Assistant or Associate Professor of Costume Design (Tenure-Track)

Job Position(s): Assistant or Associate Professor of Costume Design (Tenure-Track)

Carnegie Mellon University is hiring an Assistant or Associate Professor of Costume Design (Tenure-Track) for its School of Drama in Pittsburgh, PA. This faculty role sits at the center of a conservatory costume design program that prepares students for professional work across theatrical production, episodic television, film, opera, and performance-based entertainment. It suits a working designer with an established national or international practice who is ready to bring that professional credibility directly into the classroom and the production floor.

About the Role

The position joins a four-person costume design and costume production faculty team supported by six area staff members, advising students through 2 to 3 productions per semester in a school season where students do the real creative and organizational work. A typical week moves between lecture courses, production advisement sessions, and ongoing curricular planning with colleagues across the School of Drama. The role carries a 3:2 or 2:3 course load plus production advising, with a nine-month annual commitment beginning the 2027-28 academic year.

Key Responsibilities

• Teach a two-semester History of Clothing course covering global, multicultural, and socio-political perspectives relevant to costume design for theater, film, and television production.
• Lead instruction in Digital Drawing and Concept Character Illustration, grounding students in visual development tools used across contemporary costume and character design pipelines.
• Advise undergraduate and graduate students through 2 to 3 production assignments per semester, mentoring the full arc from concept to execution.
• Contribute to an active curricular review process, shaping how the program evolves to meet the demands of current film, television, and theatrical production industries.
• Maintain an ongoing professional practice with national or international presence, bringing current industry experience back into the conservatory environment.
• Collaborate with School of Drama leadership and fellow area faculty to develop additional coursework suited to the program’s needs and student population.

What You Bring

• An MFA or relevant terminal degree, or equivalent professional and demonstrated teaching experience in costume design for theater, film, or television production.
• A portfolio that reflects work across traditional and non-traditional genres, including analogous fields beyond stage and screen.
• Active professional credits at a national or international level in costume design.
• Prior teaching or mentoring experience, including non-traditional settings.
• Current legal authorization to work in the United States, as Carnegie Mellon University will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this position.

Why This Role

Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama holds the distinction of being the first established degree-granting drama program in the United States, and its costume design faculty carry real influence over how the next generation of designers enter the field. This is a tenure-track position with an initial three-year appointment, offering genuine long-term institutional standing rather than a visiting or adjunct arrangement. Base salary ranges from $70,000 to $80,000 commensurate with rank and experience, plus benefits, and ongoing professional practice is actively supported.

Apply now for the Assistant or Associate Professor of Costume Design (Tenure-Track) position at Carnegie Mellon University and bring your professional practice into one of the most established conservatory programs in the country.