Assistant Professor of Teaching in Stage Management

University of California - Irvine; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 94,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Irvine invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor of Teaching in Stage Management (and/or Entertainment Management) in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Department of Drama. We seek a practice-based educator who can shape the department’s future and elevate its Stage Management program with current professional knowledge.

The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, mentor students, and connect classroom learning with

Qualifications

• Stage management expertise is central to the position.
• Complementary strength in production management, producing, directing, themed entertainment, design may inform new courses and curriculum.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in stage management and related areas, with clear learning outcomes and fair assessment.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students toward collaborative leadership and professional development.

Skills

Stage management

Production management

Job description

Position overview

Salary range: The salary range for this position is $93,500-$104,300. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See Professor and Professor of Teaching Series - Academic Year Regular Scales. "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions.

Application Window

Open date: October 13, 2026

Next review date: Sunday, Dec 13, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Dec 13, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description

Assistant Professor of Teaching in Stage Management

University of California, Irvine

Claire Trevor School of the Arts | Department of Drama

The Opportunity

The Department of Drama at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor of Teaching in Stage Management (and/or Entertainment Management). We seek a stage management or entertainment management educator and practitioner who will help shape the department's future and advance the excellence, reach, and national recognition of its Stage Management program. The successful candidate will bring current professional knowledge, a thoughtful approach to teaching, and the ability to turn developments in live performance into meaningful opportunities for students. This work aligns with the department's vision of cultivating critically engaged artists through new theatrical work and emergent forms, grounding in the established repertoire, and collaboration across Claire Trevor School of the Arts (UCI Arts), UCI, the region, and the nation.

Undergraduate and graduate education are equally important to this appointment. We seek a colleague who values introducing students to stage management as deeply as mentoring experienced graduate students toward collaborative leadership. In partnership with the Head of Stage Management, faculty, staff, and guest artists, this individual will strengthen the relationship between classroom learning, production practice, and students' professional lives.

Stage management expertise is central to the position. We also welcome a complementary strength in production management, producing, directing, themed entertainment, design, and/or other related areas. This additional expertise is preferred, rather than required, and may inform new courses, curriculum, collaborative projects, or other contributions aligned with departmental needs and the candidate's strengths.

The Program

UCI currently has a growing undergraduate population of theatre makers in all areas, including stage management, and offers a three-year M.F.A. in Stage Management. In the undergraduate stage management framework, students take an introductory course (which will have its content paired with another design area in future quarters) and may take classes in advanced topics, production participation, some graduate-level opportunities, and Honors in Stage Management. The graduate stage managers' course of study combines rotating advanced coursework, mentored production assignments, professional internship experience, and a culminating thesis project. In addition, graduate students are given Academic Student Employee Teaching Assistantships, supervised by faculty. Students serve as stage managers or assistant stage managers on all UCI productions, though this position may include serving as a stage manager on a production if needed, mentoring a student stage management team. These pathways connect students with opportunities to develop across theatre, musical theatre, dance, concerts, opera, themed entertainment, and special events.

Teaching and Workload

The assigned teaching load is seven formal courses per academic year, distributed across fall, winter, and spring quarters, generally two or three courses per quarter. Production mentorship, advising, and university service are additional responsibilities. Instruction and mentorship are primarily conducted in person on the Irvine campus; production mentoring includes some evening and weekend commitments.

Teaching is the primary responsibility and principal criterion for advancement in the Professor of Teaching series. The appointment also requires professional and/or scholarly achievement, including creative activity, and university and public service. Professional activity should sustain current expertise and contribute to the discipline and/or its teaching at a scope appropriate to this teaching-focused appointment.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in stage management and related areas, with clear learning outcomes, engaging instruction, useful feedback, and fair assessment. Potential course assignments include Drama 50E/K Introduction to Stage Management; Drama 81: Laboratory for Creative Collaboration; Drama 254 Graduate Stage Management (with variable topics), and other courses matched to departmental needs and expertise.
• Mentor undergraduate and