Laboratory Schools: Audio, Visual, and Technical Support Specialist

Department

Lab School Technology

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Job Summary

The A/V and Technical Support Specialist serves two important roles in the Information Systems group. The AV Tech is the primary technician for all audio-visual systems and equipment managed by the Information Systems group and also provides technical support for laptops, desktops, iPads, printers, copiers, and other devices. This is a full-time, non-exempt 12-month position that reports to the Director of Information, Registrar and Compliance Services.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair A/V equipment: projectors, interactive flat panel displays, speakers, control systems, standard flat panel displays, video conferencing systems, cameras

• Support general A/V needs by meeting with event organizers and ensuring that equipment is set up and ready for use, including troubleshooting issues during the event

• Manage projects involving third-party contractors as needed for installation, repair, and upgrades of small to mid-size installations, including defining needs, analyzing bids, and making vendor recommendations

• Provides onsite AV support for events such as school assemblies, parent meetings, performances and ceremonies.

• Serve as primary A/V technician for various sized meetings and events as directed in classrooms, school performance and meeting spaces, and dining hall, including setting up and managing sound mixers, microphones, video cameras, and control boards

• Proactively identify potential campus A/V improvements and work with superiors to develop, propose and recommend solutions about how to improve current systems and processes

• Proactively contact and train employees to use the A/V equipment in classroom and meeting spaces, including conducting in-person trainings and creating documentation

• Initiate and support use of streaming technologies for broadcasting selected school events

• Under the general direction of service desk management, the Service Desk Support Specialist provides Tier 1 support, acting as the first level of contact for all IT issues. Provides technical support and advice to members of the University community. Provides techni