Hiring a Skilled Glass Blower / Studio Technician – Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting

"we are hiring"in white text over a black background with a chandelier

Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting is proud to offer full-time hybrid position of a Glass Blowing Studio Tech. We are the largest American made lighting company in the US, and the leader in our industry in studio glass design. We have a state-of-the-art facility located in the Miami area and produce a variety of challenging glasswork.

Our product line is unlike any other, consisting of glass that is mold blown, free formed, cast, fused, slumped, glued, and coldworked. Often, a single light fixture goes back and forth between hot, warm, and cold processes making the work atypical and exciting. We have a heavy production load that constantly evolves with our variety of products. More often, we are tasked with exciting and challenging custom orders.
We are looking for a senior/master Glassblower with experience running a glass studio and has 10 years of production glass blowing experience. The position is for someone who can produce the product 70% of the time and perform tech duties the other 30%. This job is exciting, challenging, skill-building, and rewarding, however, is not for the faint of heart. The studio is in a brand new 17,000 sq.ft. space, with a massive ventilation/air system, but we need someone who is not afraid of the Miami heat!

• Full time
• Salary- equivalent to glass production and experience running a studio ($25.00 – $30.00 per hour)
• PTO, OT, medical insurance plan
• Studio time for artists

Miami (and neighboring Fort Lauderdale) has exciting perks and artistic opportunities.
• Beach
• Wynwood Design District
• Galleries
• www.browardarts.com
• www.miamidadearts.org
• Two major airports (MIA and FLL)
• Close to Key West, St. Petersburg, Orlando

Please submit current CV/Resume to [email protected] and feel free to ask any questions. Check out the website www.finearthl.com 

Senior/Master Glass Blower and Shop Tech

A list of suggested skills is as follows:

Key Responsibilities Glass Blowing: Estimated to 70% of his/her time

• Expert Glassblowing: Demonstrating exceptional skill in all aspects of glassblowing, mold blowing, shaping, forming and finishing work.
• Design Support: Support the creation of innovative designs, often pushing the boundaries of glassblowing techniques.
• Mentorship: Guiding apprentices and journeymen, sharing their knowledge and expertise.
• Project Management: Overseeing complex glassblowing projects as directed, ensuring that they meet deadlines and quality standards.
• Quality Control: Ensuring that all glass pieces produced meet the highest standards of craftsmanship.
• Technical Proficiency: A deep understanding of glass properties, techniques, and equipment. Equivalent to 10 years of production experience
• Creativity: The ability to design and create unique and innovative glass pieces.
• Coldworking: Has basic coldworking skills
• Problem-Solving: The capacity to overcome challenges and find solutions to technical issues.
• Leadership: The ability to guide and mentor others in glassblowing.
• Independent or Collaborative: May work independently or as part of a team, depending on the nature of the project.
• Physical Demands: Glassblowing can be physically demanding, requiring strength, dexterity, and the ability to stand for long periods in hot weather. The studio location is in Miami Florida which has very hot summer months. The workspace has a tremendous exhaust system, but the day temperatures will typically run into the 90’s.
Master glassblowers are highly respected for their skills and expertise. For Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting the candidate will work on prestigious projects, create one-of-a-kind pieces, and will contribute to the growth in the tradition of glassmaking for FAHL.

Key responsibilities of the shop tech: Estimated to be 30% of his/her time

The following is a list of duties and required knowledge that are specific to the operation of the Glass Department. The position will be the point person and will work closely with the facilities supervisor to resolve any issues that will hinder the output of the department.
• Furnace Operation: The operation, repair and maintenance of the Falorni furnaces. This requires a basic knowledge of combustion systems and the ability to read a electrical schematic. Understanding the tuning of the furnaces and preventative maintenance required.
• Kiln Maintenance: Replacing components and servicing electrical annealers and kilns. An understanding of kiln operation and repair which includes replacing elements and breakers. Basic understanding of electrical systems. Preventative maintenance includes the physical operation of doors, insulation, etc.
• Watlow controllers: Full operation and programing of Watlow controllers. Installation of controllers and understanding of the control box.
• Gas Devices: Repair and maintenance of all gas devices such as gloryholes and pipe warmers.
• Basic shop Maintenance: The ongoing maintenance of the hot shop studio equipment and all of its varied shop equipment.
• Repair of wood molds. The rebuilding to maintain the operation of the wood molds.

More studio details:
Our Studio Equipment
Hotshop
(3)-*new* 750lb Falorni furnaces
(2)- 16” glory holes
(2)- 12” glory holes
(2)- *new* pipe warmers
(4)- benches
(2)- down draft tables
(5)- large WDG annealers H 4’ x W 8’x D 4’

Kiln
(3)-*new* 5’x6’ clam WDG
(1)-*new* 3’x3’ clam WDG
(1)-*new* small WDG front loader 3’x4’
(2)-Jumbo clam 10’x 8’ WDG
(6)- Paragon coffin kilns
(1)-Rolling Car Kiln H 5’x W 4’X D 5’
(1)-Large front loading annealer H 4’x W 8’x D 4’ WDG

Coldshop
(1)-Toolboy Jim9000 Height Adjustable Lathe
(1)-Diamond Bandsaw
(1)-Pneumatic water fed grinding booth
(4)-Waterjet Design 24” Diamond Grinder
(4)-Diamond Saws
(5)-Somca Belt Sanders
(3)-Drill Press
Glass Facility
• Blowing molds
• Optic molds
• Graphite hot casting molds
• Hot torches
• Ladles for hot casting
• Slumping molds
• Kiln casting molds and supplies
• Flat glass cutting area
• UV light conveyer belt

The glass studio is one part of a massive lighting company.
Lighting Facility
• Massive metals department/fabrication
• Paint department with spray booths
• Gold leaf room
• Silver leaf room
• Resin department
• Final assembly
• Packing
• Shipping
• Design department
• Showroom

https://www.finearthl.com