Instructor (Multiple Openings): Audio Technology & Music Production

ABOUT THE ROLE

San Francisco Film School (SFFS) offers career-focused, creative industry-aligned education. In January 2027, we will launch two new programs, Emerging Audio Technology (EAT) and New Music Production (NMP), and are hiring multiple instructors across both. This is a master posting: the six courses tagged [P] below begin January 11, 2027, and are the positions we are filling first; the rest are listed so you can show your full range and are staffed across later terms.

COMPENSATION AND TERMS

- Pay: $60 per hour for teaching and paid administrative hours, at a 1:1 ratio.

- Core courses: 60 teaching plus 60 administrative hours each (120 paid hours), 3 credits. COM 136 and HUM 146 (general education): 45 plus 45 hours each (90 paid hours), online, 3 credits.

- Term: January 2027, 15 weeks from January 11, 2027; most courses meet across 14 weeks, as all pause for the one-week residency. Multi-term assignment expected, contingent on performance and enrollment. W-2.

- Campus: 155 Sansome Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, one block from Montgomery Street BART. Synchronous sessions are within standard instructional hours, Pacific; meeting times set at offer.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

- (Attach your cover letter to your resume/CV) Cover letter that (1) names which courses above you can teach, (2) specifies the skills you bring, and (3) describes your preparation to teach at the post-secondary level and your approach to project-based instruction.

- Curriculum vitae or resume.

- Link to a portfolio, reel, or representative work in your teaching areas.

HIRING PROCESS

- Apply using the LinkedIn Easy Apply button.

- Rolling review, with priority to early applicants. As the priority courses begin January 11, 2027, we encourage early application.

- Finalists may complete a brief teaching demonstration and provide references. Employment is contingent on institutional hiring requirements. W-2 employment.

MODALITY

Modality varies by course; all instructors must reside in the San Francisco Bay Area and be able to commute to campus.

- On campus: most core courses.

- Hybrid [H]: weekly synchronous online sessions plus a required one-week on-campus residency (32 hours, Monday through Friday): AUD 101, NMP 111, NMP 121, NMP 201, NMP 202, EAT 113, EAT 122, EAT 202, EAT 212 (NMP 111 and NMP 201 in a professional large-format studio).

- Online [O]: COM 136, HUM 146.

TEACHING AREAS AND REQUIRED SKILLS

Tags: [P] priority (begins January 2027); [H] hybrid (online plus a one-week on-campus residency); [O] online. Untagged courses are on campus. In your cover letter, name the courses you can teach and the skills you bring; you need not be qualified for all.

Foundations (both programs)

- AUD 101 Foundations of Sound and Audio Systems [P][H]: acoustics, psychoacoustics, signal flow, digital audio, critical listening, source-to-speaker path, measurement.

Emerging Audio Technology (EAT)

- EAT 102 Digital Audio Workstation Fundamentals [P]: DAW workflow end to end; recording, editing, arrangement, mixing basics, delivery; Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools.

- EAT 103 Recording and Signal Acquisition [P]: microphones, placement, DI, field recording, system optimization; dialogue, Foley, ambiences, effects.

- EAT 111 Sound Design Principles: layering, synthesis, resampling, spectral processing, creative transformation, asset libraries.

- EAT 112 Mixing and Audio Post-Production: EQ, dynamics, time-based effects, spatial positioning, stems, dialogue clarity, broadcast/streaming delivery.

- EAT 113 Music Composition for Interactive Media [H]: adaptive, non-linear scoring; loops, layers, transitions, stems for games and XR.

- EAT 121 Game Audio Design: player-centered design; UI, environmental, and character audio; feedback systems, design docs.

- EAT 122 Audio Middleware Implementation [H]: event-driven audio, real-time parameters, dynamic mixing, game-engine integration; Wwise, FMOD.

- EAT 123 Adaptive and Procedural Audio Systems: adaptive music, procedural generation, behaviors driven by gameplay, environment, and player.

- EAT 201 Spatial Audio and Binaural Systems: binaural, ambisonics, object-based formats, rendering for headphones and speaker arrays, spatial psychoacoustics.

- EAT 202 XR Audio Implementation [H]: spatial audio for VR/AR/MR in game engines; attenuation, occlusion, reverb zones, head tracking, triggers, optimization.

- EAT 203 Creative Coding for Audio: Max for Live, Pure Data, SuperCollider, Processing; custom tools, generative systems, prototyping.

