Middle School Design Technology Teacher

Chinese American International School seeks a

Middle School Design Technology Teacher This is an English language position; NO Chinese language proficiency required.

Exempt, full-time position

WELCOME!

Join the vibrant community at the Chinese American International School as our Design Technology Teacher. Become part of a team striving to be the world’s most innovative, inspiring, and influential Chinese English dual-language immersion school.

OPPORTUNITY

We are searching for an experienced, hardworking, flexible, creative, and collaborative candidate to serve as our school’s Design Technology Teacher. The ideal candidate finds resonance with CAIS’s mission to Embrace Chinese, Become Our Best Selves, and Contribute to a Better World. The Design Technology Teacher is a leader in design thinking and STEAM education who is responsible for overseeing the school’s Design Lab as a physical and programmatic hub for project-based learning in STEAM fields. The Design Technology Teacher teaches a sequence of technology/engineering courses, works with faculty to integrate making and design thinking into the CAIS curriculum, and consults with colleagues in mathematics, science, and other disciplines to create interdisciplinary STEAM threads across the middle school.

In 2024 CAIS moved into our 5.4 acre, 120,000 sq ft campus with top tier theater, dance, arts, athletic, science, and tech facilities plus extensive outdoor space on 19th Avenue in San Francisco. The Design Technology Teacher plays a key role in managing the purpose-built design lab at our campus.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Position responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

● Teaching courses in the areas of design thinking, engineering, physical computing, digital fabrication, and programming

● Coordinating engineering and design curriculum development and education

● Collaborating with teachers of all subjects to design, develop, and implement hands-on projects that are integrated into core subject classes

● Serving as a faculty coach and mentor in the areas of design, engineering, and fabrication

● Maintaining ultimate responsibility for all operations of the lab, including equipment maintenance, supply ordering, and budgets

● Advising student initiated clubs and teaching student-and teacher-initiated short term elective courses

● Serving as an advisor or co-advisor to a small group of students

● Supervising student field trips and occasionally chaperoning global programs

● Other duties and responsibilities as determined by the Head of Middle School and Director of Educational Technology

REQUIREMENTS

● A passion for and demonstrable skills in the makin and tinkering movement, from hand tools to computer-mediated tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters

● Demonstrated teaching skills in a project-based learning environment

● Ability to clearly articulate learning objectives, create new teaching materials, and develop curriculum

● Degree in a field such as mathematics, physics, educational technology, engineering, computer science, or a related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience

● Minimum of bachelor’s degree

● Desire and ability to work collaboratively

● Motivation to seek and implement innovative teaching practices

● Commitment to the school’s mission, core values, vision, and annual strategic objectives

● Commitment to the school’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging objectives

● Excellent work ethic

● Flexibility, patience, resilience, and good humor

ABOUT CAIS

As the nation’s first Mandarin immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies our mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education, whether through our signature Global Programs for 5th, 7th, and 8th graders, our creation of the Mandarin World Language Pathway to allow students to enter CAIS in middle school with little to no prior Mandarin proficiency, and our creation of the annual Early Childhood Chinese Immersion Forum. We are known as an ambitious school, and have implemented our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine our community connectedness, and reimagine our learning spaces.

COMPENSATION

CAIS has an established salary scale that recognizes experience and other qualifications including (but not limited to) education and training, leadership, and bilinguality. The salary range for this position is: $81,400–$115,900

BENEFITS

Chinese American International School is dedicated to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining world-class employees and ensuring that this is a great place to work. We put a high priority on advances in compensation, benefits, and work climate with a 2025–2026 benefits package and perks including:

Distinctively CAIS Benefits

● Commuter benefits (up to $325/month)

● Trips to China and Taiwan

● Chaperone student trips to Taiwan (Taipei) and China (Guilin)

● Dynamic, dual culture setting valuing honest self assessment, thoughtful self reflection, intentional planning, and focused implementation

Financial Benefits

● CAIS contributes 5% of your earnings immediately in a 403(B) retirement plan (no contribution required on your part)

● Transparent salary benchmarked to the Bay Area’s competitive standards, including annual cost-of-living adjustments

● Consideration for relocation costs

● Approximately 90% adjustment to tuition for exempt employees

Professional Development

● Robust opportunities for conferences, workshops, and courses

● Membership in California Teacher Development Collaborative — https://catdc.org/

Health Benefits

● CAIS pays 100% of the premium for medical, dental, vision, acupuncture, chiropractic, short-term disability and long-term disability, and life insurance for you (along with competitive rates for spouse and family coverage)

● Employer-funded Health Savings Account (HSA) and Pre-tax HSA employee contribution

● Pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical and dependent care

Vacation / Holiday / Paid Time Off

● Thanksgiving Break – 1 week

● Winter Break (December/January) – 2 weeks

● Winter Break (February) – 1 week

● Spring Break (April) – 1 week

● Summer Break – 9 weeks of summer from mid-June to mid-August

● Paid school holidays according to the school calendar

● Up to 2 additional days off for religious holidays

● Accrue 11.5 days of Sick Time annually

● Accrue 3 days of Personal Time annually

Quality of Life and Appreciation

● Monthly appreciation lunches

● Twice-yearly Faculty/Staff Appreciation Events

● Annual milestones luncheon

● Free tickets to annual dinner/dance gala

● Lunar New Year luncheon

● Birthday gift card

TO APPLY

CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBTQIA candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email cover letter, resume, and list of references to middle_school_jobs@cais.org. In the subject line please indicate “Design Technology Teacher.” In your cover letter please reference how you learned of this opening. Please no calls.

Tagged as: Middle School