"Instructor in Animation and Visual Effects"

Job Description

The Department of Art + Design is seeking applications for a full-time Instructor in Animation and Visual Effects to teach within our growing BFA Animation and Visual Effects concentration. This is a 9-month position over a three-year term, starting August 1, 2026.

The Animation and Visual Effects program was recently ranked in the top 25 animation programs in the South by Animation Career Review. The APSU Department of Art + Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and offers BFA and BA degrees with concentrations in Studio Art, Animation and Visual Effects, Graphic Design, Art History, and Art Education. The department consists of nineteen full-time faculty, three support staff, and fourteen part-time instructors who celebrate the mission of teaching and innovation in serving 350+ undergraduate majors. We aspire to provide an accepting environment that empowers students to ask questions, think critically, take risks, and develop intellectual and creative curiosity.

Austin Peay State University is a four-year public, doctoral-level university, with six colleges and four Chairs of Excellence. It is the home of the Center for Excellence in the Creative Arts, providing additional support to the arts on campus. The University has an enrollment of over 10,000 students and is located in Clarksville, Tennessee, a community of an estimated 180,000 people located approximately 40 miles northwest of Nashville, TN.

Clarksville has consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Live by Money Magazine, as well as nationally recognized for its low cost of living, appeal to new home buyers, and job growth.

Required Application Documents

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Portfolio of Recent Personal Work (10-20 images, videos, or links - website preferred)
• Optional but recommended: Portfolio of Student Work (10-20 images, videos, or links - website preferred)
• List of three References or Three letters of Recommendation

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Teaching a 4/4 course load; including at all levels in the Animation + Visual Effects curriculum and other relevant courses within the department.
• Teaching all levels of undergraduate students, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
• Shared oversight of the Animation + Visual Effects studio, equipment, and maintenance.
• Participating in the assessment of the students and program through portfolio reviews and capstone reviews.
• Maintain awareness and commitment to future industry trends and technology.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate has a background, education, and/or experience within multiple areas of our current generalist course curriculum which includes 2D animation, 3D animation, 3D Modeling, Visual Effects, Motion Graphics, Real Time Technologies, and Short Film Production.

Candidates should have experience with multiple software packages used within the program such as Autodesk Maya, ToonBoom Harmony and Storyboard Pro, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Foundry Nuke, Unreal, and Dragonframe. Candidates are not expected to know all the above programs but should be familiar with several of them.

Depth of knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud with expertise in Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere.

Able to work in both MacOS and WindowsOS.

Required Minimum Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with a terminal degree such as an MFA in Animation, Visual Effects, or related area completed by August 1, 2026, but this does not preclude those a combination of a minimum of 18 credits relevant graduate level education and some professional experience from applying.

Preferred Qualifications

One (1) year of experience, which may include post-secondary teaching, and/or industry experience, and/or other relevant post-graduate experience.

Additional software and skills not already listed.