Costume Designer/Costume Shop Supervisor – The College of Wooster

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Job Description:

Location: Wooster, OH Category: Staff Job Type: Full-time Exempt Posted On: Tue Jun 9 2026 Job Description:

The individual has primary responsibility for the costume design or supervision of costume design for two departmental theatre productions, two dance concerts, and assists with costuming in senior thesis productions each year, oversees the daily operations of the costume shop, manages costume construction, fittings, alterations, and supervises student shop workers, labs, and workshops. Teaches one course per year in either Costume Design, Costume History, Costume Construction, Stage Make-up and Wigs, or an area of their specialization.

Essential Departmental Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for costume design for all departmental theatre and dance performances
• Assist with costuming on Senior thesis performances
• Maintenance of the costume shop, dressing room, its facilities, and equipment
• Monitoring of costume inventory
• Assist with balancing production budgets
• Oversee the daily operations of the costume shop and manage costume construction, appointments/fittings, repairs, and alterations.
• Provide guidance and mentor student employees, scholarship recipients, and practicum students.
• The individual also serves, along with the Technical Director, as a liaison between the department and the Ohio Light Opera, specifically in the use of the Freedlander Theatre costume shop, its inventory, and its support facilities.
• The individual's duties also include teaching one course per year, consistent with the individual's areas of expertise and the department's needs. Additional design or teaching responsibilities are to be considered supplemental contracts.
• Attend all the production meetings, department meetings, design presentations, designers' run, dress rehearsals, and opening night of the performance.
• Maintain, clean, organize, and repair costumes used in the production, and consult with the Student Wardrobe Supervisor, Student Stage Manager, and Faculty Director regarding costume issues during the run.
• Execute the cleaning and return of all costume pieces to the stock after the production's Closing.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Education and/or Experience:

• Master of Fine Arts or Master of Arts in Costume Design, Theatre Design, or closely related field.
• Experience in additional related areas, such as makeup design, is highly desirable.
• Experience in costume design, costume construction, and shop management in higher education, including budgeting and safety compliance.
• Teaching experience at the university level and the ability to teach courses (as per department needs) are expected.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Skills:

• Ability to read and analyze, and interpret theatrical scripts, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, financial reports, or government regulations.
• Ability to write reports, speeches, articles, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, executive management, audience members, the general public, and other groups.
• In addition, the ability to define and solve practical problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form with several abstract and concrete variables.

Knowledge:

• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Basic computer skills with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, and Teams.?

Abilities:

• Establish and post clear Costume Shop Safety Guidelines. Ability to always provide adequate supervision and teach students common safety protocols with proper safety training before work begins. This includes the operational use of all machinery (e.g., sewing machines, irons, sergers, cutting tools, etc.). Guaranteeing the use of PPE (personal protective equipment), such as masks and gloves.
• Cultural sensitivity is essential, as well as the need to teach student employees and/or designers the importance of preventing cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and offensive designs. A code of conduct should be established with students/employees on day one, which includes respect for all demonstrated through professional communication, proper handling of materials, sensitive organization and conduct of fittings, and cleanliness of shop and additional facilities, in addition to safety as discussed above.

Additional Information:

The College of Wooster does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex/gender, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, political affiliation, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, disability, age, marital status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy, or by state, local, or federal law. All offers of employment are subject to verification of the legal right to work in the United States as required by federal law. For more information see our nondiscrimination policy. For more information see our nondiscrimination policy.