Lecturer/Assistant Professor, Department of Design

The Department of Design at DigiPen Institute of Technology invites applicants for a full-time faculty position in the Department of Design to help teach the next generation of designers. Join our faculty team and help students develop the necessary skills to succeed in the fields of game design and user experience design.  

Located in Redmond, Washington, DigiPen Institute of Technology is a small nontraditional college that offers undergraduate degree programs in Computer Science, Game Design, Digital Audio and Music, Computer Engineering, and Digital Art and Animation, as well as Masters degree programs in Computer Science and Digital Art. DigiPen Institute of Technology has been ranked one of the top 5 game design schools in the country by the Princeton Review for more than a decade. 

Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for appointment at the rank of Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor. 

Start date: On or before August 1st, 2022 

Duties and Responsibilities 

  • Teach introductory and upper division courses in at least one (or more) of the following areas of specialization: 
    • System Design
      Focus on game play systems and user/player choice in games and projects. The ideal candidate has a passion for helping students reduce complex systems to simple understandable components/modules and understands how systems interact to encourage engaging experiences for users. 

    • Level Design 
      Focus on spatial design, guidance, content pacing, encounter design, environmental storytelling, and mission/quest design. The ideal candidate can abstract the principles of 2D and 3D level design and explain the principles of level design alongside practical implementation techniques. 

    • Technical Design 
      Focus on technical scripting, implementation of game play systems, and systems where design is closely integrated with code, such as procedural generation of content. Technical designers bridge the gap between engineers and pure designers, often building tools, establishing APIs with the engineers, and guiding engineers’ efforts to meet design goals. 

    • User Experience (UX) Design 
      Focus on every aspect of user interaction with a system, including UI, game feel, and efficiency of operations. A UX designer must be aware of system details and the needs and capabilities of the user. UX instructors help students understand the needs of others as they use products of all types, especially games and game systems. 

    • User Research 
      Focus on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation, task analysis, and other feedback methodologies. DigiPen projects tend to be game focused, but UR experience in any field or medium is valuable. 

  • Lecture and teach in a classroom setting daily 

  • Demonstrate design and analysis techniques 

  • Grade, evaluate, and input student assessment data on a weekly basis 

  • Serve as a faculty mentor for students 

  • Collaborate with faculty to develop and improve program and department curriculum 

  • Participate in service and creative works, including scheduled office hours, archiving of student work, institutional and departmental service activities, research, and professional development 

Minimum Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree in any field or equivalent 

  • 5+ years of professional design experience. 2+ shipped titles, published works, published research projects, or other equivalent body of work 

  • Lecture experience and/or professional talks or panels at conventions or events 

  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Design, Psychology, Communications, or related field 

  • 10+ years of design experience including design lead positions with the ability to apply the skills of the area of specialization 

  • Shipped titles in different platforms and media 

  • Instructor experience in a college setting, or other teaching experience 

  • Passion for education and helping people achieve their potential 

Application Procedure: 

To be considered for this position, applicants should include the following: 

  • Cover letter of interest, including a link to your digital portfolio, if applicable 

  • Curriculum vitae or resumé 

  • Statement of teaching philosophy 

  • Statement of experience and views in reference to inclusivity and diversity 

  • List of 3 professional references with email and telephone contact information included 

  • Examples of work in the area(s) of specialization for which you wish to be considered: 

    • System Design 
      Details on systems that demonstrate responsibility for developing the system “verbs” – what users can do and how they do it, including details on the intended user and how that influenced your design 
       
    • Level Design 
      Details of level design process and at least three examples of level designs. 
       
    • Technical Design 
      Details of known coding languages and at least three examples of technical design projects designed and implemented 
       
    • User Experience Design 
      Details of three user experience projects designed and implemented, including notes on the intended user and how that impacted the UX design 
       
    • User Research 
      Details of three user research projects designed and managed, describing testing methodology, research goals, and analysis of results generated 

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and academic freedom are priorities of DigiPen Institute of Technology, as DigiPen endorses the goals of affirmative action and equal opportunity employment. The Institute's intent is to hire the most qualified individuals for faculty and staff, attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds of race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, veteran status, nationality, culture, religion, and physical abilities. We are committed to broadening our candidate pool to include more diverse individuals and ensuring fairness in hiring by avoiding bias and determining criteria to judge all candidates prior to posting each new position. 

All positions are subject to budget approval.