Assistant Professor - Theatre & Performance

Spelman College

Atlanta (GA)

On-site

USD 70,000 - 100,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Job summary

Spelman College's Department of Theatre and Performance invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Theatre Design and Production for AY 2027. The successful candidate will lead the design and technical theatre curriculum within the BA program, mentor students, and contribute to production leadership across season projects.

Teaching will combine classroom instruction with applied production-based learning, emphasizing collaboration, design thinking, and professional

Qualifications

MFA or terminal degree in Theatre Design, Design and Production, Technical Theatre, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching or potential for teaching excellence.
Professional experience and a record of creative practice appropriate to career stage.
Ability to mentor student designers, technicians, and production leaders.
Experience developing a design and technical theatre curriculum within an undergraduate liberal arts environment.

Responsibilities

Teach undergraduate courses in theatre design and production, including Introduction to Design and Technical Theatre, ProductionLab, and related courses.
Lead continued development of design and technical theatre within the BA liberal arts curriculum across contemporary design, production, media, and technologies.
Teach and supervise Production Lab and mentor student designers, technicians, and production leaders, linking classroom learning with realized production work.
Provide artistic and educational supervision of student design and production work, fostering professional portfolios and graduate preparation.
Support production management and organizational needs of the departmental season in collaboration with key staff and student teams.
Contribute to collaborative production processes and practices that support communication, learning, artistic excellence, accessibility, and safety.
Maintain an active program of professional creative practice and/or research aligned with tenure expectations.
Advise and mentor undergraduate students and participate in departmental and college service, including curriculum development and recruitment.

Skills

Theatre design

Production leadership

Mentorship

Curriculum development

Teaching

Education

MFA or terminal degree in Theatre Design/Technical Theatre

Job description

Position Information

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and must maintain authorization throughout employment. This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

This position is contingent upon the availability of sufficient funding.

Faculty/Type Title

Assistant Professor - Theatre & Performance

Area of Study

Production

Begins

Fall 2027

About the College

Spelman College seeks teacher/scholars dedicated to excellence inteaching and to the continued enhancement of the academicenvironment for students and colleagues. Founded in 1881, SpelmanCollege is a private four-year liberal arts college located inAtlanta, GA. The oldest historically Black college for women in theUnited States, Spelman is a member of the Atlanta University CenterConsortium and Atlanta Regional Consortium for HigherEducation.

Position Description

The Department of Theatre & Performance at SpelmanCollege seeks an experienced and dynamic educator, mentor, designer, and artistic leader for atenure-track Assistant Professor position in Theatre Design and Production for AY 2027.
We seek a collaborative artist-educator who will play a central role in building the design and technical theatre curriculum within our BA liberal arts degree program while shaping the future of design and production within the department through innovative teaching, student mentorship, creative practice, and production leadership.

Production is central to the department’s applied curriculum and artistic life. The successful candidate will lead the continued development of a design and technical theatre curriculum that provides students with a strong foundation in design thinking, technical practice, collaborative process, and theatrical storytelling while creating opportunities for deeper exploration in individual areas of interest. Within the context of a liberal arts education, the curriculum should encourage students to make connections across artistic disciplines, technologies, histories, and modes of inquiry while also preparing those who wish to pursue advanced study or professional work in design and production.

Teaching in this position encompasses both classroom instruction and applied production based learning. Rather than functioning primarily as a production designer for the departmental season, the successful candidate will mentor and guide student designers and technicians, helping students translate classroom learning into meaningful creative practice.

Through Production Lab, coaching, artistic supervision, and collaborative project development, the faculty member will support students in developing their artistic voices, technical competencies, professional portfolios, and leadership skills.

The successful candidate will also support the production management and organizational dimensions of the department’s production program, working collaboratively with the Technical Director, Shop Supervisor, faculty, staff, guest artists, and student production teams. This includes supporting effective production processes and communication across artistic and technical areas, mentoring students in production leadership, and helping connect the department’s academic curriculum with its production season.

We invite candidates interested in developing inventive courses and creative projects that respond to the changing landscape of theatrical design and production. Areas of interest and experience might include scenic, lighting, sound, projection, media, and interdisciplinary design; production management; digital and emerging technologies; immersive and interactive performance; sustainable production practices; and other evolving approaches to theatrical storytelling and production.

The Assistant Professor carries a 3/3 teaching load that integrates classroom teaching with applied design and production responsibilities. Production Lab, supervision and mentorship of student designers, and approved design and production assignments are incorporated into the teaching load rather than assigned in addition to it. The position participates actively in the academic, artistic, and production life of the department.

Primary Responsibilities

Teach undergraduate courses in theatre design and production, including Introduction to Design and Technical Theatre, ProductionLab, and courses within the candidate’s areas of expertise and departmental curricular needs.
Lead the continued development of design and technical theatre within the department’s BA liberal arts curriculum, including opportunities in contemporary design, production, media, and emerging technologies.
Teach and supervise Production Lab and mentor student designers, technicians, and production leaders, connecting classroom learning with realized production work and fostering increasing artistic, technical, and leadership responsibility.
Provide artistic and educational supervision of student design and production work, including mentorship in developing professional portfolios and preparation for graduate study and professional opportunities.
Support the production management and organizational needs of the departmental season in collaboration with the Technical Director, Shop Supervisor, faculty, staff, guest artists, stage managers, and student production teams.
Contribute to collaborative production processes and practices that support effective communication, student learning, artistic excellence, accessibility, and safety.
Maintain an active program of professional creative practice and/or research consistent with expectations for tenure and promotion.
Advise and mentor undergraduate students and participate in departmental and college service, including curriculum development, assessment, and recruitment.

Qualifications

MFA or other appropriate terminal degree in Theatre Design, Design and Production, Technical Theatre, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated expertise in one or more areas of theatrical design and production.
Evidence of excellence in undergraduate teaching or demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching.
Professional experience and a record of creative practice appropriate to career stage.
Demonstrated ability to mentor student designers, technicians, and production leaders and support the development of undergraduate creative work.
Experience with or demonstrated capacity to develop a design and technical theatre curriculum within an undergraduate liberal arts environment.
Experience with or demonstrated capacity to supervise students in applied production and laboratory environments.
Experience with collaborative production processes and production management.
Knowledge of contemporary design technologies, production practices, and relevant safety standards.
Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and collaborative skills.
Commitment to student-centered, culturally affirming, and inclusive teaching and mentorship.