OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create.
OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.
It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.
The Faculty of Design invites applications for the following anticipated course offerings in the Fall 2026-27 academic year:
Foundation-level Observational and Conceptual Illustration Courses
Fall Semester: September 9th, 2026 – December 8th, 2026
RESPONSIBILITIES: Teaching and teaching-related responsibilities may include but are not limited to: course outline development, studio preparation and delivery inclusive of lectures, critiques, grading, mid-term evaluations and final evaluations/reviews, participation in Faculty and program meetings; including responsibility for health & safety and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines.
QUALIFICATIONS:
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The successful applicant will possess a terminal degree in art, design, or a related discipline, and/or equivalent professional experience.
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Experience teaching at the post-secondary level is considered an asset; equivalent relevant professional experience will also be considered.
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Outstanding interpersonal, communication, and collaborative skills.
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Demonstrated leadership and experience fostering respectful, inclusive, and equitable learning and working environments for students, teaching assistants, staff, and faculty.
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Active professional studio practice demonstrating excellence in observational drawing and analogue media-based artmaking.
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Demonstrated expertise in observational drawing from life and perceptual approaches to image-making.
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Demonstrated expertise in teaching the principles of form, light, shadow, and spatial relationships through drawing.
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Demonstrated expertise in figure and object drawing, including gesture, anatomy, proportion, movement, composition, and volumetric form across a range of media.
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Demonstrated expertise in developmental drawing methodologies, with an emphasis on perceptual accuracy, proportion, and structural understanding.
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Demonstrated expertise in design processes, ideation methodologies, and creative problem-solving.
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Demonstrated expertise across diverse applications and categories of illustration, with a strong command of surface design practices that bridge art, design, and craft.
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Demonstrated expertise in interpretive illustration through the use of narrative, metaphorical, and symbolic imagery.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Sessional appointments are fixed-term annual contracts. Sessional compensation includes a per-course pay scale with salary level of $7,508.00 (per 0.5 credit course) plus 7% in lieu of benefits and vacation pay, per the provisions of the Employment Standards Act. For courses that are team taught, compensation will be adjusted to match the course credit amount. These positions are subject to budgetary approval and satisfactory enrolment levels. These positions are subject to budgetary approval and satisfactory enrolment levels.
Applications should include:
A letter of intent stating the candidate’s interests in the areas of teaching by identifying relevant courses above;
A curriculum vitae;
A statement of teaching philosophy that responds to the profile of the position;
A link or web address to your digital portfolio of recent and current work/publications (if applicable)
And the names and contact information of three references.
Please upload all five (5) components (including the URL to work) as one PDF. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code
Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence, addressed to Faculty of Design Appointments Committee, online no later than Tuesday July 14th 11:59 PM.
Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for any employer (with a valid work or study permit, SIN and Canadian bank account).
If you require application support, please contact the People & Culture Office. Please note that People & Culture cannot update you on the status of your application as these searches are decentralized to their respective Faculty offices. You will only be contacted if you are shortlisted for an interview. If the posting is advertised, we are still accepting applications.
As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University (OCAD U) recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative practices and discourse. OCAD U understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge are essential to and enrich the institution’s core mission and vision as an art and design university with a local and global scope.
As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.
We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.
In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous faculty, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
OCAD U is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.
