Term Faculty | Lighting Design

Emerson College; United States; On-site; USD 69,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Emerson College seeks a full-time Term Faculty member in Lighting Design for the Boston campus. The role combines creative design work with pedagogy, mentoring, and program leadership within the Department of Performing Arts.

Responsibilities include teaching Lighting Design I and II, drafting, electrics, and programming, along with advising and leading the lighting concentration. MFA or equivalent design degree and 3–5 years of professional experience are required.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will hold an MFA in Lighting Design or an undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree in Design accompanied by at least 3-5 years professional experience.
• Candidates should demonstrate professional practice through LORT, regional, or commercial theatrical lighting design and related fields.
• Experience teaching lighting design and production at the college level and a passion for helping emerging designers develop artistic voices and technical confidence.

Responsibilities

• Teach a 3/3 course load: Lighting Design I/II, Drafting, Electrics, Programming.
• Provide academic advising, recruitment, and retention initiatives.
• Lead and mentor the lighting concentration and related departmental activities.

Skills

Lighting design

College teaching

Collaboration

Mentoring

Education

MFA in Lighting Design

Bachelor's in Design

Tools

AutoCAD

VectorWorks

Lightwright

EOS

Capture

LightConverse

Job description

Join our community and experience Emerson College! The BFA program in Design and Stage Management and the Department of Performing Arts invite applications for a full-time Term Faculty in Lighting Design. We seek a creative, accomplished, and deeply engaged lighting designer and educator with experience in the field of lighting for live performances (theatre, opera, dance, or concert) and adjacent fields (film, TV, corporate, or museums) to join our community. The appointment begins August 19, 2027, with a mandatory 2-day orientation on August 19 & 20, 2027. The Department of Performing Arts is home to one of the nation's leading undergraduate programs in theatrical performance and production, with 97 full- and part-time faculty members and staff and 550 students across all disciplines. The department offers BFAs in Acting; Design and Stage Management; Musical Theatre; Playwriting, Directing, and Dramaturgy; and Theatre Education and Performance – and an MA in Theatre Education and Applied Theatre. Emerson Stage presents up to nine fully staged productions annually in five theaters, with additional production opportunities available to our students through ArtsEmerson, our nationally and internationally recognized professional presenting company.

This is an in-person teaching position based at Emerson's Boston campus.

Term faculty appointments are renewable and begin with a one-year contract, with the opportunity to advance to longer multi-year terms based on periodic performance review.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

This position carries a 3/3 course load, teaching 6 classes over the academic year.

Primary teaching responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following courses in our Design and Stage Management BFA curriculum:

• Lighting Design I
• Lighting Design II
• Foundations of Stage Design Drafting I and II (Hand Drafting and Vectorworks)
• Electrics
• Programming

Additional service responsibilities will include:

• Academic advising
• Recruitment, interviews of perspective students, and retention Initiatives
• Support and mentorship for senior showcase curriculum
• Provide leadership to the lighting concentration
• Other service as assigned by the area and department

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will hold an MFA in Lighting Design or an undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree in Design accompanied by at least 3-5 years professional experience. Candidates should demonstrate their professional practice through LORT, regional, or commercial theatrical lighting design and related fields. Experience with or knowledge of United Scenic Artist, Local 829 is preferred but not required. Candidates must have experience teaching lighting design and production at the college level and a passion for helping emerging designers develop both their artistic voices and technical confidence. We are especially interested in educators who can bring the realities of professional practice into the classroom connecting collaboration, technology, craftsmanship, and storytelling.

Expertise in the following areas is expected:

• Drafting (Hand Drafting, Autocad, and VectorWorks)
• Lightwright, EOS, and Workflow Best Practices
• Industry Digital Visualizations Software (i.e. Capture, Light Converse, and Augmented)
• Programming
• Production Electrics
• Projection and video experience is a plus

About Emerson College

Emerson College is the nation’s only four-year institution dedicated exclusively to undergraduate majors and master’s degrees in communication, arts, and media. It is located in the dynamic, multicultural city of Boston, close to major sports teams, arts institutions, performing arts venues, research centers, and industry partners. Emerson also has campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands. At Emerson College, we seek individuals who bring innovation, creativity, and impact to our curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular offerings. Emerson College believes the best way to achieve excellence is to foster a campus climate where everyone can thrive. As a community of artists, practitioners, scholars, and storytellers, we continually strive to cultivate a collaborative community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talented individuals from varied beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives.

Emerson College’s core values are creativity, innovation, inclusion, curiosity, equity, expression, and collaboration.

Compensation

Compensation for this appointment will be $81,723.

Commitment to Inclusion

Emerson College believes the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence is fostering a campus climate where everyone can thrive. As a community of scholars and storytellers, we continually strive to cultivate a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent, characterized by the intentional inclusion of individuals from varied backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

Annual Clery Report

In accordance with the federal Clery and Campus SaVE Acts, Emerson College commits to providing all current and prospective students and employees with access to the annual campus security reports for each of our campuses. This report may be accessed from the Emerson College Police Department website.

Emerson College has designated the Associate Vice President of Equity, Access & Equal Opportunity/ Title IX Coordinator to respond to inquiries regarding the College's Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment & Sexual Violence. The Associate Vice President of Equity, Access & Equal Opportunity/ Title IX Coordinator is located in the Ansin Building, 180 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111, Suite 409, and may be reached by calling [phone] or by emailing [e-mail].