Graduate Student Assistant Position: Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative Manager

Are you interested in developing a digital device repair training program? Would you like to lead a team of undergraduate student technology repair specialists? Do you want to be part of a solution that addresses both social and environmental justice aspects of technology repair?

The Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative is a University supported, pilot program (July 2019-June 2020) primarily designed to 1) gather data associated with student technology repair needs, 2) organize two, separate, day-long, technology repair pop-up events on campus, and 3) create the network and infrastructure necessary to help make technology repair a permanent, accessible service on campus.

This initiative is designed to meet both equity and environmental goals. First, providing students with on-campus technology repair services helps to ensure that technology is an enabler for student success, rather than a means through which existing inequalities are reinforced. Second, by extending the lifespan of students' devices through the proposed repair service, as well as do-it-yourself repair education and tools, this project will reduce the level of e-waste in landfills and the energy used to recycle e-waste. The Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative is co-managed by the Center for Information Technology & Society and the Blum Center for Global Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development on campus.

The Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative is looking to hire a graduate student assistant to help launch this initiative on campus. Join their team to raise awareness about the social and environmental dimensions of technology, provide a service to students to reduce social inequalities and e-waste, and help seed a culture change on campus towards repair.

Graduate Student Assistant Job Description: Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative Manager

Dates of Employment: July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Time Commitment: 10 hrs/wk (100 hours each quarter)
Salary: $25.00/hour
Apply via Handshake by June 4th (search for the listing with job number 2732916 or job title Sustainable Technology Repair Initiative Manager)

Responsibilities:

• Working with the Academic Coordinators of the Blum Center and CITS, write the job descriptions for and assist in the hiring of undergraduate technology repair specialists
• Create and implement a training program for undergraduate technology repair specialists
• Help manage a team of undergraduate students working on repair and related activities
• Manage the creation of a technical, accessible curriculum (i.e., help pages, FAQs, videos) for repair
• Assist with the planning, purchasing, and overseeing of the technology repair parts inventory
• Manage two, day-long, technology repair pop-up events (held during the 3rd weeks of January and April 2020), including troubleshooting, resolving and appropriate triage of minor hardware and software issues in cooperation with undergraduate team
• Manage the e-waste recycling associated with the pop-up repair events, in collaboration with campus (and other relevant) partners
• Conduct research on other technology repair initiatives and related legislative efforts
• Assist in the planning and implementation of a learning series associated with the digital divide, the right to repair, and related environmental/social justice issues
• Acts as a leader while exercising own judgment within defined IT guidelines and best practice.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience repairing digital devices, specifically laptops, mobile phones, and/or tablets. Both hardware and software knowledge is helpful, as is previous experience working at a retail electronics store and/or certified repair shop (e.g., Apple/Apple Genius Bar, Best Buy, Samsung)
• Experience training others on repair
• Experience in technical writing

Preferred Skills:

• General repair skills
• Above-average mechanical and/or electrical aptitude; Broad knowledge of IT-related products and services. General knowledge of other areas of IT
• Keep up with news about new consumer electronics devices and manufacturers
• Enjoy working in a team and interacting with others
• Detail oriented with serial numbers and model numbers, etc.
• Ability to elicit and communicate technical and non-technical information in a clear and concise manner

UCSB graduate students with registered student status who are in good standing, from any UCSB department, are welcome to apply for this position.

Please include the following in your application package:

1) A cover letter (no more than 1 page) explaining:

• Your interest in the position
• Relevant experience (paid, volunteer, hobby) in tech repair activities - repair experience in general is also worth noting; and
• Your ideas for motivating students to get interested in repairing,
  rather than tossing, their electronic goods;

2) A Curriculum Vitae (no more than 3 pages); and
3) A list of three references (names and contact information).

Application deadline is Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 at 12PM PST.

To learn more about this initiative or if you have any questions, please email Joanne Nowak, Academic Coordinator of the Blum Center for Global Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development Melissa Bator, Academic Coordinator of the Center for Information Technology & Society.

Note: This position does not provide tuition or fee remission and is open to both work-study and non-work study students.