Assistant Professor of Theatre, Lighting Design

Full-Time Tenure-track or Tenured Faculty
School of Theatre and Dance
Assistant Professor of Theatre/Lighting Design

The School of Theatre and Dance of Columbia College Chicago seeks applicants for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor in Theatre/Lighting Design beginning August 2025.

The successful candidate will have significant experience in professional theatre as a lighting designer, with experience designing for a range of theatrical styles and genres. This person should be familiar with the evolving field of design and technology and be engaged in professional work that connects their teaching to their practice. They will have expertise in a variety of equipment and software systems currently in use. This faculty member will teach three courses per semester, which may include Introduction to Theatrical Design, Introductory Lighting Design, Advanced Lighting Design, Technical Drawing for the Performing Arts, and other classes related to their specific skills. They will have expertise in working in collaboration with designers, musical directors and choreographers. This person will also serve as a mentor for student designers on theatre productions. They will attend theatre technical rehearsals on evenings and weekends, production meetings, and respond to production needs as they arise. They will work with students, faculty, administrative, and shop staff to ensure timely progress and completion of assignments. Secondary expertise/experience in scenic design is a plus, though not required.

In addition to expertise in their field, successful candidates must exhibit excellent teaching and scholarly credentials and be passionate about undergraduate education.

The School of Theatre and Dance at Columbia College Chicago houses majors in Acting for Stage and Screen (BA and BFA), Musical Theatre (BA and BFA), Comedy Writing and Performance (BA), Dance (BA), and Theatre Arts: Production and Practice (BA) with concentrations in Theatre Design & Technology, Directing, Stage Management, and Theatre Arts. With over 700 students, the School of Theatre and Dance’s mission is to provide undergraduate students with a comprehensive education in the practices and processes of creating theatre, dance, and live performance. The School of Theatre and Dance stages more than 50 productions a year.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Teach at the undergraduate level in areas assigned by the School Director.
• Engage with the broader scholarly and professional communities.
• Supervise and advise and mentor students.
• Contribute to the development, planning and implementation of a high-quality curriculum.
• Commit to continuing professional development.
• Provide service to the college, profession and community.
• Actively follow and promote Columbia College Chicago policies.

Columbia College Chicago actively promotes, access to an expansive array of social and cultural theories, practices and perspectives that are vitally important to the successful delivery of a contemporary creative curriculum and the college’s mission to educate students who will author the culture of their times. These principles are essential to the educational experiences of our students, staff, and faculty.

We seek individuals with a demonstrated ability to work with students from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds, and whose creative, scholarly and/or professional work contributes to a rich educational experience consistent with our mission. For more information please visit here.

Required Qualifications

• MFA, Doctorate or other terminal degree in Lighting Design for Theatre or related performance field.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in projection design and video technology.
• Professional experience and college teaching experience are highly desirable.

Application
To apply for this position, submit the following materials online:

• A letter outlining the applicant’s background, qualifications, and vision for the position.
• A curriculum vitae.
• An Access and Excellence Statement describing actions you have taken to support and advance educational access and exposure to broad perspectives in service, teaching, or research/creative activity.  Please be succinct with your response.
• Contact information for three references. References will not be contacted without prior consultation with the applicant.
• A statement of teaching philosophy.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

For best consideration, please apply by April 27.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee and is subject to change based on the needs of the department and/or college.

Position Minimum Annual Salary: $67,000.00

Position Maximum Annual Salary: $71,000.00

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including department budget.

 

About the College

Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit college for creatives serving more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Columbia College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. Located in downtown Chicago’s South Loop, the College is centered in one of the world’s most lively urban cultural areas. Its many competitive advantages include its strong reputation in the creative industries, outstanding faculty and passionate students, impressive technological and physical resources, and a sincere commitment to bringing diverse voices and experiences into proximity with each other to shape new forms of creative practice.

At Columbia, we offer a rewarding work environment for our faculty and staff. We take pride in offering competitive benefits with affordable health, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefit program, life and accidental, death & dismemberment coverage; paid and unpaid leave options; work/life benefits; educational assistance programs; and retirement and financial planning benefits.

We invite you to join our talented faculty and staff and become part of our collective aspiration to ensure Columbia prepares students for success in their creative fields through innovation, engagement and real-world experiences.

Additional Information

• Position subject to a background screening.
• This is a non-union position.
• This position is overtime exempt.

Columbia College Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning civil rights. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.