Lecturer in Costume Technology

The School of Theatre and Dance in the College of the Arts seeks a highly skilled and motivated costume technician to join our team as a Lecturer in Costume Technology beginning August 16, 2025. The successful candidate will teach courses that integrate skill building and production in the BFA Theatre Production: Costume Specialization degree program such as draping, tailoring, crafts, production practicum, and beginning makeup; be an integral and collaborative member of our costume area as a project manager and/or draper for the production season; and participate in degree activities including portfolio reviews, senior projects, and advising.

The School seeks an innovative thinker who can actively participate in and contribute to the greater learning community by exploring new connections through live entertainment production practices and critical discourses in the context of the evolving professional and cultural landscape. We seek a colleague who will prepare students to access and unsettle centers of power of any ideology in a radically changing world. We seek a colleague who will position emerging artists and researchers as catalysts for justice on local and global levels.

The School is invested in responding to industry developments regarding person-centered production practices that advance curiosity, inclusion, open intellectual discourse, and the well-being of all in an environment of complex diversities, and supports the health and well-being of students in design and production, theatre performance and studies, and dance. The School seeks a collaborator to help us create sustainable production practices and identify areas where we can respond effectively to these developments in the field.

The University of Florida College of the Arts intends to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. As artists and scholars, we embrace the complexity of our evolving human experience and seek to empower our students and faculty to shape that experience fearlessly through critical study, creative practice, and provocation. We seek a colleague who identifies as a change-maker.

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty, seeking faculty of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. 

More information about the school and our mission can be found here:
SoTD Mission and Vison Statements: https://arts.ufl.edu/academics/theatre-and-dance/about/mission/
UF Arts Faculty: https://arts.ufl.edu/directory/

This position is covered by the United Faculty of Florida Contract.  You can view this employment union contract here https://hr.ufl.edu/manager-resources/employee-relations/union-contracts/united-faculty-of-florida-contract/.  

 Responsibilities:

• Teach undergraduate courses which may include draping, tailoring, crafts, production practicum, and beginning makeup.
• Maximize student learning, skill acquisition, and portfolio building through costume technology coursework on realized productions.
• Engage in project planning with production management, costume shop manager, and design faculty throughout the creative process to indicate opportunities for BFA costume production students.
• Contribute to the production season as lead draper by establishing efficiency and quality standards, completing necessary research, fabricating patterns, estimating yardages, fitting costumes, and overseeing construction teams.
• Contribute to the production season as a project manager for the costume area as appropriate.
• Collaborate with design faculty mentor towards MFA design student learning outcomes as they intersect with draping and construction teams.
• Mentorship of students in the graduate and undergraduate programs.
• Ensure completion of all shows in a timely manner and at stated level of quality in collaboration with professional costume shop staff.

• Establish, maintain, and update costume area practices in collaboration with production management, costume shop manager, and design faculty.
• Contribute to advising and recruitment of undergraduate students.

• Contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Design & Production Area activities in the School through engaged collaboration.
• Participate in shared governance through service to the School, College and University.

 SCHOOL OF THEATRE + DANCE: The light-filled Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion is home to the School of Theatre + Dance (SoTD). The School’s international full-time faculty of 35 recognized artists and researchers, complemented by adjunct and guest faculty and staff, including full- and part-time professionals. The School offers MFA curricula in acting and in design, which includes scene design, lighting design and costume design; BFA programs in acting, musical theatre, and theatrical production with concentrations in costume, digital media, lighting, scenic, and sound; and a BA with concentrations in general theatre, stage management, and theatre management. The School features two degree programs in dance designed to develop the individual voice of the dance artist, a BFA and a BA. Approximately 200 students major in the artistically diverse curricula of the School of Theatre + Dance. Through its production program, outreach and innovative programming, the School of Theatre + Dance provides multiple cultural opportunities annually to thousands of members of the University and the greater community. The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance and the National Association of Schools of Theatre. For more information, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance.  

THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS: The mission of the College of the Arts is to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond.  We achieve the university’s mission by training professionals and educating students as artists and scholars, while developing their capacities for critical study, creative practice, and provocation.  The College offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Approximately 1,700 students are pursuing majors in degrees offered by the College of the Arts under the direction of 130 faculty members in its three accredited schools— the School of Art + Art History, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre + Dance, and in the Center for Arts in Medicine, the Digital Worlds Institute, and the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship. In addition, the college comprises the University Galleries, and the University level of the New World School of the Arts in Miami. 

