Entry Level Architectural Associate Jobs

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Visual and Performing Arts

Department: 100005 - Art Design and Art History

Pay Band: N/A

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $65,000-$67,000

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 12/14/2026

About JMU:

Mission

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision

To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are

Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

James Madison University's School of Art, Design, and Art History is seeking a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Architectural Design for our Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program in Architectural Design. The position is a full-time, 10-month academic appointment. The successful candidate will have an appointment starting August 10, 2027 teaching architectural design studios and lecture/seminar classes. We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic candidate who will engage with a collaborative community, encourage independent thought and creativity, embrace cultural expression, and promote excellence in the making, practice, and comprehension of architectural design.

School of Art, Design, and Art History Overview:

Our dynamic, energetic, and engaging School of Art Design and Art History employs nearly 60 full-time and part-time faculty and staff serving approximately over 620 full-time majors enrolled in B.A., B.S., B.F.A., and M.F.A., degree programs, including Studio Art, Graphic Design, Architectural Design, Industrial Design, and Art History, with Art Education certification, and minors in Art, Art History, Book Arts, and Illustration. The school also offers the Master of Fine Arts degree, a nationally ranked program by U.S. News and World Report. SADAH’s mission is to collaborate as creators and scholars to advance independent thought through rigorous practice and research. For information about the SADAH, please visit www.jmu.edu/art.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The candidate needs to be qualified to teach courses in materials, representation, visualization, and digital techniques, as well as architectural history and theory relevant to contemporary architectural design. Knowledge of contemporary global issues and practices in design is essential. The candidate will employ skills ranging from research, craft, hand-drawing, software proficiency, and digital and analog fabrication processes with a concentration on hybrid techniques. In addition, the role of mentorship to undergraduate students is expected along with service to the design profession and academic community at JMU. Alongside teaching, other duties will require curriculum development, advising, and active participation in departmental and college-wide service initiatives.

We invite candidates committed to contributing to the development and direction of our growing program. Candidates are encouraged to visit the Architectural Design web page at https://www.jmu.edu/artandarthistory/programs/architectural-design.shtml and our Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jmuarcd/ for more information about our program.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• At minimum, a graduate degree in architecture, related creative field, or equivalent international terminal degree in architecture.
• An active body of scholarly work and/or creative design practice that demonstrates quality and distinction in the candidate's field of work or practice.
• Engagement and curiosity of haptic and phenomenal inquiry.
• Software proficiency (e.g., Rhino, Revit, Adobe Suite, etc.).
• Demonstrated commitment towards building a respectful scholarly environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Teaching experience at the undergraduate level including design studios, electives, and technical or theoretical seminars.
• Demonstrated versatility with contemporary design technologies and architectural theory, with the ability to adapt to evolving curricular needs.
• Undergraduate degree in architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to curriculum development.
• Capacity to advocate and collaborate with students, faculty, and staff.
• Professional licensure or progress toward licensure.

Additional Posting Information:

The completed application will consist of:

• Cover Letter, in which applicants are encouraged to discuss their research or creative practice, teaching experience, and how they have contributed—or hope to contribute—to the classroom, program, and university community.
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Curriculum Vita
• PDF Portfolio of NO MORE than 15 pages that includes examples of student/teaching work as well as professional/academic/research work as applicable to applicant’s experience (total file size limit: 399MB)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Overview:

With over 100 full-time faculty and 1200 full-time majors, the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) brings together the Schools of Art, Design, and Art History (SADAH), Music (SOM), and Theater and Dance (STAD). CVPA also houses the Office of Creative Propulsion, which is focused on integrative arts—bridging gaps across disciplines and between the university and the community. Our core mission is to support collaboration in the arts: across disciplinary barriers, between students and faculty, between university and industry, and beyond. We help coordinate the Integrative Arts Faculty Cohort in developing cross-disciplinary research and coursework and support all faculty and students in CVPA in their inter- and trans-disciplinary projects.

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.