Assistant Professor in VFX, Animation and Game Design

The School of Media and Communication at Northern Kentucky University seeks outstanding candidates with expertise in designing engaging interactive media for a tenure track Assistant Professor position, beginning in August, 2026.

The candidates are expected to excel in the classroom, be forward thinking in their creative and/or research agenda and enthusiastically engage with the public and university. They will embrace the opportunity to augment our faculty's strengths in 3D content creation, game design and traditional media while shaping the evolution of our forays into interactive media, digital imaging, visual effects, and/or real time production for storytelling. This position is key to bridging creative and conceptual alliances with other units across campus and within our region.

Successful candidates are expected to teach undergraduate courses in our 3D Digital Design and VFX (DFX) program (see Program Descriptionand Full Catalog of Courses), conduct an active creative and/or research program, and engage deeply with our students and region. As such, each candidate should be able to demonstrate teaching effectiveness, scholarship, and service related to the fast-changing world of media.

A strong portfolio in peer-reviewed academic and/or creative work that demonstrates expertise in applying theory to practice in media creation is required. Applicable skill sets and academic focus will vary, but it is expected that applicants will be experienced in and passionate about visual effects, computer generated graphics, 3D modeling and animation, and/or real time production, and how these techniques affect visual storytelling and how we communicate. A Master's degree in the emerging/immersive/digital media, informatics or other field directly related to media creation is required; an MFA or Ph.D. in such a field is preferred.

A complete application will require: a letter of application, select examples of creative or scholarly work, CV, copies of recent teaching evaluations (qualitative and quantitative), and three letters of reference.

On-campus presence: This is not a remote position. The successful candidate will be required to relocate to the Northern Kentucky / Greater Cincinnati area.

Any candidate who is offered a position at NKU will be required to go through a pre-employment criminal background check as mandated by state law. Questions regarding the use of the website should be directed to the Human Resources Department at jobs@nku.edu.

NKU's vision is that we will be nationally recognized for being a student-ready, regionally engaged university that empowers diverse learners for economic and social mobility. Our core values place emphasis on our culture of excellence, creativity, innovation, and collegiality. Your cover letter and/or teaching statement should show, as a faculty member at NKU, how you will contribute to our core values and our strategic framework, especially in how you will contribute to student success and belonging.