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The USC School of Cinematic Arts seeks an experienced game designer and/or producer to teach CTIN 489 – Intermediate Game Design and Production , a project-based course within the Interactive Media & Games Division.

Building on foundational coursework in game design, this class challenges students to apply professional production methods to original, playable game projects. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to develop prototypes through iterative design, testing, and refinement. The instructor provides both creative and production mentorship, preparing students for the collaborative studio pipelines used in advanced and capstone courses such as Advanced Games Projects (AGP) .

The ideal candidate brings substantial industry experience in game design, production management, or creative direction , coupled with a passion for teaching emerging designers how to take concepts from idea to polished prototype.

Responsibilities

+ Teach one or more sections of CTIN 489: Intermediate Game Design and Production each semester.

+ Develop and deliver lectures, critiques, and lab sessions covering:

+ Advanced principles of game design and player experience

+ Production planning, scoping, and milestone management

+ Collaborative workflows between design, art, engineering, and audio

+ Iterative prototyping, playtesting, and feedback integration

+ Effective documentation, version control, and production pipelines

+ Mentor student teams from concept through multiple development milestones to final playable builds.

+ Coordinate internal and external playtesting sessions and guide students in collecting and applying data-driven insights.

+ Provide structured critique and evaluation based on design goals, innovation, usability, and production quality.

+ Foster a studio-like learning environment emphasizing collaboration, creative accountability, and inclusive teamwork.

+ Collaborate with other IMGD faculty to maintain alignment with the broader USC Games curriculum.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in Game Design, Interactive Media, Computer Science, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MFA, MA, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Required:

Minimum Experience:

+ Demonstrated experience in professional game production, design leadership, or creative direction.

+ Strong communication and mentorship skills with an emphasis on collaborative team processes.

Preferred Experience:

+ Experience shipping one or more commercial or independent games.

+ Proficiency with industry-standard engines and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity, Perforce, Jira, Notion).

+ Prior university-level teaching experience or comparable leadership in professional training environments.

+ Familiarity with Agile or iterative development methodologies and production tracking.

USC reserves the “Adjunct” appointment for faculty teaching less than full-time at USC who are employed full-time in a primary profession or career elsewhere. Adjunct faculty typically teach only one course per year, but, in exceptional cases, may teach one course per semester, if approved by the dean.

The core salary range for this position is $34.00 to $40.00 per hour. This is an adjunct 25% FTE position.

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, as well as external market and organizational considerations.