"Full-Time Faculty Position in Animation, Interactive Media, & Game Design, School of Art and Design"

Company Description:

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), an internationally renowned college of art and design, business and technology of the State University of New York, invites nominations and applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position in animation, interactive media, and game design.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for more than 75 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers more than 45 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the global marketplace.

With close ties to industry, FIT draws faculty from the city's art, business, and design elite, and from the rich academic community of the region. The College continually seeks creative faculty members who are passionate about their field and demonstrate exceptional professional capability in the core competencies of instructional design, learning enrichment, globalism, and use of technology, as well as mastery of established and emerging industry practices.

The mission of FIT's School of Art and Design is to educate the next generation of creative, socially responsible, and globally relevant professionals able to succeed in the broad spectrum of art and design fields. The school challenges students to create new and valuable ideas through innovation, collaboration, and experimentation.

The Animation, Interactive Media, & Game Design BFA program offers a comprehensive curriculum of industry-inspired courses rooted in a real-world production environment, including character development, storyboarding, modeling, animation, lighting, camera, sound editing, as well as the exploration of a variety of technologies. The creative outcomes include 2D animation, 3D animation, and game design.

This program is designed to stay on the leading edge of time-based and interactive design and production.

Job Description:

The Animation, Interactive Media, and Game Design department seeks a 3D Generalist with a focus on Modeling and Animation. The candidate should possess expert knowledge of Maya (and/or other industry standard 3D programs) with 6 years of professional experience. They should have a fully developed portfolio demonstrating a thorough knowledge of the modeling and animation pipeline and workflow. Understanding of character setup techniques, including rigging and dynamics, would be a plus.

The candidate should also have expert knowledge of production pipelines and team-based workflows. Conceptually, the ideal candidate will be a seasoned professional who understands the history, principles, industry trends, techniques, and the cultural context of animation and film. The candidate's portfolio must demonstrate an advanced understanding of the pre-production, production, and post-production processes.

The primary responsibility will be teaching courses ranging from animation and storytelling fundamentals to advanced animated filmmaking. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have an active, creative, and/or scholarly practice in the field of animation and related media. As the first full-time faculty member in the program, the candidate will be ready to take on a leadership role in academic committees, curriculum development, program management and student and faculty mentorship.

The successful candidate will excel in the following areas:

• Globalism
• Demonstrate an understanding of how visual communicators can educate and influence public perception and beliefs that influence issues with national and international impact.
• Demonstrate an understanding of world and national history, as well as current events, as a context and perspective for effective decision-making in the role of visual communicator.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the benefits and opportunities of networking with the New York City Creative District and incorporate distinguished guest speakers and class field trips to local museums, galleries, and other educational resources as a means of enhancing class material and student learning experiences.
• Demonstrate ability to develop student awareness in the classroom environment.
• Instructional Design
• Demonstrate an ability to design engrossing class assignments and other learning experiences to enhance information literacy and research skills, as well as challenge preconceptions, foster experimentation, cultivate critical thinking and advanced problem-solving abilities, and inspire students' creativity, innovation, and imagination.
• Demonstrate an ability to teach students how to integrate, synthesize, and utilize information and skills from various disciplines, including photography, design, animation, and film writing, social sciences, world history, art history, and internet resources, in the process of creating exciting and effective visual communication projects.
• Demonstrate an ability to be an effective verbal communicator and speaker who conducts enlightening and thought-provoking lectures, presentations, demonstrations, and critiques, as well as applies current communication, research, and promotional resources, strategies, and technologies.
• Learning Enrichment
• Demonstrate and generate an excitement and passion for teaching, creating, and learning that inspires students to experiment, innovate, and create.
• Demonstrate integration of knowledge of industry and entrepreneurship in classes, as well as personal career development strategies and experiences, to support and encourage students' creative and professional interests and progress.
• Demonstrate an ability to formulate and create a clear and concise class syllabus to enable and empower students to maximize their potential academically and creatively.
• Demonstrate ability to incorporate innovative technology in instructional pedagogy.
• Demonstrate incorporation of industry developments, including technology updates and applications, into the curriculum.
• Demonstrate ability to serve as a mentor, tutor, and/or counselor to students requiring special/focused attention, support or guidance when addressing academic and/or personal issues.
• Professionalism
• Demonstrate continued involvement in professional and scholarly work and activities related to the visual communication industry.
• Demonstrate an understanding and mastery of established and emerging industry practices and their relevance to the visual communication industry.
• Demonstrate expertise in the application of entrepreneurial skills, a comprehensive understanding of copyright and other laws as they relate to intellectual property, as well as current knowledge of billing practices, asset management, marketing and promotional protocols.

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent industry certifications required with a minimum of six (6) years professional experience as an animator.
• Candidates must present a currently active professional record demonstrating agility in adapting to new modes of visual storytelling and technologies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• College, professional certificate, and/or workshop teaching is preferred.

Additional Information:

Please note, all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.

Salary

The final starting salary and appointment rank will be based on education level and cumulative experience; Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Salary Schedules pgs. 73-74.

Instructor: $69,346.37 - $80,793.82

Assistant Professor: $80,736.40 - $118,984.88

Associate Professor: $94,498.31 - $142,271.78

Professor: $115,232.32 - $173,403.37

The College reserves the right to select one or more candidates after having been duly reviewed and presented to the President in conformance with the provisions of Article 15 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Benefits

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage.

Pay Equity by State Employers: Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Visa Sponsorship: This position may be eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement: FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people from a range of backgrounds. FIT is firmly committed to creating a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability. The FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, uniformed service, height, weight, any lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence or as a victim of sex offenses or stalking, whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person or conviction or arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Chief Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212 217.3360.

Annual Security Report: The safety and well-being of FIT's students, faculty, staff, and visitors is of paramount importance. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, FIT publishes an annual report containing crime statistics and statements of security policy, accessible here: Safety Statistics. A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request by contacting Public Safety's administrative office number at (212) 217-4999.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: The working conditions for this position will be any combination of the classroom, lab, and/or office space. Certain roles may be required to handle machinery and chemicals. The physical requirement for this position will require occasional sitting, constant standing, occasional bending, frequent walking, and occasionally lifting 10 lbs. or less.

Application Instructions: In order to be considered for this position, please submit the following documents online: Letter of interest clearly indicating your qualifications for the position, Professional Resume/Curriculum Vitae, A professional portfolio website or links to current reels, Unofficial Transcript*, A minimum of three professional references, including names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contact information, A list of three references for recommendation letters; references may be contacted at a later stage. *Official transcripts are required within the first 30 days of hire. Applicants with foreign degrees must submit a completed credential evaluation comparing their foreign academic accomplishments to standards in the U.S.

This is a full-time, tenure-track position beginning in Fall 2026. Review of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.