Game Design Intern

Schell Games is a highly talented group of artists, programmers, producers, and game designers led by game industry veteran Jesse Schell.  We're the largest full-service education and entertainment game development company in the United States.  Since 2002, we've worked with world-class clients and partners to create interactive experiences that engage and inspire players of all ages across all platforms.  Presently, we are focused on virtual reality, augmented reality, location-based experiences, and social games.

Do you like to work on innovative projects in a motivating, friendly atmosphere? Would you agree that games can engage and inspire?

If you answered "YES!" to both questions, you might be a fit for our studio!  

GAME DESIGN INTERN POSITION (Open until Wednesday, October 9th, 2024)

We're looking for a Game Design Intern to join us for the first half of 2025!  Are you a Game Designer who is eager to wear many hats, possibly at the same time?  Are your development interests hard to fit into one discipline?  Do you naturally advocate for the player as a full partner in the pursuit of fun?  Do you continuously look for ways to improve your own craft discipline, while advocating for processes that invite your teammates’ best work?  Do you crave engine implementation time and brainstorming with your team?  Are you fascinated by the intersection of virtual and real?  Tell us about it!

EXPECTATIONS OF INTERN-LEVEL ROLES AT SCHELL GAMES:

• You are building your skills within your discipline and can be relied upon by your team.  You are focused on growth, and seek out experts in your craft from within the studio.
• You build relationships with colleagues through openness and trust.  You can be relied on in your project role.  You seek feedback on how you can improve. 
• You are a capable and responsible team member who fulfills your project responsibilities with appropriate guidance and mentoring.  You take advantage of opportunities to learn game development best practices from your colleagues and industry experts.
• You recognize leaders within the studio and have identified traits you wish to emulate.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Mechanics: Design, prototyping, implementation, and iteration of gameplay mechanics that realize the vision of the Client, the Project Director, and Design Director
• UX: Work with UI/UX experts to design elegant UI flow and player experience for game systems, content, & feedback
• Content: Outline content needs for gameplay systems, work within multidisciplinary teams to scope, pipeline, and implement content in-game
• Balance: Iterate, balance, and adjust gameplay elements based on internal and playtest feedback
• Documentation: Draft, maintain and review internal design documentation, including feature specifications and implementation guides
• Playtesting: Analyze data and player feedback to continually optimize the existing game experience
• Prototyping: Using tools or writing scripts or code to prototype new experiences and ideas, evaluating prototypes, working with a team to determine the next steps

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be located in the Pittsburgh area for the role: local hybrid schedule option available beyond initial onboarding period, with in-studio expectations T/W/TH each week
• Experience creating systems or content in a professional game engine; Unreal or Unity 
• Experience in a cross-disciplinary interactive experience development team, Or pursuing a degree in interactive media 
• One or more released games for evaluation, or a playable portfolio
• Strong interpersonal & teamwork skills with an interest in collaborative processes 

DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: 

• Demonstrated excellence in designing and implementing compelling gameplay, gameplay systems, or user development tools
• Strong knowledge of prototyping best practices
• Strong written, oral, and presentation communication skills
• Strong time management skills
• Experience working in Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality
• Experience or desire to work on educational games
• Experience in location-based entertainment
• Extra-industry career experience or multidisciplinary skill set

DEI COMMITMENT:

Our studio is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive work environment that ensures that all applicants and team members are treated with dignity and respect.  We will not tolerate any type of discrimination or harassment directed at any applicant or employee because of their sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, religion, age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, veteran, family or parental status or any other protected group characteristic.  This equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training.

Prohibiting discrimination and harassment is only one part of the equation. “Diversity makes us strong” is more than just something we say.  We value diversity in all forms because it is essential to our success, and we want every member of our team to feel their best creative self.  Our development environment and social culture are based on welcoming, respecting, and celebrating differences among our team members and our players.  We rely on each person to add their own unique skills and perspective to our culture.  Every member of our team is responsible for making the studio as inclusive and equitable as possible.

Candidate selected for this position will be subject to standard employment verification and criminal background check upon offer of contingent employment.

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