Costume Shop Director, UCI Arts

About the role

The Costume Shop Director manages the costume shop for UCI Arts in a fast-paced, multi-venue, multi-production environment. The position oversees the planning, construction, alteration, pulling, rental, purchasing, maintenance, and inventory of costumes, wigs, makeup, crafts, accessories, and related costume elements for productions and events.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the planning, construction, alteration, pulling, rental, purchasing, maintenance, and inventory of costumes, wigs, makeup, crafts, accessories, and related costume elements for productions and events.
• Supervise costume shop staff, overhire, student employees, and assigned student crews.
• Cook up costume production schedules.
• Manage costume budgets and purchasing.
• Maintain safe shop practices.
• Collaborate with designers, directors, choreographers, faculty, stage management, and Production Management to support the artistic, academic, and operational needs of UCI Arts.

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge of costume design, construction techniques, fitting practices, alterations, wardrobe processes, and historical costume construction.
• Demonstrated knowledge of costume materials and equipment, including fabrics, notions, craft supplies, dyes, adhesives, industrial and domestic sewing machines, steam irons, cutting tools, dress forms, and related costume shop equipment.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising staff student workers, and/or overhire, including organizing workflow, delegating responsibility, assigning work, training, scheduling, and supporting performance management.
• Good knowledge and skills in financial and personnel administration, including budget tracking, purchasing, rentals, payroll/labor tracking, reconciliation, inventory, and compliance.
• Demonstrated experience in theatrical cutting, draping, stitching, alterations, dyeing, crafts, and/or costume production in a fast-paced, multi-production environment.
• Knowledge of standard safety procedures as outlined by university and OSHA guidelines.
• Ability to determine, implement, instruct and maintain safety in the Costume Shop.
• Ability to set priorities, organize work, manage competing deadlines, and coordinate costume shop workflow across multiple productions, venues, fittings, rehearsals, and production calendars.
• Ability to train and supervise students in costume shop practices, safety, equipment use, production responsibilities, and appropriate professional standards in an academic production environment.
• Good verbal and interpersonal communication skills to communicate complex instructions and information to students, staff, faculty, designers, directors, choreographers, stage management, Production Management, and other constituencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• 4-6 years Costume shop management.

Skills

• Costume design
• Construction techniques
• Fitting practices
• Alterations
• Wardrobe processes
• Historical costume construction
• Costume materials and equipment
• Financial and personnel administration
• Threading
• Stitching
• Alterations
• Dyeing
• Crafts
• Costume production
• Safety procedures
• Workshop organization
• Student supervision
• Communication

Benefits

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

Pay

The estimated budgeted range for this role is $65,700 - $90,400.

Conditions of Employment

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment
• Misconduct Disclosure Requirement