Employment: Qatar Vacancies
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Location: Qatar
Position: Media Technology Coordinator
Position Number: F25800
Position Begins: January 1, 2010
Review of Application Begins:
Review of applications is ongoing and will continue until position is filled.
VCUQatar (www.qatar.vcu.edu) is a four-year, degree granting campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts, ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the leading art and design program among all U.S. public universities. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUQatar is affiliated with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (www.qf.org.qa). Celebrating ten years of operation, VCUQatar offers BFA degrees in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, and Interior Design with the majority of students from the Gulf region and approximately 30% international.
An MFA in Design Studies is pending approval by VCU. Once approved, implementation is planned for Fall 2009, making this the first Design Studies Masters degree in the Gulf.
The School is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. VCUQatar has substantial involvement with the emerging design industries in Qatar and is a significant catalyst for that growth.
VCUQatar benefits from a funding situation that allows it to be driven by innovative programmatic needs rather than typical fiscal constraints. Externally funded student and faculty research opportunities are expanding with the rapid development of Qatar, now among the wealthiest countries in the world based upon per capita GDP. (www.qnrf.org) The VCUQatar Center for Research in Design has a 1.7 million contract for the design of Qatar military uniforms; is involved in the World Design Report with Icograda; and is expanding with multiple project opportunities in collaboration with faculty and external partners. The school is the center for design education in the country by emphasizing design entrepreneurship and design awareness through lectures, exhibitions, and conferences, such as the international conference “Tasmeem Doha”, and the upcoming 2009 Icograda Design Week, “Mousharaka”. With an annual budget of $20 million, VCUQatar’s full-time faculty and administrative staff of 100 (60% female), instruct an undergraduate coed student body of 200. The school maintains an enviable student/faculty ratio of 10:1. Housed in a 96,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, the school has 123,000 square foot addition in development. VCUQatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2,500 acre campus community. VCUQatar has since been joined by Carnegie-Mellon University (Business and Computer Science), Cornell University’s Weill School of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Northwestern University (Journalism and Communication), and Texas A & M University (Engineering).
Qatar, where English is the standard second language, is perhaps the most liberal, hospitable and progressive of the Arabian Gulf countries. The population of Qatar is approximately 1 million and growing – 260,000 Qatari, 12,000 US citizens, the remainder expatriates. Doha with a population of 420,000 has all the conveniences found in a contemporary city, and it also maintains a traditional Arab flavor, evident in the old markets and the city’s Islamic Arab architecture. The new Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008. The US Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.
Position Description
The Media Technology Coordinator will support the first Master of Fine Arts in Design program in the Gulf region. The Design Studies track of the MFA program offered in Qatar will feature an interdisciplinary studio environment for applied design research and theoretical investigations. The Coordinator will be responsible for developing, implementing and supporting a media studio that will support design investigation, research and project development that could be realized in existing and future forms of digital media including but not limited to video, animation, interactive experiences, and 3D simulation and prototyping, for multiple forms of distribution. Graduate research will link with national, regional and international design networks, projects in the VCU Center for Research in Design and Entrepreneurial programs, and collaborations across Education City universities and Qatar Foundation Centers to achieve the Qatar Foundation’s mission to “create a center of excellence in education, research that will help transform Qatar into a knowledge based society.” This MFA track is a two-year program accepting 6 students per year. This 12–month position will begin in August 2009 upon plan approval. The Media Technology Coordinator will perform all other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Successful candidates will have a bachelors degree in design, interactive media or related field (Masters preferred); demonstrated research skills to stay abreast of the latest developments in equipment, hardware and software; a thorough understanding and ability to provide tutoring with key software packages; an independent ability to install and maintain all equipment, and install, configure and troubleshoot software; budget, sourcing and purchasing experience; and excellent communication skills to work with faculty, students, staff, vendors and service providers.
Benefits
• Competitive international salary
• Tax protection for U.S. Taxpayers
• 30% Off-shore supplement to base salary
• Medical Insurance (100% employer funded premium and employer cost shared options available)
• Fully furnished villa or apartment including utility allowance and wireless internet
• Annual travel allowance to home of record (to include a spouse and dependents relocated to Qatar)
• Monthly transportation allowance
• Educational reimbursement for up to 4 dependent children enrolled in an accredited K-12 program
• International Professional Development and Research Opportunities
Application Process:
Qualified applicants who have a record of achievement appropriate to VCUQatar should submit a letter of interest with a curriculum vitae, transcripts, and the names of three references including email and telephone contact information to Ryan Ellington (rfellington@vcu.edu), Human Resources Administrator. Only Electronic submissions will be accepted.
Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
