Job Description:

The Fashion Department seeks a full-time tenure-track faculty member in the Fashion Design, Apparel Area. with design leadership and experience, primarily in the segments of the industry that are using classic heritage skills in draping, pattern making, and sewing techniques with a focus in Sportswear, Knitwear, Intimate Apparel, Special Occasion or Childrenswear.
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned fashion industry senior designer will demonstrate the ability to fluidly drape, pattern and sew intricately designed garments within the specialized classifications must be demonstrable within the candidate's professional background. A particularly well-versed creative senior designer possessing artistry within the aforementioned areas will be particularly well suited for the position.
The successful candidate will be able to readily combine professionally experienced, hands-on traditional techniques while executing original design sketches. The new faculty member will teach core AAS foundational courses and/or one of the BFA specialization areas of Sportswear, Knitwear, Intimate Apparel, Special Occasion and Childrenswear courses will be required.
The successful candidate will possess a thorough knowledge of current successful fashion practices across several methodologies, an understanding of market trends, and an appreciation of emerging technology is also a requirement. The candidate will have extensive foundational knowledge of garment construction and will be able to facilitate students with the draping, patterning, and sewing of their final collections. The candidate will also develop and implement curriculum in collaboration with departmental colleagues, and contribute to the department, school and college in committee service.
It is expected that the selected candidate will establish and/or build upon their personal areas of strength at the time of attaining tenure. Such areas might include, but are not limited to; relevant research, fashion show presentations or exhibitions, curriculum development, grants, proposals, cultivation of industry support, or scholarly/creative work in another area.
Specific competencies sought as related to the position:
Globalism

• Demonstrate ability to work with, support, and maintain productive relationships in multicultural environments, and model inclusive behavior for students and colleagues.
• Demonstrate awareness and understanding of the global nature of today's fashion design industry. and the ability to apply values of sustainable design globally, to the design process, ethically, environmentally, socially, and fiscally responsible.
• Demonstrate awareness of and respect for racial, ethnic, religious, social, and gender diversity, and incorporate this into the pedagogical experience.
• Demonstrate ability to work with, support, and maintain productive relationships in diverse environments, and model inclusive behavior for students and colleagues.

Instructional Design

• Implement an academically rigorous experience by incorporating professional and business practices in classroom learning.
• Develop a variety of assessment methods for student work to capture various learning styles in the classroom.
• Demonstrate ability to deliver a variety of instructional methods including the use of demonstrations and specific project assignments.
• Demonstrate ability to use technology and electronic information to deliver course materials to students.
• Maintain strong connections within the industry to provide currency and to introduce and integrate new methodologies into the curriculum.
• Utilize the college's learning management system to maintain information required for assessment monitoring.
• Incorporate instructional variety to service students of different learning styles, abilities, demographics, and diversity.

Learning Enrichment

• Embrace the role of faculty as facilitators, mentors, and integrators of information and knowledge and demonstrate the ability to support different student learning styles and abilities.
• Demonstrate conceptual development, collection/line building through standard technical and conceptual skill sets for apparel prototype making/creation.
• Demonstrate firsthand knowledge of current and emerging fashion design development, team, and brand building processes with the ability to guide students in implementing these processes.
• Demonstrate ability to synthesize and move seamlessly between conceptual and established hands-on methodologies in the design development process.
• Utilize a variety of instructional delivery methods and demonstrate ability to create learning experiences that foster critical thinking, design thinking, problem-solving and informed design skills, collaboration and teamwork.
• Demonstrate the ability to inspire interest, curiosity, creativity and love of learning in students.
• Demonstrate currency in the industry, including new technology and the ability to incorporate changes into a progressive curriculum.
• Embrace new forms of pedagogy including online teaching, blended classes, workshops, flipped classrooms and experiential learning.

