About the RoleCulmen International is seeking a Gaming Designer.
This position involves designing and developing serious games, simulation-supported activities, and interactive exercise experiences for public health and medical preparedness, response, recovery, and continuity missions. The position transforms exercise objectives, operational plans, threat information, and subject-matter expertise into realistic game mechanics, scenarios, participant decisions, and multimedia products that enable readiness and improve performance.
What You'll Do in Your New Role- Design, develop, test, facilitate, and refine serious games and simulation-supported activities for federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, regional, and interagency audiences.
- Translate exercise objectives, plans, policies, capabilities, corrective actions, and operational challenges into game concepts, rules, roles, decision points, scenario modules, and measurable outcomes.
- Develop realistic scenarios, storylines, injects, timelines, participant materials, facilitation questions, control-cell products, and Master Scenario Events Lists.
- Apply HSEEP doctrine and sound instructional, experiential-learning, and game-design principles to seminars, workshops, tabletop exercises, games, drills, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises.
- Incorporate computer simulation, model outputs, visual interfaces, video vignettes, video injects, and virtual-delivery capabilities into exercise programs when appropriate.
- Collaborate with modeling and simulation specialists, systems designers, planners, facilitators, evaluators, analysts, multimedia personnel, and subject matter experts to produce integrated exercise experiences.
- Support concept and objectives meetings, initial and midterm planning meetings, in-progress reviews, MSEL development and synchronization meetings, final planning meetings, exercise execution, hotwashes, and after-action meetings.
- Prototype and playtest game mechanics and supporting materials; collect participant and stakeholder feedback and revise products to improve realism, usability, accessibility, and alignment with objectives.
- Develop evaluation criteria and data-collection opportunities that allow exercise teams to assess decisions, actions, coordination, plans, policies, and corrective-action implementation.
- Review technical and analytical products and interpret modeling or simulation results for incorporation into exercise design and real-time participant play.
- Prepare and deliver briefings, demonstrations, facilitator guidance, participant instructions, technical documentation, and decision-support materials.
- Maintain awareness of current industry standards, emerging technologies, virtual environments, and best practices in serious gaming, simulation, and exercise design.
- Complete recurring and short-turn assignments within established deadlines and maintain accessible, organized project files and deliverables.
- Travel as authorized to support planning conferences, exercise delivery, evaluation, training, real-world response activities, or stakeholder meetings.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in game design, simulation, instructional design, emergency management, public health, computer science, digital media, or a related field.
- Relevant experience designing games, simulations, or interactive exercises for the U.S. Government or another complex operational organization.
- Experience developing scenarios, game mechanics, injects, participant materials, facilitation content, and exercise-support products.
- Experience incorporating technical data, model results, or simulation capabilities into realistic decision-based activities.
- Ability to interpret operational requirements and convert complex subject matter into clear, engaging, and objective-driven participant experiences.
- Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and the ability to learn and use Government-provided exercise, collaboration, multimedia, and virtual-delivery tools.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and respond effectively to short-notice or surge requirements.
Desired Qualifications- Knowledge of HSEEP doctrine and experience supporting the full exercise planning, conduct, evaluation, and improvement-planning cycle.
- Experience supporting public health preparedness, emergency management, incident response, continuity, consequence modeling, or interagency operations.
- Experience creating visual interfaces, video vignettes, video injects, digital game assets, or virtual simulation environments.
- Experience facilitating games or exercises for senior leaders, government personnel, emergency responders, healthcare partners, or interagency audiences.
- Familiarity with the National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, Emergency Support Function #8, and federal preparedness and response doctrine.
- Experience developing accessible digital and multimedia products consistent with Section 508 requirements.
- Exceptional Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance, premiums for employees are 100% paid by Culmen, and dependent coverage is available at a nominal rate (including same or opposite sex domestic partners)
- 401k - Vested immediately and 4% match
- Life insurance and disability paid by the company
- Supplemental Insurance Available
- Opportunities for Training and Continuing Education
- 12 Paid Holidays
To learn more about Culmen International, please visit www.culmen.com
