Costume Director job description.
A Costume Director leads the costume department for a theatre, film, television, or live-event production, overseeing design, sourcing, construction, and fitting of costumes for the full cast. They manage a team of costume designers, cutters, and dressers, coordinate with directors and production designers on visual concept, and control the department's budget and schedule from pre-production through the run of the show. The role requires strong artistic judgment, project management skills, and hands-on garment expertise.
The Costume Director job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 9 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Costume Director Reports to: Production Designer or Director
A Costume Director leads the costume department for a theatre, film, television, or live-event production, overseeing design, sourcing, construction, and fitting of costumes for the full cast. They manage a team of costume designers, cutters, and dressers, coordinate with directors and production designers on visual concept, and control the department's budget and schedule from pre-production through the run of the show. The role requires strong artistic judgment, project management skills, and hands-on garment expertise.
- Lead the costume department's creative vision in collaboration with the director and production designer
- Supervise costume designers, cutters, stitchers, and dressers
- Oversee sourcing, purchasing, and construction of costumes within budget
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
9 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
5 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Production Designer or Director
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Lead the costume department's creative vision in collaboration with the director and production designer
- Supervise costume designers, cutters, stitchers, and dressers
- Oversee sourcing, purchasing, and construction of costumes within budget
- Coordinate costume fittings and adjustments with cast members
- Manage the costume department's production schedule and deadlines
- Ensure costume continuity, care, and maintenance throughout the production run
- Track and control costume department budget and expenditures
- Oversee wardrobe crew during rehearsals, performances, or filming
- Maintain inventory of costumes, fabrics, and accessories
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree in costume design, theatre, or related field, or equivalent experience
- Several years of experience in costume design or costume department leadership
- Strong knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, and period styles
- Experience managing a team and department budget
- Portfolio demonstrating range of costume design work
- Experience in film, television, or large-scale live production
- Union affiliation where applicable (e.g., IATSE)
- Proficiency with costume design and sketching software
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Costume Director job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Costume Director job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Production Designer or Director) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What experience level is expected for a Costume Director?
- This is typically a senior role requiring several years of costume design experience plus demonstrated ability to lead a department and manage a production budget.
- Does a Costume Director sew costumes directly?
- Not usually; they oversee designers, cutters, and stitchers, though many have hands-on garment construction backgrounds themselves.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Costume Designer
A costume designer creates and sources clothing and accessories for film, theater, television, or dance productions.
Stage Manager
A Stage Manager coordinates all technical and logistical elements of a live production, from rehearsals through performance.
Production Manager
A Production Manager oversees manufacturing or production operations to ensure output meets quality, cost, and schedule targets.
This Costume Director job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.