Game Director $400,000 USD/year Pay is set based on global value, not the local market.
Most roles = hourly rate x 40 hrs x 50 weeks
Description
Founders School is launching a groundbreaking high school in New York City with an unprecedented guarantee: students will produce $1 million in profit before they graduate, or their tuition will be fully refunded. Our vision, however, reaches well beyond a single institution. We are creating the first business simulation game in which every significant advancement is unlocked by developing authentic entrepreneurial competencies—pricing strategy, marketing execution, team building, and operational management.
This is the founding leadership position that will realize that ambition. You will control the game's creative trajectory, product roadmap, and engineering team, collaborating directly with Founders School's executive leadership. Your mandate is to evaluate the concept we have built, determine where it falls short, and refine a superior vision before guiding the team responsible for its execution.
The challenge is unmatched in both gaming and education. You must design a simulation that compels players to engage for hours at a time while measurably improving their ability to operate a real company. Most games deliver entertainment. Most educational tools fail to sustain attention. We are convinced both outcomes are achievable, and we are searching for the individual who can demonstrate it.
You will also influence how contemporary games are developed. AI must be embedded in every phase of your creative workflow—design iteration and balance tuning, prototyping, asset generation, playtest evaluation, and production management.
If you have long aspired to create the game that defines your legacy, this is that opportunity. If this resonates with you, we want to connect.
What you will be doing
• Establish and control the creative vision, core systems, and product strategy for a business simulation game that imparts genuine entrepreneurial capabilities through deeply engaging gameplay.
• Recruit and manage a senior game development team, attracting top-tier talent and fostering a culture of rapid iteration and continuous refinement.
• Collaborate with Founders School leadership, educators, and business operators to transform real-world commercial principles into captivating game mechanics.
• Integrate AI across the entire development pipeline to expedite design exploration, systems balancing, rapid prototyping, content generation, and production efficiency.
• Achieve concrete milestones, including a functional vertical slice within 12 months, validated teen playtests, and a robust platform for future simulation titles.
What you will NOT be doing
• Developing yet another conventional simulation game with predictable mechanics and minimal real-world relevance.
• Investing months in extensive design documentation rather than delivering playable iterations.
• Operating within a large organization where creative choices are delayed by bureaucratic approval chains.
• Viewing AI as a supplementary efficiency tool rather than a foundational element of your creative methodology.
• Producing educational content that players endure rather than experiences they eagerly return to.
Key responsibilities
Drive the development of the world's most compelling business simulation game by assembling the team, shaping the vision, and shipping a product that transforms players into better entrepreneurs through gameplay.
Success in Your First Year
• Within 6 months, you have shipped a playable vertical slice in which players advance through authentic business competencies by completing substantive gameplay objectives.
• Initial playtests reveal that teenagers reliably characterize the game as enjoyable before realizing the depth of their learning.
• You have recruited and onboarded the founding development team, establishing a rhythm of consistent, high-caliber releases.
• Within 12 months, you have deployed a closed beta exceeding 1,000 participants, secured 40%+ 30-day retention, and instituted a sustainable development tempo for producing new simulation experiences.
Candidate requirements
• Track record of shipping at least one commercially successful game that players authentically enjoyed, preferably on a team of 10 people or fewer.
• Proven experience directing cross-functional game development from initial concept to market launch.
• Advanced expertise in designing simulation, sandbox, systems-driven, strategy, or management games.
• Routine hands-on application of generative AI tools to enhance game design and development processes, with demonstrable recent examples of AI integration in your workflow.
• Enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and authentic conviction in the importance of creating profitable ventures.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and talent acquisition capabilities.
• Availability to work on-site in New York City.
• Authorization to work in the US without requiring sponsorship.
Nice to have
• History of shipping sandbox, tycoon, builder, management, or simulation games.
• Experience designing products tailored for audiences under 18.
• Background in embedding education or skill acquisition into entertainment experiences.
• Experience collaborating with high-profile brands, content creators, or licensed intellectual property.
• Demonstrated ability to scale a game team from early-stage concept through successful commercial launch.
Applying for a role? Here’s what to expect.
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Interview with the hiring manager.
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Accept job offer.
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