Adjunct Lighting Designer/Tech Teaching Artist - Temporary position

Organization Overview

Vertex Partnership Academies is a public charter International Baccalaureate World High School with a classical core in the heart of the Bronx. 

Our mission is to provide students with pathways for upward mobility while preparing them for the responsibilities of self-governance in a democratic republic. Everything we do is rooted in the four cardinal virtues: courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom. 

Our Lower Academy curriculum is designed to teach timeless truths in pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful. All students train in the seven classical liberal arts of the Trivium and Quadrivium, with explicit instruction and practice of logic, grammar, and rhetoric, choose between Spanish and Latin, and trace the development of the Western Tradition.

Our Upper Academy provides students with rich options equal in rigor and stature: a Humanities-focused pathway with AP courses, or three different International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme pathways: Biomedical Science, Computer Science and Cybersecurity, and Montessori Early Childhood Education, all of which have real-world partners and result in an industry credential.

At Vertex, our students have agency. Each day, they make choices about the kind of people they want to become, the lives they want to lead, and the society they want to build. It’s our sacred duty to equip them with the knowledge most worth having, to sharpen their critical thinking, and to create a space where they grapple with diverse viewpoints, express cogent arguments, and engage in democratic discourse.

Position Summary

The Lighting Designer/ Tech (Adjunct Faculty) will provide design and technical lighting support  for Vertex’s production of In the Heights. The Lighting Designer/ Tech will coordinate the lighting design, hang and focus, program cues, and support students to effectively and safely set up and use the lighting system.  The Lighting Designer/Tech will support running lights for all technical rehearsals and performances for In the Heights. This position supports student learning through structured sound instruction, rehearsal facilitation, and collaboration with the production team. The role is temporary and instructional in nature, aligned to the musical’s rehearsal and performance schedule.

Key Responsibilities

• Support students with lighting design, programming, and running of lighting cues for Vertex’s production of In the Heights. 
• Plan and teach students to properly set up and run lighting system for the Vertex theater productions 
• Provide direct instruction to students to develop, program and run lighting cues for Vertex theater productions
• Integrate current LED lighting system to support lighting needs for Vertex theater productions
• Collaborate with the In the Height’s director, music staff, and production team to ensure alignment with instructional and artistic goals
• Maintain a safe, inclusive, and professional learning environment during rehearsals
• Adhere to school policies, schedules, and supervision expectations
• Attend rehearsals and performances as required during the appointment term

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field preferred
• Demonstrated experience with lighting design and technical lighting  production for musical theater performances
• Experience working with students in an educational or teaching-artist capacity
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to differentiate instruction to support varying student skill levels
• Must be eligible to work as a DOE-registered teaching artist (fingerprints and background check on file or eligible)
• Professional performance experience in sound tech/design preferred

Supervision & EvaluationThe Lighting Designer/Tech will work in collaboration with the Arts & Athletics Department under the supervision of the department chair. Performance will be evaluated based on professionalism, instructional effectiveness, and contribution to the successful execution of the spring musical.

Compensation

This is a temporary, stipend position with a term date of January 2026 - March 2026.   The stipend for this position is $2,500. 

Physical Requirements

This role may require lifting and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted, including assisting coworkers when needed. Requires frequent bending, reaching, repetitive hand movements, standing, walking, squatting, sitting, and looking at a computer screen for long periods at a time.

EEO Statement

Vertex Partnership Academies provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment; including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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