Faculty Position in AI for Games and Experimental Media

The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for a full-time, Assistant or Associate Teaching Track position at the ETC. While preferred, an advanced degree is not required for candidates with extensive professional experience with A.I. in games and experimental media. The ETC is interested in those individuals that hold game design experience, with an emphasis on current professional pipeline production practices, and a basis in design fundamentals. Ideal candidates for this position will have an active interest in gaming, computer science, AI, robotics, and computer graphics as it is applied on teams in both games and interactive media. Successful candidates will also have experience using LLM-based A.I. in creative projects. Additionally, candidates should have a high level of expertise developing 3D experiences and have teaching, research, or professional experience in this area.

You are encouraged to contribute to teaching our core Project Course, supervising student teams in their project course work, and critiquing student work. Additionally, you will teach one to two elective courses in your specialty content area (A.I. for Games and Experimental Media) each year. We are looking for someone who will contribute to our teaching mission, be a passionate mentor and advisor, and serve with colleagues to help promote the general success of the department.

Responsibilities include teaching, advising, service, supervising student projects, critiquing student portfolios and demo reels, helping recommend the best artistic tools and process, and continued creative activities and scholarship in the field.

Your responsibilities will include:

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  Teach, with co-faculty, the semester ETC Project Course. Supervise students within their project teams of typically 4-6 students and provide constructive criticism on project materials;

  
  
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  Conduct code reviews with teams interested in deeper discussions on their software artifacts, which often utilize Unity or web application frameworks dependent on client needs;

  
  
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  Hold office hours each week to help students;

  
  
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  Be a mentor to incoming students and assist their professional growth and preparation for careers as creative developers in entertainment technology;

  
  
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  Teach one to two elective classes per year, preferably in the areas of A.I. for Games and Experimental Media, professional game engine development, and/or programming in support of entertainment technologies;

  
  
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  Attend presentations, faculty meetings, and program events.

  
  

We are seeking a professional who ideally holds a MS (or PhD) in a relevant discipline and has proven industrial experience of five or more years with programming, including working with A.I. for games and experimental media. Additionally, we are looking for you to have:

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  Strong verbal and written communication skills;

  
  
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  The ability to bridge the gap between programmers and artists to help students work well on interdisciplinary teams;

  
  
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  Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills;

  
  
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  The capability off critiquing software engineering and conducting code reviews across a myriad of semester-length projects in the entertainment technology space;

  
  
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  A passion for teaching, perhaps expressed through books or online forums, shared code repositories with blog walkthroughs, and/or evidence of helping programming teams grow in knowledge through instruction delivered directly, i.e., an "inspiring leader" willing to share.

  
  
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  In-depth understanding of:

  
  




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  Experience using LLM-based A.I. in creative projects

  
  
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  Current professional pipeline production

  
  
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  Programming skills for game engines

  
  

Preferred additional skills include the following:

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  Game engine development experience;

  
  
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  Gameplay development experience, especially interactive 3D applications and real-time systems development;

  
  
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  Teaching experience in related areas;

  
  
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  Proficiency using Unity and Unreal Engine 4;

  
  
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  Development experience with Unity and/or Unreal Engine 5;

  
  
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  Mobile application development for Android or iOS.

  
  

About Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center

Carnegie Mellon University, located in Pittsburgh, PA is a major research university of approximately 13,000 students, consistently ranked as one of the top research universities on the globe by US News and World Report. The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) offers a two-year professional graduate Masters in Entertainment Technology program. Each year, an incoming class of 75-80 students pursues an educational experience addressing their professional development through applied research on interdisciplinary projects. Founded in 1998, the ETC has over 1,000 alumni whose achievements help illustrate the solid basis of the ETC's curriculum. For more information, please visit https://www.etc.cmu.edu/

About CMU

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a world-leading and global research-intensive institution known for its distinctive interdisciplinary culture, which champions creative and technological inquiry and collaborative efforts, and its faculty who inspire students to think creatively, interpret with insight, and solve major societal, scientific, and technological challenges. Please visit "Why Carnegie Mellon" to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.

Application Instructions

The position begins Fall of 2025. Rank and salary are commensurate with qualifications and experience. Review of applications will begin immediately and reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled; we encourage early submissions.

Applications must be in PDF format and include (1) resume that highlights research or professional development work in the listed areas of interest, (2) teaching and creative interest statement, (3) names and email addresses of three or more individuals who can be asked to provide letters of reference. The Search Committee will not directly request letters until the final round of the process. Please reference the ETC in your cover letter for the position.

All applications must be submitted through Interfolio.

To guarantee full consideration, applications should be received by: April 21, 2025