Catalyst – Institute for Creative Arts and Technology is an international learning community, based at the iconic Funkhaus in the creative media metropolis of Berlin. Organized into a School of Music & Sound, School of Film & Visual Media, and School of Acting, our diverse and ever-growing bachelor's and master's degree programs are based on the values and concepts of progressive, project-based education whilst complying with the rigorous requirements of a UK university qualification.
Aiming to become the international creative production and performance learning institution of choice, we encourage students to push their creative boundaries way beyond what they thought possible, at the same time engaging with their personal growth as a human being. Simply put, we aim to provide them with a set of skills that allows them to flourish while manifesting their interests and their unique greatness more powerfully in the wider world. With students from over 75 different countries, our creative community is a working environment that is international and multicultural.
Leadership
•Supporting all aspects of the organisation’s vision and building alignment with that vision within the school’s team and the school programmes
•Stewarding the Music school towards academic, operational and developmental success
•Defining and enacting academic strategy and pedagogical vision inline with the organisation's broader strategies and resources
•Enabling programme leads to carry out their work effectively, driving clarity through domain design, delegation and review
•Defining key metrics for monitoring and evaluation
•Supporting the team in delivering courses including BA, MA and short course programmes
HR
•Decision making in our recruiting and dismissal process
•Monitoring legal compliance
•Supporting the development and delivery of peer-led feedback and evaluation
•Supporting and coaching individual programme leads to be self-reliant
Development
•Designing and refining effective and scalable systems and processes
•Creating annual facility development proposals
•Operationally developing current and new courses, including BA, MA and short course programmes
•Validating any new programmes
Partnerships & Cooperation
•Promotion of the school internally and externally
•Increasing visibility at Berlin based public events
•Ensuring that Catalyst is supported through active professional networks
•Initiating and promoting opportunities for collaboration, exhibition-making and discussion (within Catalyst and beyond) that generate visibility and position Catalyst at the forefront of contemporary arts education
•Acting as a conduit for internal and external partnerships and collaborations which are connected to the school: e.g. with external universities, art institutions, internship programs, festivals, and professional opportunities and between programs at Catalyst
Academic Standards
•Evaluating and enhancing student success rates (graduate rate, employability, satisfaction)
•Setting and maintaining high-level professional and academic standards which align with the pedagogical vision
•Setting goals and targets for programmes to work towards with associated metrics
•Evaluating teaching practices and creating opportunities for improvement
•Aligning and exceeding the standards set out by our validating partner
Finance
•Developing financial sustainability and profitability of the school.
•Developing and managing school budgets
Storytelling
•Providing sector expertise to help inform design decisions and the choice of image, video, audio and text for course content
•Coordinating communications between Storytelling & Programme Leads
Teaching
•96-108 teaching hours - Engaging with pedagogical development to support innovative teaching and learning
The more of the following qualities/experiences you have the better, but don't get put off applying if you're missing anything!
•Broad knowledge of contemporary creative practices and industries
•Experience of working in a higher education leadership or administration capacity
•Teaching experience with an interest in practice-led and project-based learning
•An understanding of the importance of creating a sustainable business model
•Strong organizational, project management and administrative skills
•An interest in the use of thinking frameworks to solve complex problems
•An ability to critique and guide the work of others
•Experience balancing the needs of individuals versus the needs of the organization
•Experience acting as a behavioral role model
•Cross discipline experience in arts education (music, film, art, design, architecture, socio-spatial practices, etc.)
•An established or emerging international profile as a creative practitioner
•A strong networker with an international professional network that spans a wide range of creative disciplines (film, music, art, fashion, design, etc.)
•Curatorial practice and interdisciplinary collaboration
•Experience with fostering discourse (artist talks, writing/editing, publishing, public presentations)
The successful candidate will likely have at least five years of teaching experience and a Master's degree with senior experience within higher education.
We offer a working environment where learning and exchange are invited and encouraged. Within our vibrant creative community, we share a lively and flexible work environment. By design, the working environment invites fuller expression of yourself, taking initiative in shaping your own role(s), and opening up possibilities to develop yourself as a senior team member.
Part of what animates our work together is trying to find ways of delivering a progressive and rigorous education to our students, whilst centering community and belonging. We therefore strongly encourage applications from those who would traditionally be excluded from an educational institution. For Catalyst that means we envision a constellation of team members that is diverse in its gender, race, class, ability, age and sexual orientation backgrounds.
Learn more about us here: https://catalyst-berlin.com/about/introduction
Instead of sending a traditional cover letter, describe in 500 words your perspective on progressive creative education in an HE institution and how you feel you would contribute to this endeavor (in PDF format). Please also include your most recent CV (in PDF format), with links to some examples of your artistic/curatorial portfolio (if available), and 2-3 of your syllabi.
Send us your application documents by using this form:
https://forms.gle/odxJgL3iYeGioF2NA
If you have questions, you may email them to your_mission@catalyst-berlin.com (include 'Music School Lead' in your subject). We will be accepting applications until April 30, 2024.
We look forward to reading your application and getting to know you!