Assistant / Associate Professor of Theatre - Lighting Design - Fall 2026

Assistant / Associate Professor of Theatre - Lighting Design - Fall 2026

Location : UTK

Open Date : Aug 21, 2025

Description :

The successful candidate will serve as the head of the MFA Lighting Design Program. Responsibilities include teaching courses in lighting design for both undergraduate and graduate students, and teaching in other theatre areas as qualified. Additional duties include mentoring students, assisting in student recruitment, and supervising students as teaching assistants and in creative projects. All faculty in the Department of Theatre serve on departmental and university committees and contribute to program design and curricular development. The ideal candidate will have experience as a theatre professional. Continued external professional engagement is expected, encouraged and supported.

Our faculty prepares students for careers in theatre, television and film, opera, dance, and emerging forms of performance-based entertainment. The successful candidate will join the resident company of The Clarence Brown Theatre, a LORT D company in residence at the University of Tennessee and be expected to design for the company regularly.  We are seeking a candidate to join a faculty that combines established practice and innovative technology and techniques in practice and performance.  This position is a partner in a collaborative, active, forward-focused, professional training program and will be a vital partner as we train the next generation of designers.

The University is beginning a next-level initiative aimed both at substantially elevating the University’s national reputation for impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity and a assembling a roster of faculty committee to delivering one of the nation’s best educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.

Qualifications :

At the time of appointment, applicants must have an MFA in lighting design or closely related field and at least five years of professional experience of work in professional live entertainment, with a preference for designers working regularly in professional theatre.

Candidates for the rank of Assistant Professor should exhibit potential for excellence in teaching, evidence of service to the profession and / or institution, and the capacity to develop a program of disciplinary research and / or creative activity with the potential for national recognition.

Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor must present a sustained and nationally recognized record of research and / or creative activity as a professional lighting designer. They should also demonstrate a history of institutional and professional service, and in most cases, have at least five years of experience at the rank of Assistant Professor or a history of working at a high level of professional theatre and live entertainment.

We seek an exceptional artist-scholar and collaborative colleague to contribute to curricular innovation, lead a nationally recognized MFA program, and maintain a strong trajectory of creative and / or scholarly achievement consistent with the expectations of a flagship, tier-one research university. Preferred qualifications include experience in teaching and mentoring, a portfolio demonstrating a wide array of practices across related fields, and proficiency in digital tools, including the ability to teach drafting for lighting design.

Application Instructions :

To apply, please submit the following to  https : / / apply.interfolio.com / 170878 :

• A Cover Letter describing your qualifications and interest in the position; summarizing your experience, what you might bring to the program, and how your growth as an artist and educator can continue to evolve as part of our community.
• A comprehensive Digital Portfolio or Website link
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae
• A list of at least three current References with contact information

UTK is a land-grant university, and values engaged forms of research / scholarship / creative activity, teaching and service, and considers evidence of these commitments in the records of applicants. In addition to addressing their qualifications for the position in their application, candidates may describe how they would help promote through their teaching and research / scholarship / creative activities an atmosphere where all members of the university community feel welcome and can thrive.

Any questions about this search should be directed to the search chair, Associate Professor Lauren Roark, lroark2@utk.edu. Review of applications will begin after October 1, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement :

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Tennessee affirmatively states that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment by the university.

Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to  eoa@utk.edu , or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, and national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), the ADA (disability), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, by email to  investigations@utk.edu , or by phone at 865-974-0717.