Title: Visiting Professor (Lighting Design)

Employee Classification: VF - Visiting Fac/Post Doc Fellow

Pay Grade: VF 00

Division: Academic and Student Affairs

Subdivision: School of Comm, Media, Theater Arts

Department: College of Arts and Sciences

Campus Location: Main Campus

General Summary

The School of Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts seeks a Visiting Professor of Lighting Design for a one-year appointment with potential for renewal. Classes begin August 31, 2026 and end May 1, 2027.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities include:

• Teaching 2) classes per semester (Potential classes from Entertainment Design & Production, Theatre, or Arts Management)
• Designing for 1-2 shows per semester (Lighting design, with potential work in other areas of expertise such as sound or projection design)
• Teaching/supervising student crew members, designers, and workers in backstage production work 
• Operating within a typical 10-week production calendar and adhering to predetermined schedules and deadlines
• Maintaining regular office hours
• Assessing student work and performance, and assigning and submitting grades in accordance with established University schedules
• Working with design/production faculty and staff to assess and grade students enrolled in Theatre Practice each semester
• Attending regular School and Area meetings, as scheduled
• Producing research/sketches/draftings/renderings/paperwork for design elements
• Attending production meetings, collaborating with the director and production team
• Coordinating hang and focus for any show where serving as the LD 
• Coordinating with the Technical Director to train and supervise student crew members on delegated production area
• Designing, sourcing, pulling, and renting elements within a pre-established budget
• Attending company meetings, designer runs, dress rehearsals, and performances, as well as necessary crew calls to supervise student workers
• Work collaboratively with colleagues on productions
• Mentoring student designers and crew members, as opportunities arise

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: 

• The successful applicant will have an MFA (or suitable terminal degree) in Lighting Design or a related design discipline with significant professional experience in Lighting Design.
• In addition, the candidate should have experience teaching at the university level and mentoring student designers. This role requires a working knowledge of modern lighting systems (i.e. networked lighting, show control, and multi-console environments), design software / platforms (i.e. Vectorworks, ETC EOS, LightWright, etc.) and ability to teach them.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in one or more additional design / tech areas (particularly sound and/or projection design)
• Professional experience in design / technology / production work in the wider entertainment industry (opera, dance, experience design, theme parks, museum / installation, etc)
• Membership in Union (USA829 / IATSE) and/or professional organizations such as USITT / SETC / ACTF, etc.

Special Instructions:

Please attach a cover letter, CV, 3 references, and a link to your design portfolio (or portfolio file of representative works). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until filled.

Appointment Percentage:

100%

About Eastern Michigan University

Since its inception, Eastern Michigan, first as a Normal School, then as a College and finally as a University, has grown and developed to respond to the ever-changing needs of society. Over the years, EMU has educated thousands of sons and daughters of Michigan, the nation, and the world. The University currently serves 23,000 students who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 200 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. Eastern Michigan's exceptional faculty, students and alumni include CEOs from major businesses; a National Student Teacher of the Year, National Teacher of the Year, numerous Fulbright Scholars and Milken Family Foundation National Educators award winners; and several Michigan Teachers of the Year.

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