Game Design Consultant

Macmillan • Austin, TX

6d • Remote

About The Position

Macmillan Learning is seeking a Senior Game Design Consultant for a contractor opportunity to expand its interactive learning capabilities. This role will bring dedicated game design expertise to a variety of projects, including scenario-driven simulations, lightweight mini-games, and interactives. The consultant will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of product designers, researchers, product managers, software engineers, and content creators to enhance the interactive experiences within Macmillan Learning's digital products. The work will directly influence how learners and instructors engage with learning content.

Requirements

• Demonstrated game design craft with a portfolio showcasing strong mechanics, systems design, and player feedback loops.
• Skilled at breaking simulations into reusable components, variables, and rule sets for scenario templatization.
• Strong visual storytelling and storyboarding ability, capable of translating complex ideas into narrative arcs and branching paths.
• Comfortable working independently across high-level mechanics design, hands-on grayboxing, and narrative framing.

Nice To Haves

• Engine or framework literacy (e.g., Unity, Phaser, PixiJS, WebGL) sufficient for engineering handoffs.
• Experience using AI generation tools to accelerate design workflows.
• Background in EdTech or education-focused product work.
• Interest in transforming abstract concepts into satisfying, rewarding gameplay loops.

Responsibilities

• Architect core loops, progression models, and level layouts for scenario-driven learning simulations.
• Develop visual storyboards mapping narrative arcs, character contexts, and branching player choices.
• Design lightweight mini-games and interactive widgets to complement digital course materials.
• Break simulations into reusable components, variables, and rule sets to support templatized scenario development.
• Collaborate with product designers, researchers, product managers, engineers, and content creators to align interactive concepts with learning goals.
• Coordinate with engineers to ensure game mechanics translate cleanly into production builds.
• Utilize AI tools to prototype assets and test game feel during the design process.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed