USC Games invites applications for an adjunct faculty appointment to teach the course Immersive Experience Design. This course explores the creation of immersive experiences with interactive storytelling. This position will supervise students to create and design their own immersive experiences, which will then be workshopped in class. The ideal candidate is an Immersive designer with numerous different activations in their portfolio and understands a multitude of different types of themed experiences. This candidate would also have a background in teaching, specifically in the college setting, and experience teaching classes about Themed Entertainment. 

Responsibilities

• Teach a section of Themed Entertainment Design, aligning with USC Games curriculum and industry practices.
  

• Develop and deliver lectures, labs, and workshops covering topics including:
  

  • Types of Themed Entertainment experiences, their strengths and weaknesses in practical application, and in principle.
    

  • Best practices of brainstorming, ideation, and pitching.
    

  • Ideation and refinement techniques for themed entertainment projects and for design in general.
    

  • Team collaboration across design, engineering, art, and production. How do different departments in large-scale themed projects work together?
    

• Guide student teams in the production and brainstorming of themed entertainment experiences.
  

• Supervise and mentor students in best practices, feasibility, cost, scalability, and the dynamics of themed entertainment events and installations.
  

• Coordinate with faculty and industry partners to incorporate real-world case studies, guest lectures, or other demonstrations.
  

• Foster an inclusive, high-energy learning environment that emphasizes creative iteration, feedback-oriented design, and collaboration across disciplines.
  

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Game Design, Themed Entertainment, Industrial Design, Theatre, or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or an Advanced degree in a relevant discipline.

Minimum Experience:

• Demonstrated professional experience in numerous Themed Entertainment experiences, with a wide breadth of knowledge about both large and small projects in the industry..

• Strong ability to teach, mentor, and communicate complex themed entertainment concepts to students with a variety of backgrounds.

• Experience working in production pipelines, dealing with the workflow of different teams, and understanding large-scale collaboration best practices. 
  

Preferred Experience:

• Professional credits on active or persistent themed experience with a background in a team leadership role with emphasis in design, creation, and ideation.

• Prior teaching or mentorship experience at the university or industry level.

• Practical experience integrating design, engineering, art, and production into themed entertainment experiences.
  

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.