The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles.  As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which comprises the faculty, students, and staff. 

USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Interactive Media & Games Division, is seeking an adjunct faculty member with experience in level design for video games.  The ideal candidate will have designed environments for several commercial videogames, will preferably have designed levels for both first-person and third-person gameplay, and will have worked with a variety of core game mechanics.

The Interactive Media & Games Division offers courses leading to BFAs in Game Development and Interaction Design, Game Art, and Themed Entertainment, an MS in Game Design and Development, an MA in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts, Games and Health), MFAs in Interactive Media and Interactive Media (Games and Health). Students from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering BS and MS degrees in Computer Science (Games) also take our courses.

The primary goal of the USC Games program is to produce quality game designers and developers by fostering individual voices and perspectives unique to the designers.  All our courses are workshop style with an emphasis on revision and collaboration. 

Minimum education:  Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from a four-year institution  

Preferred education:  Master of Arts or a Master of Fine Arts degree from a four-year institution  

Minimum experience: 

• 5+ years of work as a game designer with an emphasis on level design, with at least one published game.

• Experience teaching or mentoring students in game development

• Exceptional communication skills, project planning, and professional rigor and ethics.

Preferred experience: 

• Experience teaching or mentoring students in game development for several years

• 10+ years as a game designer with an emphasis on level design, with at least one published game.

• Good communication skills, project planning, and professional rigor and ethics.

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.