Assistant Professor of Choral Studies / Director of Choral Activities Wayne State University is searching for an experiencedAssistant Professor of Choral Studies / Director of Choral Activitiesat its Detroit campus location. Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society. Essential functions (job duties): Located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, Wayne State University is seeking a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities in the Department of Music. Detroit is a city of musical invention and reinvention, and home to a broad array of cultural communities. The ideal candidate will have strategies to contribute to these aspects of our city by fostering innovation and promoting community collaboration. They would also be equipped to celebrate and add to the city’s vibrant choral tradition, which includes many professional and community choruses. The choral program at Wayne State has been a vital part of this tradition as well, and we are committed not only to maintaining it, but to strengthening our leadership role in Detroit’s arts community. Wayne State Music collaborates with numerous world-renowned organizations (including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Opera, and the Detroit Jazz Festival) while championing new music and exploring a wide range of musical styles. The successful candidate will serve as Director of Choral Studies in the Department of Music, conducting concert choral ensembles and teaching in other areas of the department that connect to the candidate’s research/creative expertise. The candidate will develop a program of research/creative activity commensurate with Wayne State University’s designation as a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) institution. The candidate will also participate in department committees, activities, and other service assignments. MUSIC AT WAYNE STATE: The university is investing heavily in the Department of Music and the performing arts, having recently completed a $65 million complex that houses the Hilberry Gateway, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, and our own underground jazz club, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s. The university has a long-standing relationship with the Detroit Jazz Festival (300,000+ in-person attendees) with students and faculty on full display for the annual Labor Day weekend festivity, while our various student and professional concert series attract a diverse audience member from around the region. The Department of Music also participates in innovative community programming such as workshops for K-12 students and educators. In recent years, the university has bestowed honorary doctorates to Detroit music luminaries such as Neeme Järvi, Stevie Wonder, Sixto Rodriguez, and Jack White. When compared to other higher education institutions, Wayne State has a distinct competitive advantage: There is no other public research university in the country positioned in the middle of a city, serving the city, creating and continuing to shape American culture as its core identity. THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY: Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, the university seeks to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community. We are a university of access and opportunity, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. Financial aid avenues that help support this commitment are the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Wayne State Guarantee (a tuition-free program open to all Pell Grant-eligible Michigan residents, as well as most families that earn less than $80,000) for first time students, and Michigan Reconnect for transfer pathways. In addition, the Detroit Promise award ensures any eligible Detroit-resident student graduating from a high school in the city will have a tuition-free path to a bachelor's degree. The Department of Music is one of four departments in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; the other constituent units are the Department of Communication, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design. The college offers 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and three graduate certificate programs. It is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields. From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards. Wayne State University is a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) university enrolling 24,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Wayne State’s immediate neighbors in our Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Opera. The vibrant Midtown and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from the Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres. Qualifications: We seek an exceptional teacher and scholar of choral music. We require an appropriate terminal degree in conducting or a closely related field by the position start date, or the equivalent professional experience; evidence of teaching excellence; experience conducting choral ensembles of various levels of expertise, size, and composition; and demonstrated potential for success in research/creative activities. A letter of application, curriculum vitae, and a list of five references (including names, addresses and contact information) must be submitted through Wayne Talent at https://jobs.wayne.edu. The deadline for applications to be considered is May 4, 2025; the search committee will review applications as they arrive. The position begins on August 18, 2025. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Preferred qualifications: The preferred candidate will have musical experience that would fit Detroit’s diverse cultural landscape, including in Black American musics and choral/orchestral repertoire; innovative approaches to choral singing and repertoire; experience with range-specific choirs (Men's Glee, etc.); university teaching and conducting experience; innovative strategies for choral and voice recruitment; experience collaborating with professional and community organizations (orchestras, opera companies, community choirs) and engagement of community members; and a record of research and/or creative accomplishment. School/College/Division: H04 - Fine & Performing Arts Primary department: H0404 - Music Employment type: + Regular Employee + Job type: Full Time + Job category: Academic/Faculty Funding/salary information: + Compensation type: Annual Salary + Salary minimum: TBD + Salary hire maximum: TBD Working conditions: This position must be filled pursuant to the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, and as such may be filled by a qualified bargaining unit member, should one apply. Job openings: + Number of openings: 1 Background check requirements: University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.