The Department of Theatre at The University of South Dakota invites applications for a nine-month tenure-track position in costume design and technology to commence August 2026. The successful candidate will teach in the BFA and MFA Design and Technology programs; serve as a costume, make-up, and hair designer; as costume, make-up, and hair design advisor for departmental productions; and work with the Costume Shop Manager. Teaching responsibilities include, but are not limited to, costume design, introduction to theatre, costume history, construction, crafts, dyeing, and make up. Experience in both hand and digital rendering techniques across different platforms is desirable. Design experience for dance will be viewed favorably. Other responsibilities include active participation in service to the department/university, BFA and MFA recruitment, ongoing research/creative scholarship, and professional accomplishments. As part of a normal workload, you may be asked to teach online courses. Candidates who have experience working with a wide range of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds, and who can contribute to the climate of understanding are encouraged to apply.
Review of applications will begin Oct. 15th, and will continue until the position is filled. $48,000-$53,000 DOQ.
The USD Theatre Department is comprised of ten faculty that serve eighty-five theatre majors in a program that offers the BFA in Acting, Musical Theatre, Design and Technology, and Theatre Studies, as well as the MFA degree with specializations in directing and in design/technology with emphases in scene design, lighting/sound design, costume design, and technical theatre. The University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and is affiliated with the Black Hills Playhouse, a 79-year-old summer stock theatre located in Custer State Park, and the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival which provides free Shakespeare in the park in Vermillion.
Questions, contact:
Amanda Lynch
Costume Search Committee
Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts
The University of South Dakota
414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
605-658-3445
Amanda.Lynch@usd.edu
MFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Costume Design is required; PhD with appropriate training and experience may be considered. Two years of teaching costume design and technologies in higher education and ongoing professional credits in costume design is preferred.
Applications will only be accepted on-line at https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu. Include on the website a letter of application, curriculum vitae with a link to your website and/or your digital portfolio, statement of teaching philosophy, and the names and phone numbers of three current references. Sponsorship is not available for this position.