The Department of Theatre at Pomona College, a private liberal arts college located in Southern California on the land of the Tongva, invites applications for an open rank Assistant or Associate Professor of Scenic Design to begin 1 July 2026. The individual holding this position is expected to design one production and teach three courses per academic year including but not limited to Introduction to Design, Scenic Design, Computer Aided Design, Introduction to Technical Theatre, Stagecraft and/or any course in the candidate’s specialty.
We seek educators who value collaboration and communication and who will elevate our courses in scenic design and theatre technology in ways that are relevant to the changing landscape of our field. We are looking for candidates who are excited to work in a liberal arts context, which includes supporting and collaborating with our technical staff, design students, administrative staff, and faculty. We are also eager for this position to offer insights and feedback about the feasibility of potential plays for upcoming seasons as part of the play selection process. We welcome candidates whose expertise in design might include any of the following approaches or modalities: sustainability; cognitive equity; accessibility; diasporic and/or international theatre; decolonizing, anti-ableist, and anti-racist praxis; site specific, immersive, event-based, non-traditional theatre; and multimedia. We are interested in candidates who are eager to be involved in the evolution of ethical, equitable, and inclusive educational practices.
Tenure expectations include: teaching excellence, a pattern of productive scholarship or creative arts research outside of the Department, and effective participation in service to the Department and College. All tenure track faculty in the Department participate in undergraduate advising and mentoring. Service activities appropriate to rank are also required and potential for future leadership service is an additional consideration.
The minimum requirement for this position at the Assistant level is: an M.F.A or a Ph.D. degree in hand at the start of the contract, July 1, 2026. For applicants at the assistant level, experience with college teaching (beyond graduate assistantships) and significant professional experience (over five years of cumulative work in the field) are preferred. As a department that produces four shows per year, we seek candidates who are interested in their professional leadership development. At the Associate level, candidates should have a Ph.D. and/or extensive practical design experience (over ten years of cumulative lead design experience in the field) and demonstrated excellence in teaching at the college level. Applicants at the associate level should expect to lead the department within a few years of their hire; thus, demonstrated departmental leadership and/or administrative skills are also preferred.
A complete application includes: a cover letter; a curriculum vitae; three letters of recommendation; and three brief (one-page) statements, one addressing the candidate’s teaching philosophy and experience, one addressing the candidate’s scholarship including future directions, and one addressing demonstrated ability to mentor a diverse student body and advance diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice. Please upload electronic copies of all materials no later than October 17, 2025, to: Academic Jobs Online REQ#30350.
Compensation includes a robust benefits package and a salary commensurate with rank and experience, $95,000-$100,000.
Please contact Associate Professor Joyce Lu, (joyce.lu@pomona.edu) with any questions.
To ensure complete consideration, please submit your application by October 17, 2025.
