Team Leader master Lens-Based Media - Piet Zwart Institute (0,5 FTE)

Step into a pivotal leadership role where cutting-edge media art, visionary education, and international collaboration converge—shaping the next generation of lens-based practitioners at the forefront of a rapidly evolving visual culture.

WdK Willem de Kooning Academie

What are you going to do?

Reporting directly to a manager from the Strategic Management Team, the position of Team Leader has two focus areas:

1. Leading the program and the team from a managerial and administrative perspective that includes HRM and budget responsibility, implementation of the curriculum and quality assurance cycles, tutor team development and deployment planning.
2. Continuously developing the knowledge base of this master in relation to developments in contemporary media art, cinematic forms, and photographic research.

Tasks

• Leadership & team building: Lead, compose, and inspire a team of core tutors with international reputations. Manage a rotating team of key professionals from the field who serve as advisors and guest tutors. You will work closely with the professors of the Research Centre on the continued development of the program.
• Curriculum development: Oversee the development of the curriculum within the framework of Master of Fine Art and Design, in collaboration with the tutor team to ensure it remains at the forefront of the media landscape. Attention will be to maintain a stable (inter)national student intake and alignment with WdKA’s bachelor programs (Photography, Audiovisual Design, Animation).
• Managerial and administrative responsibilities: Take on the responsibility of leading and organizing within budget all education activities that take place in the context of the Master Lens-Based Media. You will work closely with tutors, the strategic management team, the PZI and bachelor team leaders and support staff.
• Partnerships: Maintain and expand the program’s active set of relationships. You will represent and connect the program in co-organizing exhibitions, seminars, and symposiums with several partners both institutional and non-institutional, in Rotterdam and beyond.
• Pedagogy: Foster a pedagogical environment that encourages "open-eyed engagement" and supports students in developing unconventional visual approaches to global challenges.
• Teaching: Coach and teach students, guiding their artistic research and the formal/technical execution of their projects.
• Quality assurance: Report to the WdKA strategic team for quality assurance and the further advancement of the PZI portfolio.

Willem de Kooning Academy

The Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (WdKA/RUAS), offers a variety of bachelor and master programs in the field of visual culture, art, design, education in arts, and leisure management.

The Piet Zwart Institute (PZI) hosts WdKA’s four full-time and two part-time international masters in art, design, interior architecture and art education. The programs work experimentally across different media and contexts, offering a rich combination of in-depth specialization and interdisciplinary exchange. We educate professionals who have a critically reflective, innovative, questioning, and imaginative approach to their practice.

Master Lens-Based Media

The program is a two-year full-time international Master of Arts and consists of a team of 6 colleagues responsible for 30 students.

The Master Lens-Based Media focuses primarily on artistic and experimental lens-based practices (both still and moving image/animation) that embrace the use of artifice, formal and technical innovation, and fictional strategies to create new and meaningful visions of the world. In an era of disinformation and polarization, the program supports visions that move beyond conventional narratives to engage with collective social, political, and environmental challenges.

Work within the program is grounded in a solid artistic research practice, requiring makers to take responsibility for the histories, complexities, and "claims to truth" of the images they create. The program collaborates with institutions such as EYE Filmmuseum, IFFR, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, KINO, WORM, and V2_Lab for the Unstable Media.

Are you the one we’re looking for?

We seek a practitioner or researcher deeply engaged in the themes of the Lens-Based Media profile, with the ability to navigate both the academic environment and the international professional field of media arts. We are looking for a colleague who is curious, responsible, and engaged. You’re able to think about possibilities, take ownership of your work, and keep your commitments. You enjoy working with others across the entire organisation, communicate openly and respectfully, and contribute to a positive and safe working environment. With confidence in yourself, others, and the process, you help build the academy’s shared goals and future vision.

Profile

• Field Expertise: Extensive knowledge of contemporary photography, film, animation, or digital media arts. Evidence of a lens-based artistic practice with exhibition and recognition at a national and international level is required.
• Network: An established international network and experience collaborating with key cultural institutions (museums, festivals, and labs).
• Leadership: Experience in educational management, specifically in managing diverse teams of high-profile practitioners.
• Research: Practical experience in artistic research, storytelling, and "making public" through exhibitions or screenings.
• Academic Background: Master-level or PhD degree in Fine Art, Media Design, Film Studies, or a related field.
• Communication skills: Strong communication and social skills, fluent in verbal and written English and mastering the Dutch language to at least C1 level.
• BKE certification is required, a BDB is a plus.

What do we offer?

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences offers you a temporary (D4) contract of 0,5 FTE for one year.

Secondary benefits include professional training opportunities and an attractive pension scheme.