Lecturer/Lecturer (Teaching and Administration) in Screenwriting

Te Kaupeka Toi Tangata | Faculty of Arts

Digital Screen

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Develop UC capacity in Digital Screen, in the area of Screenwriting.
• Teach and provide leadership into the Screenwriting Major of the Bachelor of Digital Screen (Honours)
• Permanent, full-time position / part-time (job share) situation, would be considered 

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Pūkenga? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

UC is investing in NZ’s creative economy through building capability, facilities, and technology for the digital screen industry. In the first of its kind in Australasia, UC’s new Digital Screen Campus will provide training for future leaders in film production, game development and cross-reality, helping Aotearoa New Zealand play a key role in the future of digital screen convergence. We are seeking a dynamic individual with academic and industry experience to contribute to the new Bachelor of Digital Screen (Honours), with a particular focus on screenwriting. You will work alongside the Executive Dean of Arts, the Digital Screen Programme Director, and a diverse team of existing lecturers already teaching into the area of storytelling and screenwriting. You will help to roll out our existing curriculum, whilst also developing new courses and qualifications in your area of interest. You will help educate and prepare our students to excel in the digital screen industry, by teaching introductory, intermediate, and advanced classes and supervising senior projects in collaboration with industry partners.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Provide leadership into the development of a new educational discipline in NZ’s creative landscape
• forge connections across the digital screen disciplines, at the frontier of a converging industry
• train students to produce industry standard creative outputs
• deliver exceptional work-ready graduates
• work closely with industry partners 

Mōu | Who You Are

You will have industry experience in screenwriting, with credits in New Zealand and/or international productions. Ideally you will have worked in one or more of the following areas: episodic television, feature film, adaptation of existing IP’s, and script revision. You may also have experience in writing for less traditional screen platforms, including web based, gaming and multi-media. You would ideally also have teaching and research experience in a tertiary education setting. A research degree (MFA, PhD) focusing on an area of screenwriting would be an advantage, although applications will be considered from candidates who may not have such a degree but have relevant equivalent industry experience. Your skills and experience will include:

• Expert knowledge of subject area demonstrated by peer-recognition of creative outputs
• Professional standing in areas of screenwriting, as appropriate to level of experience
• Proven experience at implementing effective teaching methods
• Deep knowledge of the screen writing industry in one or more digital screen disciplines.
• The ability to teach the conceptualisation, development and writing of short film scripts, feature length screenplays, episodic screenwriting, and the adaptation of different IP’s to screen
• The ability to teach the technicalities of screenwriting and screenplay formats to student body from a variety of backgrounds
• Evidence of strong industry relationships is preferred
• An understanding of the digital and emerging screen industries
• knowledge of and growing competence in te reo Māori or other Pacific languages and customs, is an advantage.

Please note, we will consider a job share situation (part-time, 0.5 FTE), where each appointee would teach equal share of one semester each. 

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

Tangata Tū, Tangata Ora -– Engaged, Empowered, Making a Difference. 

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. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

What we offer

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

• Relocation support
• Widely accessible sabbatical provision
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• University and Faculty scholarship support for graduate students
• 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.

For more information on our Benefits, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus/benefits/

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Academic Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer $89,645 - $108,144 p.a., Lecturer (Teaching and Administration) 1.01 $66,874 - 4.04 $117,730.

The closing date for this position is: 15 October 2024 (midnight NZ time)

Please note applications will be reviewed as they are received and interviews may take place before the closing date. 

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted on our careers website and should include the following:

• A cover letter which includes a 2-3 page statement outlining your research interests and goals and teaching philosophy (combined)
• A Resume which includes a list of relevant research publications (combined). 

We do not accept applications by email, however, we are happy to answer any queries at WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz 

For further information specifically about the role, please contact: peter.field@canterbury.ac.nz 

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.