Professionalism

• Demonstrate the ability to effectively represent and communicate with industry supporters and professionals, on behalf of the department and the college.
• Maintain continued engagement and currency in the apparel industry through professional activities, in self-directed scholarly and/or innovative developmental research and/or expression through creative works.
• Demonstrate ability to be responsive to industry changes and/or practices, and technology.
• Maintain active participation and engagement in industry-related activities that inform and enhance the fashion industry through professional networks, organizations, and affiliations.
• Maintain a continued focus on creatively developed and/or scholarly work specific to the discipline.
• Demonstrate the ability to organize and lead departmental committees and initiatives, and to undertake departmental and college service.
• Model professional behavior that prepares students for entry into related fields.
• Maintain and foster a cultivated network of alumni and industry experts who will serve as a resource for internships, mentors, curriculum development, guest speakers and placement opportunities for graduates.

Technology

• Demonstrate knowledge of advancing social media, e-commerce, and other brand positioning innovations, and evolving practices for emerging design and retail practices.
• Utilize course management systems and demonstrate capability and currency in utilizing technology in the classroom/studio and emerging technology for the fashion industry.
• Possess currency and industry-specific technology skills, and demonstrate effective utilization of technology in the fashion industry to deliver course material and convey practical learning experiences to students.
• Demonstrate interest and commitment in areas of emerging technologies in the fashion industry.

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position.
Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum six (6) years of senior-level professional fashion designer experience in the fashion industry.
• Presentation of a cohesive fashion portfolio showcasing professional work inclusive of relevant press and/or industry acknowledgements.
• Affiliation with professional organizations within the industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Three (3) years or more college-level teaching.
• Additional years of professional background and experience

Additional Information:

Please note, all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.
Salary
The final starting salary and appointment rank will be based on education level and cumulative experience; Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Salary Schedules pg. 72.
Instructor: $59,673- $69,524
Assistant Professor: $69,475- $102,388
Associate Professor: $81,317- $122,427
Professor: $99,159- $149,217
The College reserves the right to select one or more candidates after having been duly reviewed and presented to the President in conformance with the provisions of Article 15 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Benefits
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage.
Pay Equity by State Employers
Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.
Visa Sponsorship
This position is eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. By providing a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability, the FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military service status, genetic information, pregnancy, familial status, citizenship status (except as required to comply with law), or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212 217.3360, titleix@fitnyc.edu.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements
This position will be required to constantly read and comprehend, occasionally perform calculations, constantly verbally communicate, frequently analyze, and constantly write. The working conditions for this position will be any combination of the classroom, lab, and/or office space. Certain roles may be required to handle machinery and chemicals. The physical requirement for this position will require occasional sitting, constant standing, occasional bending, frequent walking, and occasional lifting 10 lbs. or less.
Application Instructions:

In order to considered for this position, please submit the following documents online:

• Letter of interest clearly indicating your qualifications for the position
• Curriculum Vitae
• Unofficial Transcript*
• A minimum of three professional references, including their names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contact information.
• A digital portfolio in PDF format (less than 10 MB) with examples of fashion design (e.g. images of looks/samples, garment sketches, and examples of 3D work) or URL to a professional portfolio website.
• A PDF (less than 10 MB) of your press kit or look book.

Candidates whose applications are accepted will be contacted by the search committee and will be requested to then submit the following:

• A PDF professional portfolio with five (5) additional samples of recent fashion design work (fashion sketches, 3D garment visuals and/or videos, and/or technical design packages).
• The search committee may assign select candidates a skills assessment project/test.
• A demonstration/teaching lesson is part of the interview/application process for finalists.

*Official transcripts are required within the first 30 days of hire. Applicants with foreign degrees must submit a completed credential evaluation comparing their foreign academic accomplishments to standards in the U.S.
Returning Applicants - Login to your FITNYC Careers Account to check your submitted application materials.
This faculty position will begin Fall 2024. Review of applications will commence in Fall 2023 and continue until the position is filled, or until April 2024.
Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact each applicant individually regarding his or her application status.
Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: www.fitnyc.edu.