UMass Boston Department of Performing Arts

Assistant Professor of Theatre in Scenic and Lighting Design

The Department of Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor in scenic and lighting design, beginning September 1, 2023. We seek an exceptional individual to teach design and technical Theatre courses and design and implement sets and lighting for mainstage shows. The successful candidate will provide design-technology leadership with a small but dedicated faculty that includes other full-time professors and several outstanding adjuncts. In addition, the department offers B.A. degrees in Theatre Arts and Music, a minor in Dance, and a Music Teacher Licensure program. The ability to educate, organize, and mobilize student workers is essential to the position. 

An MFA or other terminal degree is required at the appointment time plus three to five years of professional experience. Continuing excellence in teaching, creative/scholarly activity, and service is expected to qualify for reappointment, tenure, and promotion.

The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching a 2/2 load that includes “Introduction to Design,” general education courses, and advanced scenic and lighting design classes. They will also mentor students enrolled in practicums in areas such as scenic art techniques, lighting installation, and properties supervision. In addition to teaching, this person will also advise Theatre majors, participate in committee service, and maintain a professional creative career.

The Theatre Program at UMass Boston produces four shows annually, from staged readings to dramas, musicals, and dance concerts. This position is responsible for set design, lighting design, supervision of properties, and installation of the lighting and special electrical effects used in Performing Arts productions. Occasionally, the faculty will assist in addressing the needs of the University Hall Recital Hall and the acting and dance studio spaces. The only public research university in the city, and the third most diverse four-year college in the United States, UMass Boston is a lively urban institution dedicated to building a diverse faculty committed to working in a multicultural environment.

Qualifications

• Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in theatre design or a related area
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching theatre and lighting design classes
• Demonstrated effectiveness in leadership and/or administrative roles within a university or college setting
• Proven ability to design professional quality department productions, as demonstrated by a record of professional accomplishment
• Teach a variety of theatre design and technology courses as assigned by the Chair and based upon expertise
• Serve as both an academic and design advisor to students in areas of theatrical design guiding them in accordance with current best professional practices
• Demonstrated ability to engage in continued professional creative work and/or research pursuant to achieving tenure and promotion

To apply, interested candidates must upload to a cover letter that addresses their design collaboration approach and teaching philosophy, current C.V., evidence of undergraduate teaching, link to their website or portfolio, and names and contact information of three references.

UMass Boston requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to confirm proof of their vaccination status including booster. Exemptions from the vaccine requirement will be permitted only for qualifying religious or medical reasons. Regardless of vaccination status, you must wear a face covering in public indoor spaces on campus.