HES - Instructor, Clothing, Textiles and Interior Design, Renewable Faculty - 530692

The University of Alabama • Alabama, AL

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design invites applications for a full-time 9-month, non-tenure track position, at the rank of Instructor in Fashion Design. This position combines undergraduate teaching in the Fashion Design concentration with responsibility for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and continued readiness of the department’s apparel design and production laboratories and industrial equipment. Faculty teach lecture and studio courses (80%) and engage in service to the University and the Community (20%). This role is an on-campus position. Fashion Design at The University of Alabama brings together creativity, craftsmanship, technical knowledge, and human-centered approaches to design. Students learn through making, experimentation, problem solving, and hands-on engagement with materials, processes, technologies, and people. Coursework connects foundational apparel design and construction skills with contemporary approaches including design thinking, co-creation, inclusive and adapted apparel design, emerging technologies, and collaborative design practices. The successful candidate will bring substantial professional apparel industry experience into this learning environment and contribute expertise in areas such as garment construction, flat patternmaking, production design, garment fitting, product development, and apparel manufacturing. Teaching responsibilities will include Fashion Design courses that develop students’ creative, technical, and professional capabilities while helping them understand the complete process of moving an idea from concept through development, fitting, production, and final realization. A significant component of the position is supporting the department’s culture of hands-on learning and making. The Instructor/Lab Technician will operate, service, troubleshoot, maintain, and support industrial sewing machines and related apparel production equipment; assist with preventive maintenance and equipment readiness; and help maintain safe, organized, and functional laboratory environments while supporting laboratory safety procedures for students and faculty. The position will work collaboratively with Fashion Design faculty to support studio instruction, student learning, and the continued development of industry-relevant laboratory experiences. The ideal candidate will value both the creative and technical dimensions of design and understand that effective fashion design requires an integration of ideas, people, materials, processes, craftsmanship, and production.

Requirements

• MFA or MS in Fashion Design, Apparel Design, Clothing and Textiles, or a related design field.
• College-level teaching experience in Fashion Design or closely related apparel design courses.
• Professional experience in the fashion or apparel industry.
• Demonstrated professional expertise in garment construction, sewing techniques, and apparel production methods.
• Professional experience using flat pattern techniques within the apparel industry for an apparel company or apparel brand.
• Professional experience with garment fitting, production design, and apparel production processes.
• Demonstrated experience operating, troubleshooting, servicing, maintaining, and repairing industrial sewing machines and related apparel production equipment.
• Ability to teach undergraduate Fashion Design courses at introductory through advanced levels, particularly in apparel construction, patternmaking, production, and related studio-based courses.
• Demonstrated ability to teach, demonstrate, and communicate technical apparel construction and equipment processes effectively to students.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor students in the development of technical, creative, and professional skills for careers in the apparel industry.

Nice To Haves

• 15–20 years of significant professional fashion design experience in the apparel industry.
• 15–20 years of significant experience servicing and maintaining industrial sewing machines and related apparel production equipment.
• Experience working directly with domestic and overseas garment manufacturers.
• Experience traveling internationally to work with garment manufacturers and production partners.
• Product development experience within the apparel industry, with preference given to luxury brand experience.
• Experience managing apparel products from design development through sampling, fitting, production, and final realization, with preference given to high end product.
• Experience teaching adapted apparel design, inclusive design, human-centered design, co-design, or related approaches to apparel design.
• Experience with draping and advanced patternmaking techniques.
• Experience with industrial cutting, pressing, finishing, or other apparel production equipment.
• Experience maintaining apparel design laboratories, including equipment organization, preventive maintenance, inventory, and laboratory safety.
• Experience using contemporary apparel technologies and digital tools utilized within fashion design, pattern development, technical design, product development, and apparel production.

Responsibilities

• Operate, service, troubleshoot, maintain, and support industrial sewing machines and related apparel production equipment.
• Assist with preventive maintenance and equipment readiness.
• Help maintain safe, organized, and functional laboratory environments.
• Support laboratory safety procedures for students and faculty.
• Work collaboratively with Fashion Design faculty to support studio instruction, student learning, and the continued development of industry-relevant laboratory experiences.
• Teach lecture and studio courses in Fashion Design.
• Engage in service to the University and the Community.

What This Job Offers

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