Adjunct Faculty - Arts & Entertainment Industries Management

Rider University • Lawrenceville, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Performing Arts at Rider University seeks an adjunct instructor to teach the undergraduate Arts Events & Festivals Planning course for the spring semester beginning January 25, 2027. The instructor will lead students through the planning and production of Art Beast, Rider’s signature annual multidisciplinary arts event, held on campus at the end of April. Art Beast brings together music, dance, theatre, visual arts, crafts, art-making activities, and other creative disciplines, and involves collaboration with programs and departments across the University, including Westminster Choir College, Film and Television, and Music Production.

The instructor will guide students through the full event-production process while overseeing the planning and execution of Art Beast. The course develops practical skills in planning, producing, marketing, staffing, and evaluating arts events, and gives students hands-on experience with budgeting, logistics, technical operations, hospitality, entertainment, staffing, audience development, and event assessment. The instructor will assign and supervise event leadership roles and coordinate with artists, performers, campus partners, and participating departments. The course emphasizes the behind-the-scenes leadership needed to create meaningful, well-organized, community-focused arts experiences.

The ideal candidate is a working event producer, festival director, arts administrator, or senior arts professional with current, hands-on experience producing multidisciplinary arts events, festivals, performances, or community-based cultural programs. Candidates should be comfortable working across artistic disciplines and collaborating with students, faculty, staff, artists, performers, and campus partners. Experience in educational, nonprofit, cultural, performing arts, or community settings is highly desirable. Balancing classroom teaching with hands-on oversight of Art Beast is essential.

Salary is $4,215.98 for a 3-credit course. A full course is considered to have 9 students enrolled. If a section has 8 or fewer enrollees, salary is prorated based on enrollment. Rider University is committed to fostering an inclusive, vibrant living and learning community that embraces students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds and enables them to achieve success. Rider University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

• BA in a related degree field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Current, hands-on experience producing multidisciplinary arts events, festivals, performances, or community-based cultural programs.
• Experience in event strategy, budgeting, production, staffing, marketing, audience development, logistics, and on-site problem-solving.
• Comfort working across artistic disciplines and collaborating with students, faculty, staff, artists, performers, and campus partners.
• Ability to balance classroom teaching with hands-on oversight of Art Beast.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with early-career professionals in arts management.
• Experience teaching in a university.
• Experience in educational, nonprofit, cultural, performing arts, or community settings is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Teach the undergraduate Arts Events & Festivals Planning course during the spring semester.
• Lead students through the planning and production of Art Beast, Rider’s annual multidisciplinary arts event.
• Oversee the planning and execution of Art Beast, including its full event-production process.
• Help students develop practical skills in planning, producing, marketing, staffing, and evaluating arts events.
• Assign and supervise student event leadership roles.
• Coordinate with artists, performers, campus partners, and participating University departments.
• Guide students through budgeting, logistics, technical operations, hospitality, entertainment, staffing, audience development, and event assessment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level