Term Faculty | Lighting Design

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)
• Programming
• Production Electrics
• Projection and video experience is a plus

Emerson College is the nation’s only four-year institution dedicated exclusively to undergraduate majors and master’s degrees in communication, arts, and media. It is located in the dynamic, multicultural city of Boston, close to major sports teams, arts institutions, performing arts venues, research centers, and industry partners. Emerson also has campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands. At Emerson College, we seek individuals who bring innovation, creativity, and impact to our curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular offerings.

Emerson College believes the best way to achieve excellence is to foster a campus climate where everyone can thrive. As a community of artists, practitioners, scholars, and storytellers, we continually strive to cultivate a collaborative community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talented individuals from varied beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives. Emerson College’s core values are creativity, innovation, inclusion, curiosity, equity, expression, and collaboration.

To Apply

Please submit the following:

• Cover Letter 
• Current Curriculum Vita
• A digital curated visual portfolio of professional work
• Statement of teaching philosophy that addresses both the candidate’s approach to mentorship and how the candidate creates learning environments in which everyone has the opportunity to excel
• Contact information for three references who can speak to the candidate’s professional work and/or teaching 

Preference will be given to applications received by November 15th, but the position will remain open until filled. Please note that finalists will be invited to campus for in-person teaching demonstrations and interviews during the Spring semester.

Please note, in the job application where there is the "CV/Cover Letter/Additional Documents" drop box, you must include all of the required materials listed above. You can upload each document separately or as a combined PDF. Your application will not be complete without these documents. If you are having issues uploading, please email [email protected].

Compensation for this appointment will be $81,723.