• Provide strategic academic leadership for the SGD Department, setting a clear, forward‑looking vision for majors in Simulation and Game Design and User Experience Design; lead strategic planning and initiatives that advance the department’s mission and programs; and ensure departmental priorities align with broader institutional goals while balancing leadership responsibilities with expectations for teaching, scholarship, and service.

• Teach a reduced load of undergraduate courses aligned with departmental needs and deliver high‑impact, immersive, student‑centered instruction across modalities.

• Apply disciplinary knowledge in simulation and game design and UX to inform curricula, high-impact learning, and career‑focused programming.

• Lead ongoing curriculum and program review, innovation, assessment, and preparation of required annual reports to support a culture of continuous improvement and ensure programs remain current, mission‑aligned, and responsive to student needs, employer expectations, graduate‑study requirements, and trends in technology, especially the impact of AI, machine learning, and analytics on roles in game and experience design.

• Lead program revision and development, including new credentials and potential online and graduate offerings, guided by market analyses, curriculum mapping, and institutional priorities, with attention to labor‑market demand for AI‑related skills in game and UX careers.

• Provide strategic oversight of departmental labs, studios, motion capture, and technical resources, ensuring safe and effective operation of computing, AR/VR, and design equipment, while coordinating maintenance, software licensing, and budgeting to support teaching, research, and student learning and creation.

• Manage the departmental budget.

• Oversee departmental course scheduling and program delivery to support timely student progression and effective use of resources.

• Advise and mentor SGD and UX students, fostering a culture of engagement, belonging, and career readiness.

• Establish and uphold departmental standards for portfolio excellence, guiding students in developing competitive portfolios that demonstrate technical mastery, artistic creativity, and collaborative proficiency aligned with industry expectations, including, where appropriate, effective and ethical use of AI tools that reflects current hiring practices.

• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate full‑time and part‑time faculty; and support and guide faculty through reappointment and promotion processes and in their teaching, scholarship, and professional growth through collaborative problem‑solving and constructive feedback.

• Collaborate with key university offices (e.g., Advising, Registrar, Enrollment Management, Student Success, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Online Programs, Advancement, Career Center,) to align departmental initiatives with institutional strategies for recruitment, retention, student success, and program growth.

• Represent the SGD Department on Academic Council and other faculty committees as appropriate, serving as a liaison between the department, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and other academic and administrative units.

• Communicate clearly and persuasively in writing and orally with diverse internal and external audiences, including prospective students, partners, and donors.

• Foster an inclusive, collegial environment that values diverse perspectives and supports student learning, faculty collaboration, and departmental excellence.

• Provide strategic leadership for the department’s external engagement efforts. Develop and sustain partnerships with employers, alumni, community colleges, community organizations, and advisory boards that advance departmental and institutional priorities.

• Serve as the department’s primary liaison to external partners and institutions, building collaborative relationships that enhance program visibility, responsiveness, and impact.

• Advance transfer and articulation pathways in partnership with community colleges and university leadership to strengthen recruitment, access, and student success.

• Cultivate and expand career-connected learning opportunities for students, including internships, applied projects, mentoring, and other experiential and professional development initiatives.

• Collaborate with university leadership and external stakeholders on advancement and philanthropic initiatives that support program growth, innovation, and long-term departmental goals.

• Earned master’s degree in Simulation and Game Design, Game Development, Digital Arts, Computer Science, or closely related field from a regionally accredited institution that clearly qualifies the candidate to teach across the core SGD curriculum.

• Substantive professional or applied experience in game development or interactive media production, including credited work on shipped titles or published projects, with demonstrated ability to operate within collaborative studio workflows across the full production lifecycle.

• Academic credentials appropriate for appointment at the rank of associate professor, including a record of effective college‑level teaching and evidence of academic or professional contributions through service, scholarship, creative work, and/or significant engagement in game development or interactive media (such as shipped titles, studio leadership, or industry/community involvement).

• Working proficiency across core discipline areas of game and simulation production, including real-time engine development (Unreal, Unity), programming for interactive systems, user experience design, and collaborative production pipelines (e.g., version control, asset management, milestone-driven delivery).

• At least two years of progressively responsible leadership or coordination experience (e.g., program director, lead designer, or major initiative leadership) that demonstrates the capacity to think strategically, lead collaboratively, and promote growth.

• Demonstrated success working collaboratively with a diverse team of professionals in ways that build trust, foster shared ownership of organizational goals, and promote an inclusive and collegial culture, reflecting strong communication and relationship‑building skills.

• Active engagement with the game development and interactive media industries — through professional practice, industry relationships, or ongoing participation in production communities — sufficient to anticipate shifts in tools, workflows, and hiring expectations and translate those insights into flexible, ever-updating curriculum design, portfolio standards, and student career readiness.

• Experience as a department chair, program director, or comparable leadership role in Simulation and Game Design or a closely related field.

• Experience teaching in both face‑to‑face and online modalities, with a demonstrated interest in leveraging modality, technology, and program design to reach new student populations (e.g., adult learners, community college transfer students).

• Experience developing partnerships or pathways that expand access and mobility between education and industry, particularly in technology and creative fields.

• Experience partnering with employers, advisory boards, or professional organizations to strengthen experiential learning, portfolio-based hiring, and career outcomes.

• Experience developing or launching new programs, products, or initiatives, including early-stage exploration of advanced or professional offerings.

• Experience creating content, learning experiences, or training programs that integrate technology, design, and assessment in Simulation and Game Design or related digital media fields.

• Experience using data and industry analytics to guide program design, revision, and growth.

• Demonstrated success mentoring in ways that support innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and technical excellence.

• Demonstrated engagement with emerging tools, engines, platforms, and user‑experience practices through teaching, scholarship, or professional practice, with an emphasis on preparing students to build competitive, industry‑ready portfolios.

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by the Priority Date; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.