The Gerrit Rietveld Academie is looking for: 

Workshop employee for the Textile Workshop

0,05 fte in November/December and April/May/June 

Additional hours for temporary replacement team specialists

The textile workshop of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie is looking for a new employee with experience of, and expertise in, textile techniques. As well as having some technical knowledge, you should be able to engage with and communicate efficiently and considerately with students. We will provide a learning trajectory to help you grow into a specialist.

Our workshop 

In the textile workshop we work with Bachelor and Master students from all study programs who want to use textiles in their making process. The textile workshop has a special link to the TXT department and Fashion department, meaning that we give group instruction to textile and fashion students in all techniques the workshop has to offer. To all other departments we are open on a more individual base. We instruct students in the techniques that their projects require.

With around thirty different techniques available, the workshop provides opportunities to explore and mix all the textile techniques in the workshop. Our workshop is a combination between analogue techniques and computer operated techniques. We are always interested in using existing techniques in an innovative and creative way.  As workshop specialists we provide in-depth guidance to all the machines and techniques the workshop has to offer. 

We approach textiles with patience and attention to the material, encouraging students to explore, experiment, and discover unexpected results. Getting hands-on is essential, whether that leads to surprising outcomes or mistakes, all routes are part of the learning process. We welcome first-timers with enthusiasm and teach them the basics. We provide more advanced students with in-depth knowledge. 

The textile workshop team is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about textiles. Besides that, we are a mindful people-orientated team. We like to share our knowledge and help students become independent in their making processes. 

The workshop is open five days a week from Monday till Friday 9:30 - 17:30 and two days a week in the evening as well 17:30 - 21:30. In the busy period November-December and April-June we occasionally open extra evenings and work with double staff. We are flexible in changing shifts between our team and adjusting work hours. 

What are your main tasks?

The main tasks that we will expect from you is guiding the students in their making process and maintaining the workshop and its equipment.

Tasks consist of:

• Being attentive to students and answer their questions or give them a helping hand

• Introducing and demonstrating any technique from A to Z

• Upgrade use of techniques for end exams and master students

• Managing appointments and creating bookings for students

• Making sure that techniques and materials are used in a safe way

• Welcoming larger groups of students for an introduction talk

• Technical classes for the connected Fashion and TXT departments

Maintenance consists of:

• Closing the workshop at the end of the day after making sure that everything is in order

• Encouraging students to clean up after use

• Repairing small malfunctions

• Participating twice a year in our clean-ups and maintenance of the machines.

Not all above mentioned tasks will be asked from a colleague with a small contract.

What kind of profile do you have? 

We are looking for someone with experience and expertise in at least 3 of the following textile techniques:

• Silkscreen printing on textiles

• Machine knitting

• Tufting

• Flocking

• Machine embroidery

• Heatpress techniques

• Synthetic and natural dyeing

• Various cadcam techniques

• Various manual techniques

• Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

Fluency in English is necessary, as you will be engaging with students from all around the globe.

Besides the technical expertise, you should be able to engage and communicate with students in an efficient and considerate manner. You will also be expected to organise the time and space around bigger groups of students, as well as attend to more than one student in a short interval of time. 

We will provide a learning trajectory to grow into a specialist in all the techniques and skills mentioned. We hope to find a candidate who is planning to stay for a longer period. 

The organisation 

The Gerrit Rietveld Academie is a small-scale, independent, internationally oriented college of fine art and design. The Gerrit Rietveld Academie consists of the Rietveld Academie, the Sandberg Instituut, the Lectureship Art and Public Space and workshops. The academy has around 850 students and come from 55 different countries. 

The academy is characterised by research-based and experimental art education, where (head) teachers, workshop staff, students and staff together shape and give content to education and research. Diversity and inclusion, ecology and sustainability are important priorities of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and thus guide the actions of members of the academy community. Characteristic of the academy is its decentralised management philosophy and the rather autonomous working methods of the departments and workshops (specialisations).

Diversity 

The Gerrit Rietveld Academie strives for a broader representation of staff, students, partners and programmes that reflects the diversity of the city. Anyone who thinks they can contribute to this is expressly invited to respond. 

Terms and conditions of employment 

• According to the CAO Hoger Beroepsonderwijs, the salary offered is determined based on knowledge and experience; the vacancy is graded in scale 8 with a maximum gross monthly salary of € 3.691,27 based on a full-time appointment (40 hours per week).  

• Good fringe benefits including an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, many holidays, a pension scheme and development opportunities.

• A one-year contract with a probationary period of one month.

Interested? 

Send your letter of application and CV to personeelszaken@rietveldacademie.nl with the subject 'vacancy for a textile workshop employee'. We aim to start the employment January 2026.

The closing date of this vacancy is 15 November 2025, a choice will be made as to whom we will invite for an (online) interview. Interviews with selected candidates will be held on 25 November and 2 December 2025.

Questions can be sent to team-textielwerkplaats@rietveldacademie.nl. Applications from recruitment agencies will not be considered.