, spending time embedded in bandspaces, documenting and distilling observations into shareable content

• Developing and testing new learning experiences in Brightworks, Tinkering School, and other learning environments (e.g. public/private school classrooms)

• Short film-making, creation of shareable assets

• Running two or more weeks of an existing Tinkering School summer day camp program, possibly creating a new program. Currently we have big wood building, robotics, art, and LARP sessions

• Participation in all phases of the concept-prototype-product development loop

• Support the development of educational technologies for each part of the organization

Qualifications (Required)

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience

• Strong ad-hoc prototyping skills

• Experience using Google programs (Sheets, Docs, etc.) 

• Enjoys engaging with children between the ages of 5-17

• Comfortable working in a collaborative and fluid environment

• Ability to represent the organization well with students, parents, and guests

• Demonstrated creative abilities in classrooms and/or working with students and youth

Skills, Habits, Attitudes

• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate well and relate to students, parents, staff, faculty, and others

• Detail oriented and organized

• Ability to employ flexibility in the execution of duties

• Honor the competence and independence of children

• Deep interest in learning, with focus on the ages 5-17

Requirements

• Full-time, exempt

• All work days are onsite (except by prior arrangement)

Wages/Benefits

This is a full-time exempt position. Salary estimate is $70,000-$85,000 annually based on the candidate's experience. Excellent benefits offered including medical, dental, vision insurance, and a retirement plan.

How to Apply

To apply for open positions, we ask applicants to send application materials through our job site portal link.

• Cover Letter: how did you learn about the position? Who are you? What is your journey? Why are you excited to work with us? What’s the last project that excited you? 

• Resume of relevant work and educational experiences to support your candidacy

• We are currently reviewing applications

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Interim Director of Operations

Position: Interim Director of Operations

The Interim Director of Operations at the Institute for Applied Tinkering (IAT) (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) oversees the operations of the IAT and its programs—Brightworks (K-12 independent school) and Tinkering School (camps program). The Interim Director of Operations reports to the Executive Director while working closely with Brightworks' Head of School, Tinkering School Program Manager, and Founder / Chief Collaborator.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operations

• Manages the Operations Manager and Office Admin.

• Continuously works to improve fire, earthquake, and active shooter safety plans and ensure staff are trained regarding the plans.

• Leads on space planning for the campus. Work closely and collaboratively with stakeholders across the IAT to create the optimal plan addressing individual and division needs.

• Takes leads on special events. Ensures events run smoothly and are culture-building experiences for the entire community.

• Manages relationships with the Presidio and other vendors.

• Periodically Audits vendor list and payments and determines if bids from additional vendors should be procured.

• Manages IT and technology for the IAT; could include utilizing an outside vendor.

• Determine what’s working / not working with facilities and develop a plan to address issues.

• Manages the following functions:

• Telecommunications services and contracts

• Cyber security

Qualifications (Required)

• Bachelor’s Degree

• Minimum of three to five years operations experience at a K-12 school or non-profit organization.

• A demonstrated passion for the IAT’s mission.

• Nonprofit and/or private school experience is preferred, but not required.

Skills, Habits, Attitudes

• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate well and relate to students, parents, staff, faculty, and others.

• Detail-oriented and organized.

• Demonstrates discretion with sensitive and confidential material.

• Comfortable working in a collaborative and fluid environment.

• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills.

• Strong emotional intelligence with the ability to work diplomatically with a range of people and personality types.

• Comfortable working with and around children ranging in age from 5 - 18 years old.

Requirements

This position is an Exempt, full time position

All workdays are on-site (except by prior arrangement )

Wages/Benefits

This is a temporary, full-time, exempt position. Hourly range estimate is $36.06 - $43.27. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401k matching, holiday pay, and paid sick leave.

How to Apply

To apply for open positions, we ask applicants to send the following PDF documents through this link and add your Cover Letter to the “Additional Information” text box.

• Cover Letter: how did you learn about the position? Who are you? What is your journey? Why are you excited to work with us? What’s the last project that excited you?

• Resume of relevant work and educational experiences to support your candidacy

• We are currently reviewing applications

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

The Institute for Applied Tinkering is always looking for inspired tinkerers, collaborators, and contributors. Check out listings the Brightworks and Tinkering School sites, or send an email sharing how you’d like to get involved to hiring@appliedtinkering.org.