Open-Rank Professor of Interactive Media and Games - Game Art and Animation

The Interactive Media &GamesDivision within USC's School of Cinematic Arts is seeking a candidate for a tenure/tenure track or non-tenure track faculty position in the field of Interactive Media andGameswith a specialty inart direction and creation for videogamesand real-time graphics engines. Initial rank and track will be commensurate with qualifications and accomplishments.

We are looking for an experienced lead artist or animator with experience in videogamesand a record of teaching or mentorship at the university level. Candidates should have established competence working with real-time digitalart, and be able to mentor and critically teach students to create usable, high-quality assets and establish best practices in the quickly growing field of real-time animation.

Our program is a vibrant and exciting community of designers, scholars and researchers, committed to the advancement of the digital arts, and it is situated within a larger school dedicated to the craft of storytelling and user experience from diverse perspectives.

Thepositionwill teachgame artcourses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, with topics ranging from intermediategameanimation togameconceptart, skybox painting, and environmental modeling.

Advanced courses may follow research interests, including motion capture, proceduralart, and interface design. The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in Animation, Computer Science, orGame Development.

We will consider a range of candidates but are looking specifically for experienced candidates with backgrounds inart creation for thegamesindustry. Rank of initial appointment will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments.

Minimum Education:

• Graduate Degree in FineArt,GameDevelopment, Software Engineering, Production Design or a related field.

Minimum Experience:

• Multiple shipped titles.
• Experience teaching or mentoring students ingamedevelopment,art, or a related field.
• Experienced with interdisciplinary collaborations, working with designers, developers, artists, producers, etc.
• Good communication skills, project planning, and professional rigor and ethics.
• Demonstrated ability toworkwithin diverse and inclusive communities of discourse and practice.
• Proficiency with industry-standard real-time art and content creation tools such as Blender, Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, and Substance 3D (Painter/Designer) or equivalent pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability toworkwith new and emerging technologies and methodologies.

Preferred Education:

• Terminal Degree in FineArt,GameDevelopment, Software Engineering, Production Design, or a related field.

Preferred Experience:

• 3 or more years teaching graduate and undergraduate classes ingame
  development, real-time animation, or fineart.
• Familiarity with emerging AI-assisted art and content creation workflows, including hands-on experience with at least one or two widely used tools (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Runway, or comparable platforms) and their application within game art pipelines.

The core salary range for this position is listed below. This is a 9-month full-time position, either tenure/tenure track or non-tenure track.

Non-tenure Track:

• Assistant Professor: 83k - 90k
• Associate Professor: 85k - 95k
• Full Professor: 90k - 110k

Tenure/Tenure Track:

• Assistant Professor: 90k - 100k
• Associate Professor: 110k - 135k
• Full Professor: 120k - 175k

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, as well as external market and organizational considerations.