Assistant Professor of Film and Digital Arts at University of New Mexico – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Requisition ID: req34866

Working Title:
Assistant Professor of Film and Digital Arts

Position Summary:
The Department of Film and Digital Arts at the University of New Mexico, College of Fine Arts, invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor position in Film and Digital Arts.

• Position begins in August 2026.

• Teaching responsibilities will include foundational and advanced studio courses in a wide range of production approaches and aesthetics.

• We are especially interested in candidates with expertise and teaching experience related to traditional narrative film and television production, and 3D animation.

• Starting salary is $62,400. UNM offers parental leave, tuition for partners and dependent children, and internal grant competitions on an LGBTQ+ friendly campus where academic freedom is valued.

Film and Digital Arts offers degrees and concentrations in Film Production, Animation, Gaming, and Film History and Criticism. Our emphasis on screenwriting, cinematography, producing, and directing prepares students to lead and influence the creative process. We also provide a firm foundation in essential crew skills, ensuring that our graduates are ready to work in any team-based creative environment. Enrollment in the department is large, with 716 majors and pre-majors registered in Fall 2025. Our alumni enjoy success at renowned institutions such as Lucasfilm, Industrial Light and Magic, Google, Netflix, Meow Wolf, and Warner Bros. Many are instrumental in the growth of New Mexico's thriving film industry, home of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and many others. Cultivating art and artists whose presence is often underrepresented, our faculty supports students from the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and beyond in a collegial department where intellectual inquiry meets experimentation.

Famous for the unique light and landscape that attract artists and scholars from around the globe, New Mexico is ranked as a "film hotspot" by the Hollywood Reporter. For the past seven years, Moviemaker magazine named Albuquerque as one of the best places for filmmakers to live and work in the United States. Netflix adopted the city as its only U.S. production hub, and NBC Universal opened studio space downtown. Albuquerque sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. Many peoples enrich the geographically stunning landscape with their histories, arts and sciences, languages, and cultural values. UNM is a large "majority minority" state school with a faculty of over 3,000 serving approximately 22,000 students.

Please note: On September 19, 2025, an Executive Proclamation was issued wherein, for certain H-1B sponsorships, employers would be required to submit a $100,000 payment in order for such sponsorships to be considered (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers/). Due to budgetary constraints, the Department of Film and Digital Arts at the University of New Mexico is unable to select finalists for this position who will require sponsorship for employment authorization that will require expenditure of the $100,000 payment.
Campus:
Main - Albuquerque, NM

Benefits Eligble:
The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for more information.

Department:
Film and Digital Arts (568A)

Employment Type:
Faculty

Faculty Type:
Tenure/Tenure-Track
Hiring Department:
College of Fine Arts

Academic Location:
Film and Digital Arts (568A)
Benefits Eligible:
The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for more information.
For Best Consideration Date:
For best consideration, please apply by 11/17/2025. This position will remain open until filled.Minimum Qualifications: M.F.A. or Ph.D. in digital production/moving image art or related interdisciplinary field by start date of appointment.

If selected for the position, you will need to provide official certification of successful completion of all degree requirements as a minimum qualification for this position prior to your initial employment with UNM.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Expertise and/or teaching experience in two or more of the following fields: directing, cinematography, screenwriting, producing, digital post-production, production design, sound, gaming, and animation. We are especially interested in traditional narrative film and television production, and 3D animation.

2. Record of teaching introductory and advanced studio courses in a wide range of production approaches and aesthetics.

3. Compelling creative work in relevant fields.

4. A demonstrated commitment to cultivate an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of New Mexico and to the success of the university's mission to serve local and global communities.