Gaming Designer

About the Role

Culmen 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.

About the Company

Culmen International is committed to enhancing international safety and security, strengthening homeland defense, advancing humanitarian missions, and optimizing government operations. With experience in over 150 countries, Culmen supports our clients to accomplish critical missions in challenging environments.

• 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

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.