"Assistant Professional Practice Professor of Theatrical Media Production & Immersive Performance"

Integrated Arts Faculty Cluster Hire: Sound, Composition, & Media Production

Assistant Professional Practice Professor of Theatrical Media Production & Immersive Performance

At the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, we take pride in fostering deep collaboration across the divisions of music, dance, and theatre, and in advancing an integrated arts approach that connects performance, technology, and contemporary creative practice. We intentionally weave together multiple art forms to deepen learning, expand artistic practice, and enrich audience experience. https://conservatory.umkc.edu/

To prepare students for 21st-century careers in the performing arts, the Conservatory is undertaking a strategic faculty cohort hire in Sound, Composition, and Media Production. This cohort consists of three complementary faculty positions across divisions-each with a distinct disciplinary home, yet united by a shared commitment to collaboration, applied creativity, and performance-centered pedagogy.

The Assistant Professional Practice Professor of Theatrical Media Production & Immersive Performance will join this cohort alongside:

• a faculty colleague in Sound Design and Technology (Theatre), and
• a faculty colleague in Composition and Media Scoring (Music)

Together, the cohort will function as a collaborative hub that integrates sound, music, media, and technology into live and immersive performance, emphasizing production practice, execution, and real-world workflows.

Job Description

The UMKC Conservatory invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure-track Assistant Professional Practice Professor of Theatrical Media Production & Immersive Performance, beginning Fall 2026. This position is housed in the Theatre Division and is designed for a highly engaged artist-practitioner whose work bridges teaching, production, and service.

The position carries an anticipated workload of approximately 40% teaching and 60% service, with service defined broadly to include production engagement, student mentorship, program support, recruitment, and collaborative initiatives essential to a conservatory-based training model.

This role is intended for a theatre-based media practitioner whose artistic practice is grounded in live, narrative, and text-based performance, and who both designs and executes media elements within production environments. Digital, interactive, and immersive technologies are understood as production tools in service of theatrical storytelling, rehearsal processes, and audience experience. https://conservatory.umkc.edu/areas-of-study/theatre.html

Primary Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate coursework in theatrical media production and immersive performance practices.
• Teach introductory undergraduate design and production courses within the Theatre curriculum.
• Mentor and advise students in hands-on production work, including integration of media into live performance.
• Design, implement, and supervise media and projection elements for Conservatory productions, both their own work and alongside students.
• Serve as an active member of the Theatre Production Team, contributing to planning, execution, and production meetings.
• Collaborate closely with cohort faculty in Sound Design and Composition to create integrated learning and production experiences.
• Support recruitment, auditions, season planning, and program initiatives aligned with the Theatre Division's mission.
• Maintain an active professional practice in theatrical media production and immersive performance.

Qualifications

• MFA or terminal degree in Theatre Design, Media Production, Projection Design, or a closely related field, or equivalent professional experience in theatrical media production.
• Demonstrated professional experience designing and executing media for live performance, including cabling, networking, programming, and rigging of required equipment.
• Evidence of effective teaching, mentorship, or training in theatre production contexts.
• Strong collaborative skills and the ability to work within fast-paced, production-driven environments.

Anticipated Hiring Range

Rank and salary are commensurate with qualifications, experience and evidence of success in externally funded research. This is a 9-month, non-tenure-track, benefit-eligible, full-time (1.0) faculty appointment eligible for ranked promotion.

Application Materials

For consideration, you must apply online at https://info.umkc.edu/hr/careers/academic-positions/ click in Academic Positions, Job Opening ID 58709.

Please combine all application materials (personal letter of interest and applicable experience with accompanying curriculum vitae, and a current list of professional references) into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as your resume attachments. Limit document name to 50 characters and do not include any special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). Maximum size limit is 11MB.

If you are experiencing technical problems during application, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

For questions about the position, please contact umkcfacultysearch@umkc.edu including the Job Identification number 58709 and name of the position.

Reasonable accommodations may be requested during the application and recruitment process. If you need an accommodation, please contact the Office of Equity and Title IX at (816) 235-1323.

Higher education transcripts will be required for candidates advancing as finalists. Candidates will receive prior notification if references will be contacted. A Criminal Background Check is required prior to hire.

Application Deadline

Application review will begin on March 17. Applications will be accepted until a qualified candidate is hired.