The University of Florida: The University of Florida is a comprehensive learning institution built on a land grant foundation, ranked one of the top five best public universities in the nation in U.S. News & World Report. We are The Gator Nation, a diverse community dedicated to excellence in education and research and shaping a better future for Florida, the nation and the world. Our mission is to enable our students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit. UF is a graduate research institution with more than 50,000 students and membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Gainesville, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most livable cities, is located midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the University and the community comprise the educational, medical and cultural center of North Central Florida, with outstanding resources such as the University of Florida Performing Arts (Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Squitieri Studio Theatre, the Baughman Center, University Auditorium), the Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History and in the community, the Hippodrome State Theatre and Dance Alive National Ballet.

In addition to salary, the University of Florida (UF) offers low cost State Health plans, a number of Dental plans to fit you and your family’s needs, and Vision. Domestic partner coverage through GatorCare is also available. Optional plans such as life, disability, legal and accident insurance are also available.

UF provides a variety of leave programs including vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays, personal leave days, and family medical leave 9 month FACULTY employees accrue approximately 10 days of sick leave per year.  UF also provides you the flexibility to deal with life’s challenges by offering paid family leave, eight full weeks of leave over a 24-month period.

Build a retirement roadmap with competitive pension plans, investment accounts and a host of voluntary add-ons, such as 457 deferred compensation and 403(b) plans.

UF Employees are also eligible for the GatorPerks discount program, which provides big savings at various business and retailers!

Explore UF’s plethora of benefit options here: FACULTY Benefits

$67,000 with a comprehensive and highly competitive leave and benefits package

• MFA in Theatre Costume Technology or Design, or closely related field, or an equivalent combination of experiences and skills.
• Experience in teaching at the university level and/or mentoring beyond graduate assistantship.
• Indication of organizational, time management, and collaborative skills.
• Evidence of successful collaboration and collegiality with faculty, students, and staff.
• Experience as a professional artist as evidenced by portfolio of draping and/or tailoring and craft work.
• Experience in developing and creating syllabi and curricula that intentionally broaden the approaches to design and technology courses through an awareness of, and sensitivity to a multiplicity of voices that reflect diverse perspectives and experiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

The successful candidate will bring to the position

• Experience in teaching at the university level and/or mentoring beyond graduate assistantship.
• Indication of organizational, time management, and collaborative skills.
• Evidence of successful collaboration and collegiality with faculty, students, and staff
• Experience as a professional artist as evidenced by portfolio of draping and/or tailoring and craft work.
• Experience in developing and creating syllabi and curricula that intentionally broaden the approaches to design and technology courses through an awareness of, and sensitivity to a multiplicity of voices that reflect diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Evidence of skill in designing and facilitating academic work that advances curiosity, and open intellectual discourse

MFA in Theatre Costume Technology or Design.

3+ years of teaching at the university level.

5+ years ongoing experience as a professional artist as evidenced by portfolio of draping and/or tailoring and craft work.

Evidence of a commitment to emerging technologies and innovative practices.

Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until an applicant pool is established. To ensure full consideration, all application documents must be submitted by January 6, 2025.  Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority. 

Application Process: Applications must be submitted via the University of Florida’s online application system.  Online applications must include the following: (1) a detailed letter of application that explains how you match the particular qualifications of this position and how your work and perspective will contribute to and enhance our transformative community; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a PDF portfolio with 10-15 images (Note that the UF application system only allows for one 5 MB maximum file size PDF document) or a link to website of 10-15 images of your draping and/or tailoring, craft work; and (4) names and contact information of four professional references, it is preferred that at least one should be a production stage manager, stage manager, costume shop manager, or equivalent. The Search Committee may request additional materials at a later time. 

The College of the Arts does not utilize AI or other software to provide any level of applicant assessment.

Inquiries may be sent to:
Andrew Cao, Senior Lecturer
Chair, Lecturer in Costume Technology Search Committee
Email: acao@arts.ufl.edu

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call +1 (352) 392- 2477or the Florida Relay System at +1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.