Lecturer (Teaching and Admin Only) / Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Game Arts and Animation

Te Whare Wānanaga o Waitaha - University of Canterbury is seeking to appoint a permanent, full-time academic staff member in the disciplines of Game Arts and Animation to support the University's new Bachelor of Digital Screen (Honours) undergraduate degree program. The appointment will be made at the rank of Lecturer (Teaching and Admin Only), Lecturer, or Senior Lecturer (equivalent to a tenured Assistant Professor in the North American System), depending on the successful candidate's relevant experience.
The successful candidate will develop courses and contribute to teaching in Game Arts and Animation; engage in and supervise research or creative practice related to Game Arts, Animation, and Digital Screen activities (at Lecturer and Senior Lecturer rank); assist with academic initiatives within the School and the University; and seek external funding to support staff and student research and creative practice.

Mahi Ngātahi - Who You Will Work With

Te Whare Wānanaga o Waitaha - University of Canterbury's new Bachelor of Digital Screen (Honours) program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-faculty educational program, spanning Arts and Engineering. The successful applicant in Game Arts and Animation will be based in Te Kura Hanga Otinga - the School of Product Design under Te Kaupeka Pūhanga - the Faculty of Engineering, alongside the existing Applied Immersive Game Design/Game Development staff.
The Bachelor of Digital Screen (Honours) degree brings together six majors: Animation, Cinematic Arts, Game Arts, Game Development, Screen Sound, and Screen Writing, along with a minor in Indigenous Narrative. The successful candidate for this role will get to work alongside academics from both Arts and Engineering backgrounds, developing courses, teaching, and conducting research and creative work at the intersection of Games, Film, and other Digital Screen media.

Applicants are expected to have at least 10 years industry experience in Game Arts, Animated Production, or a related field, and/or at least a Bachelors degree in a relevant field. A relevant postgraduate qualification may be an advantage. Applicants must show evidence of teaching ability, with experience at the tertiary level preferred, and be able to demonstrate a knowledge of recent developments in research and/or professional practice in Game Arts and Animation. The successful candidate will demonstrate potential for academic excellence in teaching, with a strong commitment to developing excellent courses at undergraduate level. Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams would be an advantage.
For Lecturer and Senior Lecturer rank, the candidate will be expected to show evidence of high quality, peer reviewed and published research and/or creative work and will be either developing (Lecturer) or have an established (Senior Lecturer) portfolio of research and/or creative work. At the rank of Lecturer and Senior Lecturer, evidence of supervision of industry / undergraduate / postgraduate projects, as appropriate given the role, would be expected.
In addition to the above, preferred candidate attributes include:

• Environmental art in a 3D and/or virtual production pipeline for game or film


• Experience with lighting and rendering techniques


• Experience with Visual Effects (Compositing and/or Motion Graphics)


• In-depth knowledge of Animation, Game, VFX and Motion Graphics workflows


• Proficiency with industry standard 3D software (Blender or Maya preferred)


• Experience in the Adobe Creative Suite of products including Photoshop, Premiere and After Effects


• Experience with VFX, Virtual Production, and other aspects of film-making would be advantageous


• Experience with Physics and Dynamics simulations in 3D workflows


• Knowledge of Unity and/or Unreal, especially within art workflows
  
  Ngā Painga o UC - Why UC


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Ngā Uara - Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study.

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Academic Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer (Teaching and Administration Only) $ 66,874- $117,730p.a. ,Lecturer $89,645 - $108,144 p.a. , Senior Lecturer $113,826 - $129,098 p.a.
The closing date for this position is: Sunday 1 September (midnight NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed after the close date., UC has proudly been serving communities in New Zealand and the world for over 150 years.

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The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• relocation support


• widely accessible sabbatical provision


• University and Faculty scholarship support for graduate students


• a unique bequest funded endowment (Erskine fund) that supports an extensive visiting Fellowship programme


• generous annual leave provisions


• flexible working arrangements


• supportive working environment


• professional development and study opportunities


• living in revitalised Ōtautahi - Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand


• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.