About the job

Details

The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Associate Professor in Games, with a focus on game design, to begin Fall 2027.

This hire is part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative (https://games.utah.edu/pressplay/), a $25 million, multi-year investment by the University of Utah in the faculty, facilities, and programs of the Division of Games. PRESS PLAY is growing both our teaching faculty and our research faculty, and new colleagues will help shape the next stage of games education and research at the U.

We seek an accomplished game designer with a substantial record of designing games, whose scholarship and research advance foundational knowledge of game design, including the principles, methods, and tools that inform how games are designed and made. Candidates should demonstrate strength in advancing that knowledge through its application to create compelling play experiences. Areas of particular interest include systems design, narrative design, level and world design, UX and interface design, and multiplayer and social systems design. These areas are examples rather than a complete list, and we welcome applications from candidates with expertise in any area of game design.

The successful candidate will lead a nationally and internationally recognized, externally funded research program and will play a leadership role in growing the Division’s research enterprise, including graduate education and collaborations across disciplines and funding agencies. They will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and mentor junior faculty and graduate students. They will also take a leading role, with Division leadership and faculty, in keeping our design curriculum current as tools, platforms, and development practices change, including the growing role of AI in how games are designed and built. We especially welcome candidates who connect these areas to broader domains of games research and practice, and whose work connects with other units in the College of Architecture and Planning, the Kahlert School of Computing, Psychology, Philosophy, the School of Medicine, or the University’s planned Institute for Digital Experience.

Necessary Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in a games-related field with a focus on areas of practice in game design.

• Experience with design research methods, such as research through design, rapid prototyping and iteration, playtesting, and the use of player feedback and data to evaluate and refine gameplay, together with fluency in the professional tools of game design, including commercial game engines and their scripting tools.

• A track record of peer-reviewed research in at least one area of game design, such as gameplay design, narrative design, interaction design, or level and world design, that advances foundational knowledge of how games are designed and made.

• Broad knowledge of games and game development practice, sufficient to teach in-person courses across the Division’s undergraduate and graduate curricula on the Salt Lake City campus

• A sustained and substantive record of external research funding

• Demonstrated commitment to teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate and graduate students

• Demonstrated capacity to contribute to university and professional service and leadership, such as collaborative curriculum development, unit or college administrative service roles, outreach to local industry and government partners, or recruitment

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in more than one area of game design, with demonstrated application in games designed and deployed.

• Research that advances principles, methods, or tools for designing games that includes the use of AI in game design workflows.

• Demonstrated academic leadership, such as directing a research lab, design studio, or center, leading interdisciplinary collaborations, or developing externally funded research programs involving multiple investigators, institutions, or industry partners.

About the Division

The Division of Games, in the College of Architecture + Planning, is a world leader in games education, with consistently top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Utah Games faculty includes artists, social scientists, games studies scholars, designers, and computer scientists who collectively work together on the mission to push the boundaries of what is possible in games. This plurality of backgrounds is one of the core elements within our identity. We strongly value inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, and seek to foster collaboration across the University of Utah. Currently, our faculty sustain ongoing collaborations with other units within the College of Architecture and Planning, as well as the School of Medicine, the Colleges of Education, Humanities, Science and Engineering, and other campus partners. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with the vibrant local game development community and other significant game industry-wide partners.

Our unit is committed to being a responsible member of our campus and professional community, and we strive to recruit and support faculty committed to acting in furtherance of our unit’s values. Interested candidates may view these values by visiting https://games.utah.edu/utah-games-values/

If you are interested in joining us to build a culture of academic excellence; to create ideas that advance our understanding of games; to share those ideas with our students, communities, and society; and to apply those ideas to change the world for the better, we strongly encourage you to apply.

About the College of Architecture and Planning

The University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning (CA+P) is a community of award-winning faculty, entrepreneurial students, and support staff that together form a creative community unlike any other. The College is home to four academic units: the School of Architecture, the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, the Division of Games, and the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design, as well as multiple research centers and collaboratives. Across these units are top-ranked academic programs, outstanding researchers with a strong commitment to addressing defining issues of our time, and a record of unsurpassed societal impact. As part of a campus that values innovation and interdisciplinarity, the College is transforming its disciplines and training graduates to become leaders and changemakers in the built and virtual environments globally. More information is available at cap.utah.edu.

About the University of Utah

The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.

Notice

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

[

https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/

](https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/)

This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

Special Instructions for Candidates

All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and proceed until the position is filled. The position will start July 1, 2027.

Application Materials

To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:

• Current CV

• Cover letter describing your interest in the position, identifying the area(s) of game design expertise for which you wish to be considered in evaluation and summarizing your research expertise and personal academic goals.

• A Teaching Statement that addresses your experience and plans for teaching and student mentoring.

• A Research Statement describing your current and planned research, including the design work through which that research is carried out.

• Up to three representative publications.

• Contact information for three references.

These materials should make clear how the applicant meets each of the necessary qualifications for the position and, at the candidate’s discretion, how the applicant meets our preferred qualifications beyond the necessary ones.