Design & Technical Director

Company:
Texas Lutheran University

Job Location:

Category:
Arts and Museum Administration

Type:
Full-Time

Texas Lutheran University (TLU) invites applications for a Design & Technical Director to support the Division of the Arts (DOTA), which includes Dramatic Media, Music, and Visual Arts. This is a full-time (12 month) staff position designed for a highly skilled theatre and production professional who thrives in a collaborative and creative learning environment, and is passionate about mentoring students through hands-on, professional-level practice.

About the Role

The position reports to the Department Chair of Dramatic Media and primarily works in the Dramatic Media department supporting an annual season of programming. The role also collaborates on select events in Music and Visual Arts and works in coordination with faculty and the Director of University Events to elevate the production quality and strategic impact of DOTA programming across campus.

This position offers an exciting and ever-evolving professional environment shaped by the rhythm of the academic calendar. During each semester—typically spanning 16 weeks—the focus centers on a dynamic cycle of productions, with opportunities to lead student-driven creative work from concept through performance. The role is highly collaborative and responsive, with priorities shifting alongside the needs of each event, creating an energizing and engaging production environment.

During summer months and periods of lighter production, the focus transitions to asset management and long-term sustainability of programmatic resources. This includes maintaining, organizing, and strengthening the division’s inventory, equipment, and technical systems. Together, these seasonal rhythms create a balanced role that blends high-energy creative production with thoughtful, strategic stewardship behind the scenes.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Design/Technical Director for 2-3 faculty-led Dramatic Media productions per year
  1. Includes oversight of scenic, lighting, sound, and projection elements
• Supervise and mentor student designers, crews and student employees, training them to support dramatic media events, student productions, and select university-wide DOTA events with high artistic and technical standards.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the DOTA faculty and Director of University Events to:
  • Align venue usage, technical needs, staffing models, and production calendars
  • Assist select DOTA events in Music and Visual Arts
  • Manage and maintain facilities, tools, equipment, and inventory
  • Support a culture of collaboration, safety, efficiency and best practices in design/tech
• Depending upon credentials, teach/co-teach 1–2 courses per semester in Dramatic Media

Qualifications

Required

• Significant professional experience in technical direction, design, production management, live events, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and with campus event leadership
• Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Experience mentoring or supervising students, interns, or early-career artists
• Commitment to safety, inclusive practices, and student learning.

Preferred (but not required)

• MFA or equivalent professional experience
• University or educational teaching experience
• Experience working across theatre, music, film, live events, or university event production
• Familiarity with production documentation, archiving, and inventory systems

TLU welcomes applicants who may not follow a traditional academic pathway but bring a strong professional portfolio and industry experience.

Professional Development & Flexibility

Texas Lutheran University supports creative, non-traditional career paths and encourages:

• Continued professional artistic work and freelance design
• Pursuit of graduate education as part of long-term professional growth
• Summer on-campus opportunities such as camps, conference support, or collaborative event production with University Events (as available)

Benefits are competitive. Texas Lutheran University, an accredited university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is located 35 miles from downtown San Antonio.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. Texas Lutheran University (TLU) is an official U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” selection among regional colleges in the West, ranking fourth on the list for “Best Value,” third for “Best Colleges for Veterans,” and eighth overall. This is the eleventh consecutive year TLU has been featured in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. Other notable recognitions include TLU’s acknowledgment as a “Best Southwest” school by The Princeton Review. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and is also subject to the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA).

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