Instructor/Assistant Professor of Computer Game Design with Associate Director, Korea Serious Game I

George Mason University in Korea invites applications to apply for Instructor/Assistant Professor of Computer Game Design position with Associate Director, Korea Serious Game Institute (KSGI) beginning in August 2024. The positions are non-tenure-track with an initial term of one year, and with the possibility of renewal and term promotion. 

Statement of the Job

The role of the Associate Director of the Korea Serious Game Institute (KSGI) is to assist the Director(s) of the SGI with positioning the KSGI to become an invaluable economic development asset, and an applied-research and serious game innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem for George Mason University in Korea and in the US, whereby Mason students, faculty, and staff on both campuses benefit from available internships, sponsored applied research opportunities, and a nurturing and supportive environment to found a low-risk business startup within the Serious Game rubric. The Associate Director will also provide professional project management oversight, quality assurance, and all aspects of overseeing the successful completion of applied-research game-related projects between undergraduate and graduate student (internships, classroom, wage, and sponsored) development teams, resident company projects, and external KSGI clients. In addition, the Associate Director of the KSGI will meet financial objectives by helping forecast each projects requirements; helping to each team or project to prepare budgets; scheduling expenditures; and initiating corrective actions for each KSGI based project as needed for successful completion. Moreover, the chosen candidate will represent the KSGI, along with, and in the Directors’ absence, the KSGI and SGI Brand to corporate partners, Mason staff, faculty, and administrators, Game Program staff, SGI Executive Advisory Board Members, Korean officials, Commonwealth elected officials, and other dignitaries as needed. The Associate Director will also plan and execute, in coordination with the Directors, all KSGI public exhibits and conventions, nation-wide, as required. Lastly, the Associate Director will teach three (3) undergraduate courses per semester in game design, game management, or game production.

Key Responsibilities

1. Coordinate and manage all KSGI public presentations, exhibitions, seminars, and events.
2. Oversee and guide all KSGI Mason and Start-up projects, timelines, asset development, milestones, goals, and budgets in conjunction with the Directors.
3. Help manage undergraduate and graduate student project team schedules at the KSGI (internships, classroom, wage, and sponsored), assign project team roles, and help mentor team members.
4. Communicate with KSGI resident companies, students, staff, and administration as needed to ensure resident companies meet residency business milestone goals.
5. Provide KSGI mission, goals, and objective project presentations to external and internal constituencies as needed.
6. Meet with clients, potential clients, executive advisory board members, and partners on behalf of KSGI.
7. Teach three undergraduate courses per semester, as assigned by the Office of Academic Affairs.
8. Develop, hire, and manage outreach programs like the Mason Game and Technology Academy in Korea, working with the MGTA and directors as required.
9. Review operating practices and procedures in order to determine whether improvements can be made in areas such as workflow, reporting procedures, or expenditures.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field
• Experience leading research programs or projects within university or corporate settings
• Record of excellence in teaching or mentorship
• Record of securing funds to support research and projects, preferably in game design or related field(s).
• 5 or more years of experience in game industry, related field(s), or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a related field
• International teaching experience

To Apply

Applicants MUST submit the following documents to the University hiring site (click on Apply for this Job on the right).

• A cover letter that explains your interest in the position and highlights your teaching, research, and any other relevant experience
• Current curriculum vitae
• At least three references with full contact information. References will not be contacted without consent from applicants.

Applications received on or before April 14, will be guaranteed full review. The start date for the position is August 1, 2024.

About George Mason Korea

George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. It is among the 115 or so top “R1” ranked research universities in the US and in the top 200 of the Shanghai World Ranking of Universities. A public university located in Fairfax Virginia, George Mason is the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs.

George Mason University Korea is George Mason’s campus in Songdo, South Korea. Mason Korea was established as part of George Mason University’s commitment to education on a global scale and its belief in the power of international perspective and connection. Mason Korea is located on the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), which it shares with three other international branch campuses. Mason Korea students, staff, and faculty have access to modern facilities and resources on the IGC for a terrific living and work environment. Songdo, South Korea is a modern “smart” city designed from the start with large parks, plentiful walking and bike paths, and excellent public transportation. Songdo is convenient to Korea’s Incheon International Airport—around a half hour by car—as well as to the capital city of Seoul—around an hour by car.

Further information on Mason Korea can be found at: http://masonkorea.gmu.edu/.