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School: School of Theater, Technical Direction
Program: Experience Design and Production
Status: Special Faculty
Appointment Details: Furnished in Special Faculty contract
Bargaining Unit: Special Faculty Unit, UAW

Position Overview
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) School of Theater seeks a forward-thinking, collaborative, and highly skilled Special Faculty member. /. This role also serves in a Technical Director capacity to bridge teaching and practice, combining curricular development, coursework, and student mentorship with oversight of student-centered production work for a multi-show performance season.

The Special Faculty member will oversee the technical execution, structural engineering, safety, and physical realization of all School of Theater productions across a diverse ecosystem of experimental spaces. This position is central to fostering an environment where student artists can safely push the boundaries of contemporary performance.

Appointment

Salary Range: $75K-$85K, commensurate with experience. This is a 9-month special faculty position, with potential for renewal.

Key Responsibilities
1. Instruction (or Teaching), as assigned by the Dean, or their designee. 

• Instruction: Teach specialized courses in technical direction, structural design, and other related special topics which could include technical management, electronics, rigging, drafting, etc. 
• Student Advising: Serve as a mentor and advisor to BFA and MFA students in the Experience Design and Production program.
• Production Mentorship: Act as the primary faculty mentor  for student technical directors assigned to school productions, guiding them through the engineering, budgeting, and build processes.

2. Technical Production 

• Technical Execution: Provide overarching technical leadership for a rigorous production season, ensuring artistic visions are realized safely and efficiently. The number of productions includes but is not limited to: 8-10  curricular productions, informal oversight of 10-12 Coffee House Production and miscellaneous Institute special events as requested.
• Structural Integrity: Review and approve all structural, rigging, and mechanical drawings for productions.
• Scheduling: Coordinate production schedules with faculty and staff. 

3. Financial Budgeting & Administration

• Budgeting: Develop, track, and reconcile technical production budgets, including material expenses and student labor costs.
• Asset Management: In partnership with the Scene Shop Manager and Production Manager oversee the procurement, maintenance, and inventory of shop tools, hardware, and specialized theatrical equipment.
• Space Oversight: Monitor the condition of theatrical spaces, recommend maintenance, replacement, and safety-related upgrades. 

4. Venue Management & Oversight

• Overseethe technical infrastructure and operational safety of the following primary performance spaces:
  • The Modular Theater: CalArts’ one-of-a-kind highly flexible performance space featuring reconfigurable floor sections and wall sections. Benefits from advanced knowledge of variable acoustics, unique rigging grids, and modular architecture.
  • Two (2) Black Box Theaters: Versatile spaces dedicated to student-driven, experimental, and variable-scape workshops and full productions.
  • The Coffeehouse: A non-traditional venue used for experimental work, student showcases, and interdisciplinary projects.

5. Safety & Compliance

• Safety Compliance: Maintain and enforce strict health and safety protocols (including OSHA and Cal/OSHA compliance) across all shops and venues.
• Training: Oversee student safety training, equipment certifications, rigging inspections, and safe operation of powered equipment. 

  
 6. Service

• Service: Participate in faculty governance matters, admissions reviews, student reviews, and curriculum development.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with faculty and guest artists across directing, design, and performance.

Qualifications
Required:

• Degree: MFA in Technical Direction or Theatre Technology, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Technical Director in regional theater, commercial entertainment, or experimental performance environment.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD/Vectorworks, structural engineering calculations for the stage, advanced rigging techniques, and automation systems.
• Pedagogical Drive: A demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring diverse student populations in a progressive, student-centered environment.

Preferred:

• Experience working with non-traditional, immersive, or modular theater spaces.
• Strong background in managing safety programs and hazardous materials protocols.
• Teaching and classroom experience, preferably at the university level.
• Active engagement with contemporary, experimental performance practices.
• Commitment to sustainability in production - material sourcing, reuse, creative problem-solving, circularity, and consciousness of the broader impact of theatrical and production work. Prior experience is welcome but not expected; we see this as a practice the field is still building, and we want faculty eager to build it with students.

About CalArts
CalArts is a multidisciplinary community of artists whose ongoing educational endeavor is grounded in openness, experimentation, critical engagement, and creative freedom.

The School of Theater offers students an educational experience that is experimental, interdisciplinary, international, and diverse. Each unique program gives students the flexibility, skills, and critical thinking tools to navigate a rapidly changing field and to pursue their professional goals with maximum agency. Our educational mission is to forge a community of citizen artists who are rigorously trained in their respective metiers, and who are able to work effectively and innovatively across a broad spectrum of artistic settings, media, and technologies.