Demo

Costume Director

Arena Stage
Washington, DC Full Time
POSTED ON 9/27/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 9/26/2030

WHO WE ARE

Arena Stage is the voice of American theater resident in our nation's capital. Focused on American artists, our productions are innovative and representative of stories from across the country. We nurture new plays and reimagine classics. We celebrate our democracy and diversity through a multitude of voices in our productions and community engagement programs to inspire people to action.

WHAT WE VALUE

A work culture that values experimentation and collaboration.

Excellence in all aspects of our endeavor.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion throughout the Organization and within our audience and the community.

Community Service through education and public engagement.

Lead effective partnerships and collaboration to serve artists and arts professionals.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Hire, train, evaluate and supervise costume and wig personnel. Oversee the process of the production of the costumes from design to completion as well as wardrobe personnel and maintenance

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

  • 5 years of costume management experience
  • Excellent knowledge of design techniques, techniques of execution, and crafts, knowledge of costume history
  • Excellent communication skills, excellent organizational skills, basic accounting
  • MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and basic internet
  • Licensed driver
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Responsible for the overall planning, execution and maintenance of the costume shop and wardrobe department
  • With assistance from the Senior Production Manager, identify staff requirements and engagement of same
  • Responsible to the designers for delivering the costumes as designed within the resources available
  • Determine scheduling and staffing costume shop and wardrobe
  • Develop build, shopping and pulling schedules
  • Responsible for the swatching, and acquisition of materials
  • Assign draper tasks
  • Schedule fittings and hair appointments
  • Where necessary, identify third parties for outsourcing costume builds and coordinate fitting and delivery schedules
  • Coordinate hair and makeup requirements
  • Responsible for budget breakdown and budget management of the costume shop and wardrobe
  • Coordinate advance photo shoots and costume rentals
  • Coordinate the dry-cleaning requirements for the wardrobe/costume shop
  • When necessary, provide mentoring and supervision for fellows and interns
  • Attend production meetings, department heads, and other meetings as required
  • Provide support as possible for costume displays and other special projects for marketing and development.

The Washington Drama Society, Inc., Arena Stage does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at hr@arenastage.org or call 202-488-3300.

Salary : $78,000 - $88,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Costume Director?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Costume Director career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$72,051 - $89,364
Income Estimation: 
$90,738 - $114,279
Income Estimation: 
$132,976 - $201,974
Income Estimation: 
$106,129 - $145,100
Income Estimation: 
$121,512 - $169,501
Income Estimation: 
$114,907 - $150,919
Income Estimation: 
$156,288 - $210,152
Income Estimation: 
$132,976 - $201,974
Income Estimation: 
$114,819 - $159,031
Income Estimation: 
$157,188 - $220,805
Income Estimation: 
$90,738 - $114,279
Income Estimation: 
$113,831 - $142,748
Income Estimation: 
$132,976 - $201,974
Income Estimation: 
$106,129 - $145,100
Income Estimation: 
$121,512 - $169,501
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Arena Stage

Arena Stage
Hired Organization Address Washington, DC Full Time
WHO WE ARE Arena Stage is the voice of American theater resident in our nation's capital. Focused on American artists, o...
Arena Stage
Hired Organization Address Washington, DC Full Time
WHO WE ARE Arena Stage is the voice of American theater resident in our nation's capital. Focused on American artists, o...
Arena Stage
Hired Organization Address Washington, DC Part Time
Overview: The successful candidate for the Sales & Audience Services Associate role at Arena Stage will be at the forefr...

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Costume Director jobs in the Washington, DC area that may be a better fit.

Costume Director

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Washington, DC

Podiatrist

Medical Director Services PC, Washington, DC

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!