Job title: Assistant or Associate Professor (Tenure Track) – Theatre Design (Lighting)
Company: University of Alberta
Job description: This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).
Location – North Campus Edmonton. This role is in person.
The at the University of Alberta invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate professor, with a specialization in Theatre Lighting Design. This position is to commence on July 1, 2024.
Applications are invited from designers with experience in lighting design and at least one other area of design, preferably projected media. The successful applicant will be prepared to teach in at least one other area of design and supervise across all design areas with up to 10 student designers annually, and should be qualified to advise students as they work on all elements of design (costume, props, light, and projected media).
Position Summary
Applicants will have a growing record of established practice in their field, be able to establish/continue a successful program of creative activity/research and integrate this into teaching and learning opportunities for their students. Applicants must have the capacity to effectively teach at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and to engage in the collective life of the University through service and administrative roles. Faculty designers may design 1 – 2 elements annually for the Department’s main stage theatre season. Excellent funding opportunities are available for investigation/ experimentation/ research in the successful candidate’s area of expertise.
Courses in the Department of Drama are taught in a conservatory/atelier manner. Department productions range from at least 11 annual “shoestring” events (4 are ‘designed’) to a 4-play, fully mounted showcase season.
Designers interact with students and faculty from several other department programs and the successful candidate will work closely with 2 other design faculty members and 8 production staff members. Demonstrated capacity and commitment to working well within team situations are essential.
Applicants should show a willingness to incorporate or reflect Indigenous content, perspectives, or ways of teaching and learning into their curriculum where appropriate. Awareness and willingness to engage in other forms of inclusion (e.g. in training or inclusive pedagogy) are also desired.
Duties
The successful candidate will:
- Teach four courses per academic year (distributed across the year) including existing graduate and undergraduate courses, and will have the opportunity to develop and teach additional courses in their areas of expertise;
- Supervise graduate students and serve on graduate committees in the Design area, and elsewhere in the university;
- Maintain robust creative activity/ research within their area(s);
- Collaborate with sectors outside of academia, including community groups, non-profits, and industry; and
- Engage in active and effective service to the Department of Drama, the Faculty of Arts, the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Alberta, and external communities as appropriate to their career stage.
Qualifications
- An MFA in Theatre Design, or its equivalent in professional training and/or experience.
- Ability to teach in a professional theatre training program and to advise student designers in production.
- Substantial professional theatre experience.
- Capacity to work not only in lighting but also in at least one other area of design and advise in a third.
- Active engagement in creative activity/ research in the field
- Working knowledge of and/or training in Canadian theatre practices
The Department of Drama
This colleague will join a department that includes designers, directors, playwrights, dramaturges, theorists, historians, performers, stage managers, technicians, and makers of new work. A willingness to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries is encouraged, both within our department and beyond.
The Department of Drama offers liberal arts programs leading to BA, BA Honors, and MA degrees and conservatory programs leading to BFA degrees in Acting, Design, Technical Production, Stage Management, and MFA degrees in Directing, Design, and Theatre Practice. All BFA and MFA programs prepare students for entry into the theatre profession. Graduates from all programs have identifiable records of achievement on a national scale. In addition, the department is home to Ph.D. in Performance Studies. This program connects with similar graduate programs in other areas of the Fine and Performing Arts that support interdisciplinary research-creation theses.
The Fine Arts Building, with four performance spaces for Drama, was designed specifically for the teaching of theatre arts, music, design, and visual arts. The adjacent Timms Centre for the Arts, a separate and highly acclaimed theatre complex that opened in March 1995, contains a 300-seat proscenium stage, a flexible playing space, green room, dressing rooms, and scene, properties, costume, and paint workshops. External review committees have rated the teaching and production facilities as the foremost in Canada and among the top five in North America.
The University of Alberta is committed to building and supporting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. As part of this effort, the Department welcomes applications from women; First Nations, Métis, and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
Working at the University of Alberta
Edmonton and the University of Alberta are situated on Treaty 6 territory, homeland of the Métis, and traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Dene, and Nakota Sioux. Established in 1908 as a board-governed, public institution, the University of Alberta has earned the reputation of being one of the best universities in Canada based on strengths in teaching, research, and service.
The University of Alberta is home to a diverse and welcoming community of over 1,300 Indigenous students from Nations across Turtle Island. In 2022, the University’s was implemented, reflecting an important step in our institution’s commitment to reconciliation in post-secondary education and research, addressing the historical legacy of the residential school system and Canada’s colonial history in a meaningful and lasting way. The University’s principles and actions and its are underpinned by respect for the dignity, rights, and full participation of all those who live, work, and learn within the university. The administers the University of Alberta’s procedure for students, and works with students, instructors, campus units, Faculties and departments, community and government agencies, and on and off-campus service providers to coordinate students’ medical and non-medical accommodation needs for participation in University of Alberta academic programs.
Edmonton, a metro area of nearly 1.5 million people, has the second largest Indigenous population and the fourth largest Black population of any Canadian city. Nearly 10% of Edmonton’s population is of South Asian origin and 16% of East and Southeast Asian origin, with growing numbers of Edmontonians of Filipino, Latin American and Middle Eastern origins. The Edmonton public school system offers bilingual education for children in French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), and American Sign Language. Amiskwaciy Academy offers Cree as a high school credit and has started an Aboriginal study course in junior high school. Edmonton has a thriving cultural scene including music, visual arts, theater, festivals, and dining.
For more information about the University of Alberta and Edmonton, please visit and
Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications in accordance with the Faculty Agreement as per the negotiated salary scales.
How to Apply
To have your application considered, please select the Apply Online icon below and submit the following
Cover Letter that includes highlights of the candidate’s profile (2 pages max)
Curriculum Vitae (CV) that includes the names of three referees (CV)
Teaching Dossier that includes evidence of, or potential for teaching effectiveness. This can include a statement of teaching philosophy, a brief description of your approach to teaching, or brief descriptions of a few courses you have taught or would be interested in teaching. Full syllabi are not required. (Attach under “Statement of Teaching/Research Interests”)
a diversity statement articulating your demonstrated commitment and capacity to contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion through research, teaching, mentoring and/or community engagement.
Portfolio (e.g., designs, projects, etc.), in electronic format, of selected recent work (Attach as one document, including URLs as relevant, under “List of Publications”)
Please note: Letters of references will only be requested for candidates selected for further consideration. Referees should be prepared to send their letters by mid-December 2023.
Inquiries regarding the position can be addressed to the Chair of the Department of Drama, April Viczko, aviczko@ualberta.ca, using “Assistant or Associate Professor (Tenure Track) Theatre Design (Lighting)” as the email’s subject
Review of applications will start on November 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.
As part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program requirements, the university must conduct recruitment efforts to hire Canadians and permanent residents before offering a job to a temporary foreign worker. To ensure we remain in compliance with these regulations, please include the appropriate statement in your application “I am a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident” or “I am not a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident”.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered
How to Apply
Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.
Expected salary:
Location: Edmonton, AB
Job date: Thu, 21 Sep 2023 01:53:40 GMT
