Job Description for the Assistant Professor of Performing Arts in Scenic or Lighting Design position. Review job description, requirements, and qualifications. Apply or register interest for the position.

Title: Assistant Professor of Performing Arts in Scenic or Lighting Design

Department: Performing Arts

Position Summary: Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences invites application for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Performing Arts, beginning mid-August, 2025.

The Scenic and Lighting Design faculty position will teach three classes per academic year; mentor student designers and technicians; design scenery for 2-3 productions per year and lighting for 4-6 productions per year, alternating departments yearly; and oversee technical areas related to Scenic Painting and Electrics. Since this is a dual position, we plan to alternate duties in the Scenic area and the Lighting area yearly and bring in guest artists to cover other needs. Classes taught by this position may include: Scenic Painting, Lighting Design, Lighting Design for Dance, Drafting and Model Building, Technical Production in Theatre, Advanced Projects (mentorship), and other courses in the discipline or in the Elon Core Curriculum.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to manage shops, inventories, and undergraduate student workers successfully. The faculty member will manage and participate in production processes like strikes, lighting hang and focus calls, technical rehearsals and production work. The successful candidate will demonstrate the potential for success as a Teacher-Scholar-Mentor at a liberal arts university and will demonstrate enthusiasm and personal work in equity-minded pedagogies and art-making practices.

The Department of Performing Arts is a large department of 30 faculty/staff lines, 7 majors, and approximately 300 students. The Theatrical Design and Technology program houses 20 majors, 9 minors, three staff positions, and three other faculty members including a Scenic Design/Props position. The Department produces nine productions (plays, musicals, and dance concerts) per year plus showcases and student-produced work. In addition to the fall and spring semesters there is a 3-week January Term.

Candidates who have experience working with a diverse range of people are encouraged to identify their experiences in contributing to a climate of inclusivity in their cover letters. Elon is a dynamic private, co-educational, comprehensive institution that is a national model for actively engaging faculty and students in teaching and learning in a liberal arts based residential campus. To learn more about Elon, please visit the University website at www.elon.edu.

Benefits of Working at Elon: Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and perspectives of our community members. As equal opportunity employer, decisions related to hiring, compensating, training, evaluating performance, are made fairly, and we provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and employees. We examine our unconscious biases and take responsibility for always striving to create an inclusive environment that makes every candidate feel welcome. At Elon we strive to follow our mission, where our employees are empowered to respect human differences, have a passion for lifelong learning, and emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Additional Information: To support Elon’s teacher-scholar-mentor model, we offer an attractive package of research support that includes a pre-tenure sabbatical, course reassignment times, summer research grants, and funds for conference travel.

Minimum Required Education and Experience: Minimum educational requirements for this position include a terminal degree in a related field to the position.

Preferred Education and Experiences: [requirements]

• Terminal degree in related field.
• One year of teaching in higher education with professional theatre design credits or three years of other teaching and significant professional or educational theatre design experience.
• Technical Production experience managing, budgeting, and executing scenic painting and stage electrics
• Experience mentoring undergraduate students with positive outcomes
• Proficiency with AutoCAD or Vectorworks and other industry software
• Familiarity with OSHA and ESTA standards and safety procedures
• Experience designing and programming with ETC software, moving lights, LED fixtures, EOS programming, and ION lighting Boards
• The position requires the ability to lift up to 50 pounds and the ability to stand for long periods of time.

Special Instructions to Applicants: [preferences]

To Apply: Please attach a letter of application, CV, unofficial transcripts (candidates that move forward will need to provide official transcripts), teaching and mentoring philosophy, a document containing a link to portfolio of Scenic Design, Scenic Painting, and Lighting Design work, and three professional references.