- EAT 211 AI-Enhanced Audio Production: AI-assisted processing, stem separation, generative audio, voice synthesis; ethical, legal, creative judgment.

- EAT 212 Intermedia Performance Systems [H]: live music, sound, and visuals; AV sync, cueing, timing, routing, show execution; TouchDesigner, physical computing.

- EAT 213 Audio Business and Career Development (capstone): portfolio, professional materials, industry structures, career paths, entrepreneurship.

New Music Production (NMP)

- MUS 101 Music Theory for Producers [P]: scales, intervals, chords, progressions, melody, rhythm, song form via MIDI and piano roll, contemporary genres.

- NMP 102 Digital Audio Production I [P]: session navigation, MIDI, drum patterns, bass and harmony, melody, arrangement, recording, editing, basic mixing.

- NMP 103 Rhythmic Composition and Production: groove-building across genres, drum programming, sample manipulation, percussion sound design.

- NMP 111 Studio Recording Techniques [H]: microphone technique, signal flow, session management, recording live musicians in a professional studio.

- NMP 112 Digital Audio Production II: advanced workflows, arrangement, collaboration, project management, client communication, revisions.

- NMP 113 Synthesis and Sound Design [P]: subtractive, FM, wavetable, additive, granular, physical-modeling, sampling synthesis; original sonic palettes.

- NMP 121 Mixing Theory and Practice [H]: EQ, dynamics, time-based effects, spatial positioning, mix-bus technique, critical listening.

- NMP 122 Vocal Recording and Production: vocal capture, editing, production; vocal chains; integrating vocals; working with singers.

- NMP 123 Scoring and Music for Visual Media: scoring for film, TV, advertising, documentary, interactive media; picture analysis, sync, working with directors.

- NMP 124 Advanced Mixing and Signal Processing: multiband dynamics, parallel processing, mid-side, dynamic EQ, harmonic enhancement, creative routing.

- NMP 132 Music Business and Portfolio Development (capstone): industry structures, copyright, publishing, licensing, revenue, portfolio.

- NMP 201 Advanced Studio Production [H]: directing sessions from pre-production to delivery, recording and mixing leadership, live musicians.

- NMP 202 Live Sound and Event Production [H]: live reinforcement, system architecture, signal flow, front-of-house and monitor mixing, wireless, stage management.

- NMP 203 Introduction to Audio Mastering: loudness, tonal and dynamic optimization, stereo enhancement, platform delivery, quality control.

General Education

- COM 136 Professional Communications for the Creative Industry [O]: written, verbal, and interpersonal communication; proposals, briefs, documentation, presentations; collaboration, critique.

- HUM 146 Evolution of Sonic Art and Technology [O]: history of sound art and audio technology, from early instruments through electronic synthesis and digital audio.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

San Francisco Film School is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. SFFS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Deliver rigorous, project-based instruction in the assigned modality, lead the residency for production courses, facilitate critique and applied work, and guide skill and portfolio development.

- Evaluate with rubrics and give timely feedback; post grades on schedule; keep accurate records per accreditor requirements; use SFFS systems (LMS, videoconferencing, portfolio); hold office hours; attend occasional meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum (required)

- Bachelor's degree in audio, music, music production, sound design, music technology, or a closely related field, or equivalent professional standing.

- At least five years of documented professional work in the discipline.

- Demonstrated portfolio or body of work in the area or areas you propose to teach.

- Working proficiency with the industry-standard tools for your teaching areas (DAWs, synthesis and plug-ins, audio middleware, game engines, creative-coding environments, and spatial or immersive audio systems, as applicable).

- Ability to teach effectively in a synchronous, studio-based or lab-based setting, including critique and applied learning.

- Strong, timely, professional communication, and the ability to evaluate creative and technical work with clear criteria and actionable feedback.

- Residence in the San Francisco Bay Area with the ability and willingness to commute to campus.

Preferred

- Master's degree (MFA, MM, MA, MS, or equivalent) and teaching experience in higher education or professional training.

- Recognized professional credits in commercial, artist, studio, game, XR, media, or live-production work, and active industry networks.

- Experience refining assessments and rubrics for project-based coursework.

ABOUT

SFFS, founded in 2005, is an accredited college offering creative, career-focused education. Known for its authentic, active-learning, production-based curriculum and faculty of industry practitioners, SFFS emphasizes hands-on learning that connects creative practice with professional standards. The campus is located in the Financial District, one block from the Montgomery Street BART station.