Careers at Virginia Tech

The School of Visual Arts (SOVA) at Virginia Tech (https://www.sova.vt.edu) invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Practice, Visual Arts & Entrepreneurship, with a start date of August 2026. The ideal hire will complement the current faculty within SOVA in the area of professional and career development for visual art students. The successful candidate will have innovative professional experience matched by a deep commitment to connecting students to professional success in today's creative economy, both pre- and post- graduation. This position requires someone who can help students build both the technical and transferrable skills that prepare them for a wide range of creative careers. The successful candidate will guide students in understanding how to translate their artistic and design studies into successful linear or nonlinear career paths.

This is a full-time, 9-month , non-tenure-track position with an initial term of three years and the possibility of renewal and promotion. Teaching responsibilities will be in Fall and Spring . The Professor of Practice series at Virginia Tech are faculty who are successful professionals and effective teachers in their field. They bring current industry and field know ledge into the classroom, helping students gain the practical and transferrable skills needed to succeed in their discipline. Professors of Practice are expected to remain professionally active through teaching, consulting, outreach, and participation in professional societies and associations.

Key Responsibilities and expectations of the position include:
• Teach the typical load of three courses per semester, depending on research and service commitments, supporting undergraduate/graduate students across studio art, creative technologies, graphic design, and art history develop financially sustainable models to pursue their creative endeavors
• Develop courses and curricula connecting visual arts practice and research with today’s evolving job market, including continued development of the existing "Professional Studio Practices” course
• Teach additional courses in support of SOVA’s curriculum related to experience and skillset
• Mentor students in professional practices, including understanding the entrepreneurial and practical skills needed to pursue career paths in the creative economy
• Create and manage initiatives that support students in securing internships, residencies, fellowships, and employment post-graduation
• Build relationships with local and regional arts and design organizations, businesses, and workforce development agencies to create experiential learning and internship opportunities across these sectors
• Participate in departmental service activities, particularly those related to recruitment, outreach, and alumni relations

About the School of Visual Arts:
SOVA is housed within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) at Virginia Tech, a comprehensive land grant research university in Blacksburg, Virginia. SOVA has approximately 300 undergraduate majors within four areas (Graphic Design, Creative Technologies, Studio Art, and Art History). SOVA prepares students to enter professions and graduate programs in the visual arts, design, and visual culture. As a comprehensive land-grant university, we encourage students and faculty to collaborate across disciplines to train the whole person.

• MFA, PhD., or other terminal degree in visual arts , design or a related discipline
• A strong record of professional practice and demonstrated experience in creative industries, arts entrepreneurship, etc.
• Demonstrated success connecting creative practitioners with diverse career opportunities
• Strong networking abilities, and experience building professional partnerships
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a commitment to fostering a supportive and collaborative environment
• Ability to work collaboratively within the School of Visual Arts, and across departments at Virginia Tech

· Experience managing internship programs, or running career-focused programming
· Established professional connections in creative industries
· Demonstrated success in grant writing, fundraising, or industry partnerships in the arts/design
· Teaching experience at the post-secondary level
· Evidence of successful curriculum development and innovative pedagogical approaches

For full consideration, interested applicants should kindly submit the following:

• A letter of intent including the candidate’s proven experience and the potential capacity to fulfill duties and responsibilities (required and preferred qualifications listed above).
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Portfolio demonstrating professional practice in creative fields. This may include practice in arts entrepreneurship, developing creative business strategies, grants and arts funding, coordinating residencies or incubators/alternative schools, social practice, or launching ventures in areas of studio art, graphic design, creative technologies, or art history.
• Statement of professional practice philosophy. Include how this applies to teaching, mentoring, and skill-building in a learning environment, including examples of how your career experience and portfolio work inform your approach.
• A one-page personal statement of teaching philosophy including the candidate's ideas for supporting an educational environment consistent with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community.
• Three references (names and contact information only).

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

Salary range is $60,000 - $70,000 per year

40 +

January 5, 2026 - Review of submissions will commence on this date and continue until position is filled

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.