Assistant Professor of Narrative Film and Media Production – University of California, Santa Cruz

Assistant Professor of Narrative Film and Media Production – University of California, Santa Cruz

• Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz)

• Academic Unit / Department: Department of Film & Digital Media, Arts Division

• Job Reference / Requisition ID: JPF02112

• Appointment Type: Full-Time, Tenure-Track

• Academic Rank / Level: Assistant Professor

• Salary / Remuneration: USD $100,000–$125,000 estimated, commensurate with qualifications and experience

• Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA

• Application Deadline: June 30, 2027, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Next Review Date: November 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• Anticipated Start: July 1, 2027

📋 Overview of Role

The Department of Film & Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Narrative Film and Media Production. The department seeks candidates with an active and sustained creative practice in narrative form, particularly in moving image media, production, and exhibition.

The successful candidate will contribute to the department’s production curriculum while bringing expertise that may bridge narrative and documentary practices, community-based methods, emerging technologies, and interactive, participatory, or immersive media.

🎯 Key Responsibilities & Teaching Scope

• Teach core and advanced camera-based production courses across undergraduate, M.F.A., and Ph.D. programs.

• Teach areas including screenwriting, working with actors, cinematography, editing, sound design, and production workflows.

• Support narrative-oriented workflows spanning preproduction, production, and postproduction.

• Maintain an active creative research practice with a record of exhibition in festival, theatrical, streaming, or broadcast contexts.

• Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students.

• Participate in faculty governance and administrative service at departmental, college, and university levels.

• Faculty are expected to deliver the equivalent of four five-unit courses per academic year.

🎓 Qualifications & Candidate Profile

• Required Education: M.F.A. or equivalent foreign degree in film and media production.

• Alternative Qualification: Six years of creative experience in camera-based film and media production, or a portfolio consisting of at least three short films or one feature film in which the applicant held a primary creative role.

• Experience & Specializations: Demonstrated record of creative practice and/or scholarship in camera-based film and media production.

• Teaching Experience: Evidence of teaching film and media production through academic classrooms, industry-focused workshops, or film labs.

• Additional Strengths: Candidates whose work bridges narrative and documentary practices, collaborative/community-based methods, or emerging production technologies are particularly encouraged.

💼 Remuneration & Benefits

• Estimated Salary: USD $100,000–$125,000 on a nine-month academic-year basis, depending on qualifications and experience.

• UC Santa Cruz offers a competitive employee benefits package and programs supporting work/life balance.

• The university sponsors employment-based visas for eligible nonresident academic appointees.

📄 Application Checklist & Required Documents

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

2. Cover Letter

3. Statement of Teaching

4. Creative Practice and Research Statement

5. Two Sample Course Syllabi — required

6. Two Sample Camera-Based Audiovisual Works — required

7. Optional additional course syllabi and audiovisual works

8. 3–5 Letters of Reference submitted confidentially through the UC Recruit System.

📬 Application Process

• 🔗 Application Link: https://recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF02112

• 📧 Contact / Enquiries: asbeauch@ucsc.edu

• 📅 Next Review: November 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• 📅 Final Deadline: June 30, 2027, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

• 📌 Applications must be submitted as PDF documents through the UCSC Academic Recruit system.

🌐 Official Website / Domain: https://ucsc.edu/