Lecturer/Costume Shop Manager

UMass Amherst•Amherst, NY

12d•$65,550 - $81,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Theater at the University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a full-time, non-tenure-track Lecturer who will serve as Costume Shop Manager. This is a nine-month appointment, initially for two years, with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2027. Reappointments during the first four years are at the Dean’s discretion and depend on satisfactory performance and funding availability. The initial teaching load is 1-1 to balance the position’s administrative, supervisory, and production duties. The Costume Shop Manager oversees shop operations in support of Department of Theater productions and teaches and develops courses in costume technology. The role works closely with costume design faculty, professional costume staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and other departmental colleagues. Responsibilities span costume construction and alterations, fittings, wardrobe support, costume stock, equipment maintenance, and costume lending. The position also trains and supervises student employees, instructs students in costume construction and professional theater practices, and supervises graduate students teaching costume technology courses. The Lecturer teaches approximately one costume technology course per semester and develops a rotating set of courses that may include draping, pattern making, basic tailoring, and other foundational costume construction and craft practices. Courses respond to departmental and interdisciplinary curricular needs and serve students in Theater, Fashion Design, Fashion Studies, and related disciplines. The position calls for independent judgment, organization, collaboration, and a student-centered, mentorship-based approach to teaching and learning.

Requirements

Master of Fine Arts or other terminal degree in Costume Technology, Costume Design, Fashion Design, or a related field.
Professional experience in costume construction, draping, pattern drafting, fittings, and wardrobe management.
Teaching experience in costume construction or costume technology at the secondary or collegiate level.
Strong organizational, communication, and collaborative skills.
Experience supervising employees, students, volunteers, or production crews.
Experience managing theater production costume budgets, inventories, rentals, and shop operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with wigs, hair styling, and makeup.
Proficiency in one or more specialty areas, including millinery, tailoring, textile paint or dye, draping, flat pattern making, costume crafts, or wardrobe.
Active engagement with professional organizations, industry networks, and individual practitioners.

Responsibilities

Work with designers to interpret designs and participate in costume realization, including pattern drafting, draping, craft and construction, alterations, fittings, and complex builds.
Manage daily costume shop operations in collaboration with the Assistant Costume Shop Manager, promoting an organized, accessible, collaborative, and inclusive environment.
Ensure compliance with safety procedures and maintain a safe working environment.
Manage costume production budgets, including planning, allocating, monitoring, and reconciling expenditures for materials, rentals, equipment, and other production needs.
Oversee costume stock and equipment, including maintenance, inventory, and post-production cleaning, repair, and documentation.
Train, supervise, and mentor students in costume construction, pattern alteration, fitting techniques, machine operation, wardrobe procedures, costume maintenance, and other production practices.
Attend production and departmental meetings and collaborate with faculty and staff on educational activities related to costume technology and production practices.
Develop costume technology courses; revise course materials and assignments; evaluate student learning and provide constructive feedback; and collaborate on curriculum development and interdisciplinary teaching opportunities.
Teach a 1-1 course load, approximately one costume technology course per semester.
Supervise graduate students teaching costume technology courses.
Participate in departmental governance and administrative activities related to the broader work of the Department of Theater.