Assistant Studio Manager

Assistant Studio Manager

Full-Time | Dallas, TX | Immediate Start

Marcello Andres Ceramics is a Dallas-based studio producing handmade ceramic tableware for leading restaurants, hotels, and design clients. We are seeking a full-time Assistant Production Manager to own our production systems and keep the entire production pipeline moving on schedule.

This is a hands-on role for someone with technical ceramics experience and strong organizational skills. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Assistant Production Manager oversees our production queue and owns the overall tempo of the production floor. That means knowing where every order stands, translating priorities into the team's daily work assignments, catching anything that falls behind, and making up lost time before it reaches a client. The work is extremely detail-oriented.

This role will evolve as we build out our systems, so responsibilities will expand and shift over time. We're looking for someone who brings a problem-solving mindset to new and unfamiliar situations.

This is not an entry-level role. Prior ceramics production experience and comfort running a schedule and a system are required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Production Systems & Scheduling

  • Own and maintain the studio's core production-tracking documents, keeping them current as the single source of truth for what's in the pipeline, where each order stands, and its projected completion
  • Log same-day entries — pieces poured, pieces glazed, and yield-loss figures — so the studio always has an accurate picture of output
  • Translate order priorities into the production team's daily work assignments
  • Know current production capacity and pace well enough to help set and protect promised delivery dates
  • Identify any instance where an order falls behind schedule and ensure a solution is applied to make up lost time
  • Ensure client communication stays ahead of any delays
  • Continue to iterate and improve production systems and scheduling processes
  • Meet with leadership regularly to discuss production updates, issues, and timelines
  • Own the overall tempo of the production floor — a pipeline that's moving on schedule, not just a list of individually completed tasks

Production Execution

  • Run day-to-day production operations, ensuring daily and weekly output targets are met
  • Prepare, mix, test, and maintain casting slip at the appropriate specific gravity, using the correct amount of deflocculant for both new slip and reclaim
  • Pour molds, demold, trim, and store pieces to studio quality standards
  • Apply glaze to pieces per studio specifications
  • Load and unload kilns according to firing schedules
  • Track and manage mold drying cycle times and rotations
  • Quality control, packing, and shipping

Team Accountability & Training

  • Train production staff on proper technique: mixing slip, applying glaze, cleaning pieces on the wheel, and loading the kiln
  • Hold the production team accountable to output, quality, and process standards
  • Manage studio production assets and ensure proper use and care of equipment and molds
  • Address performance or process issues among production staff, escalating to studio leadership as needed
  • Conduct performance reviews of production staff on a quarterly basis

Quality Control & Process Improvement

  • Continuously identify and implement improvements to the production process
  • Monitor and troubleshoot warping, cracking, defects, and yield loss tied to material, molds, and seasonal temperature changes
  • Execute a satisfactory success rate on castings and firings, per studio standards
  • Ensure production sub-tasks (pouring, cleaning, glazing, kiln loading, sanding) meet documented studio best practices

Equipment & Studio Maintenance

  • Maintain a clean, safe, and organized production and wet-shop area
  • Inventory and care for one-part and multi-part plaster molds, storing them to prevent breakage
  • Perform basic maintenance and repairs on studio production equipment; flag malfunctions that need outside repair

General

  • Support broader studio production and operations as needed
  • Continue growing knowledge of clay and ceramic technique — including clay durability, absorption rates, and glaze-to-clay fit — to troubleshoot issues confidently
  • Support retail and studio events as needed
  • Work studio sales; this is a mandatory part of the role
  • Perform other duties as assigned by studio leadership

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

  • 2+ years hands-on experience in a ceramic studio or production environment, with demonstrated slip-casting and mold-based production experience
  • Experience training, supervising, or holding others accountable in a production setting
  • Strong understanding of ceramic materials, drying behavior, and firing outcomes
  • Ability to manage a consistent production workflow independently
  • Strong attention to detail and cleanliness
  • Ability to lift at least 50 lbs

Preferred

  • Experience with plaster mold making and repair
  • Knowledge of glaze chemistry and kiln firing
  • Experience documenting technical workflows or training others
  • Experience with production or inventory tracking systems

WORK ENVIRONMENT

  • Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break
  • Studio-based role in Dallas (Cedars neighborhood)
  • Hands-on production environment with clay, plaster, and kilns
  • Collaborative, respectful, and craft-driven team culture

COMPENSATION & START

  • Full-time position
  • Competitive pay based on experience
  • Immediate start

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your resume and a brief note describing your experience with ceramics and management to staff@marcelloandres.com with the subject line: Assistant Studio Manager Application.

Marcello Andres Ceramics is an equal opportunity employer, complying with all applicable federal civil rights laws. We do not discriminate, exclude, or treat individuals differently based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.