Program Assistant

About Salemi Ceramics

Salemi Ceramics is a ceramics school in Salemi, Sicily, 45 minutes from Palermo airport.

Our studio sits in the hilltop town of Salemi, surrounded by crumbling beauty, narrow stone streets, and a quiet rhythm, ideal for deep creative focus. It's a place where artists and students come to create, learn, and leave a lasting mark.

Our Vision is to make Salemi an international hub for contemporary ceramics.

Our goal is to help breathe new life into Salemi Old Town by nurturing a ceramics culture that attracts people who want to live, work, and create here.

Our project brings together different initiatives, all revolving around ceramics. The goals are: to bring new artists to town, welcome responsible travelers, create new jobs, encourage people to invest in the town, and find ceramic lovers who would like to sponsor artists and creative projects. It's all about contributing to the local economy, building community, and enriching the town's cultural significance.

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About the Role

Program Assistant (Studio 3), you will be the main point of reference for students during their time in Studio 3, and work collaboratively with Program Assistants for Studio 1 and 2. 

This role combines operational support with relationship-building and hospitality. You are not just supporting a program: you are shaping the students’ experience, keeping our spaces beautifully organized, anticipating what's needed before anyone asks, welcoming visitors and spot potential partnerships and creating that sense of warmth and care that makes everyone feel at home.

You will ensure that Studio 3 runs smoothly from a logistical perspective, but most importantly, that every student feels welcomed, supported, seen, and cared for.

You will play a key role in creating what we call the “Special Feeling”: the sense that every detail has been thoughtfully considered and that their time in Salemi is truly unforgettable.

You will work closely with the Program Assistants for Studio 1 and 2, General Manager, teachers, technicians, to ensure both operational excellence and meaningful human connection.

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What You'll Be Doing

Your focus is on:

Student Experience & Relationship Care

  • Welcome students on their first day and act as a consistent point of contact throughout the course program.
  • Welcome students on their first day and act as a consistent point of contact throughout the course program.
  • Build positive, trusting relationships with participants, providers and locals.
  • Be attentive to individual needs, concerns, and emotional dynamics within the group.
  • Support a warm, inclusive, and respectful learning environment.
  • Help create shared moments (coffee breaks, informal gatherings, evening events, welcome activities) that foster connection (and remembering their names :) ).
  • Proactively check in with students to ensure they are having a meaningful and smooth experience (over mid-morning break or bespoke evening events).
  • Contribute to making each cohort feel part of an international creative community.
  • Create moments that make each group and course special (e.g. celebrate their birthdays with small gestures).
  • Collaborate closely with the marketing team, and help capture the creative journey of the students.

Studio Organization & Space Care

  • Ensure studios and shared spaces are set up beautifully each morning before activities begin.
  • Maintain order, cleanliness, and functionality throughout the day.
  • Manage the organization and tidiness of common areas during and after studio hours.
  • Create an environment that feels welcoming, inspiring, and cared for.

Supplies & Inventory

  • Monitor supply levels across studios and facilities
  • Handle purchasing, restocking, and replenishment of materials and essentials
  • Keep inventory organized and easily accessible for teachers and students
  • Anticipate needs before they become problems

Supporting Daily Rhythms & Operational Flow

  • Support the organization of shared moments: morning coffee, breaks, lunch setup, welcoming activities
  • Ensure these moments maintain quality, order, and consistency with studio needs
  • Help coordinate logistics so everyone can focus on creating and connecting

Collaboration & Atmosphere

  • Work closely with teachers, studio technicians, and program assistants to maintain a harmonious, efficient environment
  • Work closely with teachers, studio technicians, and program assistants to maintain a harmonious, efficient environment
  • Be responsive to needs as they arise during the studio day
  • Contribute to the Special Feeling through attention to detail, aesthetic sensitivity, and warm presence

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About You

You might be the perfect fit if:

  • You're from Salemi or deeply connected to the local area. You understand the rhythm of this town, its culture, and its people. (Candidates from Salemi are particularly encouraged to apply!)
  • You have good English language skills. You're comfortable having conversations with international students and teachers.
  • You're naturally organized and detail-oriented. You notice when something's out of place or running low, and you take care of it without being asked.
  • You're warm and people-focused. You genuinely enjoy interacting with students, making them feel welcome, and being part of a creative community.
  • You're flexible and proactive. Every day is a little different here - you adapt easily and take initiative when you see something that needs doing.
  • You work well as part of a team. You support your colleagues, communicate clearly, and contribute to a positive, collaborative atmosphere.
  • You have a sense for aesthetics and atmosphere. You understand that how a space looks and feels matters - it's part of what makes Salemi Ceramics special.
  • You appreciate craftsmanship and the slow, beautiful rhythm of creative work. You understand what we're building here and want to be part of it.

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What You Won't Be Doing

Your work won’t include ceramics-related planning and operations. Our Ceramics Lead and teachers handle course design and instruction. Our studio technicians manage kilns, clay preparation, and firing.

Your job is to ensure the spaces, supplies, and daily rhythms support everyone else's ceramics-focussed work - so students can create and teachers can teach without worrying about logistics.
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Why Should You Apply?

This isn't a typical assistant job. It's a chance to be part of something meaningful: one of Sicily's most beautiful and meaningful creative projects that's bringing creative energy back to Salemi, creating jobs for local people, and building an international community around ceramics. 

You'll work in a beautiful historic building, surrounded by artists and makers from around the world. You'll contribute directly to Salemi's regeneration while developing skills in hospitality, operations, and creative space management.

And most importantly: you'll be part of creating the Special Feeling that students talk about long after they've gone home - the sense that they were somewhere truly special, cared for by people who genuinely wanted them to have an unforgettable experience. A role where you can genuinely make a difference in how people experience Salemi.

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Working Conditions & Benefits

Working Hours:
Full time, 40 hours per week, typically including some evening work for events/special occasions with balanced time off (toil).

Compensation & Benefits:

  • The annual salary range for this full-time position is RAL € 21,500  
  • Meals during working days (merenda, lunches and dinner during work events)
  • Professional development budget (Special Feeling budget)
  • A supportive, international team environment

Contract Type:
Tempo determinato for initial 6 months and if both parties are happy, it will be converted to a permanent (contratto indeterminato) CCNL Commercio.

Start date: As soon as possible

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How to Apply

This position will be open until we find the perfect match. So please take your time to submit a thoughtful application that shows us who you are and why this role speaks to you.

For this position we welcome everyone to apply, but we will prioritise applications from around Salemi, Trapani area and West Sicily, with limited commuting. 

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We especially value applications that:

  • Are warm, friendly, and show your personality
  • Demonstrate attention to detail (formatting, clarity, completeness)
  • Explain your connection to Salemi and why this project matters to you
  • Share relevant experience, even if it's not in a ceramics studio (hospitality, customer service, event support, etc.)

Please submit:

  1. A cover letter (in English) explaining:
    • Why you're interested in this role
    • What you would bring to Salemi Ceramics
    • Your connection to Salemi and the local community
    • Any relevant experience (work, volunteer, personal projects)
    • Cover letters written with AI won't be considered.
  2.  Your CV/resume in English (PDF format)

Please expect the hiring process to include:

  1. Application review (CV & Cover Letter)
  2. Initial interview (in Italian and English)
  3. Practical task 
  4. Interview with the General Manager (onsite at Salemi Ceramics)
  5. Interview with the Founder and CEO (remote)
  6. Job offer

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Notes

  • Local candidates from Salemi are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe the people who know and love this town best are the ones who can help build its future.
  • We value enthusiasm, but please apply through the formal process only. No cold calls or drop-ins, please - we need to keep our studio focused on students and courses.
  • If you've previously applied for another role with us, you're welcome to apply for this one too! We'd love to see how you've grown.

We're excited to meet the person who'll help us keep Salemi Ceramics running beautifully - and who'll become an essential part of our team and community.

Salemi Ceramics is committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for all team members and students, regardless of background, identity, or experience level.

Apply Here