Open-rank Professor of Interactive Media and Games – Themed Entertainment

The Interactive Media & Games Division within USC's School of Cinematic Arts is seeking a tenure/tenure-track faculty member in the field of Interactive Media and Games with a specialty in design and production for themed entertainment.

We are looking for an experienced theme park designer and project leader with a record of teaching or mentorship at the university level. Candidates should have established competence working in the themed entertainment business and be able to mentor and critically teach students design and production best practices in the quickly growing field of themed entertainment. Our program is a vibrant and exciting community of designers, scholars and researchers, committed to the advancement of cross-disciplinary arts, and it is situated within a larger school dedicated to the craft of storytelling and user experience from diverse perspectives.

The position will teach themed entertainment courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, with topics ranging from themed entertainment design to intermediate and advanced project production classes. Advanced courses may follow research interests, including digital characters, immersive performance, and museum design.

The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in arts or engineering. We will consider a range of candidates but are looking specifically for experienced candidates with backgrounds in design for theme parks. Rank of initial appointment will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments.

Minimum Education:  Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, Civil Engineering, Production Design or a related field.

Minimum Experience:

• Launched multiple themed entertainment experiences.
• Experienced with interdisciplinary collaborations, working with designers, developers, artists, producers, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to work with new and emerging technologies and methodologies.
• Good communication skills, project planning, and professional rigor and ethics.
• Demonstrated ability to work within diverse and inclusive communities of discourse and practice.

Preferred Education: Graduate degree in Fine Art, Civil Engineering, Production Design or a related field.

Preferred Experience:

• Award nominations as a themed entertainment artist.
• 3 or more years teaching or mentoring graduate and undergraduate classes in themed entertainment design or a related field.

The core salary range for this position is as followed:

• Assistant Professor: $95,000 – $100,000
• Associate Professor: $115,000 – $135,000
• Full Professor: $120,000 – $200,000

This is a 9-month full-time tenure/tenure track 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, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.