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)