Macmillan Learning is a privately-held, family-owned digital learning company that inspires what's possible for every learner. Our tools, content, and services are grounded in research and designed to support learning, wherever and however it takes place. To learn more, please visit our newsroom or macmillanlearning.com.
The EngagementThis is a contractor opportunity and does not constitute an offer of employment with Macmillan Learning.
We're expanding our interactive learning capabilities and looking for a Senior Game Design Consultant to bring dedicated game design expertise across a range of projects, from scenario-driven simulations to lightweight mini-games and interactives. You'll partner with a multidisciplinary group of product designers, researchers, product managers, software engineers, and content creators, contributing fresh game design thinking to how our learners and instructors experience our digital products.
Reporting to the Director of Product Design, your work will directly shape the interactive experiences that bring our learning content to life.
Scope of Services- You'll architect core loops, progression models, and level layouts for scenario-driven learning simulations.
- You'll develop visual storyboards mapping narrative arcs, character contexts, and branching player choices.
- You'll design lightweight mini-games and interactive widgets that complement digital course materials.
- You'll break simulations into reusable components, variables, and rule sets to support templatized scenario development.
- You'll collaborate with product designers, researchers, product managers, engineers, and content creators to align interactive concepts with learning goals.
- You'll coordinate with engineers to ensure game mechanics translate cleanly into production builds.
- You'll use AI tools to prototype assets and test game feel during the design process.
- Simulation Design Specifications: Documentation of core loops, progression models, and level layouts for scenario-driven simulations, structured for reuse across scenarios, industries, or difficulty tiers.
- Storyboards and Narrative Maps: Visual storyboards covering narrative arcs, character contexts, and branching player-choice paths, delivered in a format ready for team review and engineering handoff.
- Mini-Game and Interactive Prototypes: Playable prototypes of lightweight mini-games or interactive widgets for stakeholder review.
- Engineering Handoff Documentation: Mechanics specifications prepared for the engineering team, aligned with the relevant engine or framework.
- Demonstrated game design craft, with a portfolio showing strong mechanics, systems design, and player feedback loops.
- Skilled at breaking simulations into reusable components, variables, and rule sets to support scenario templatization.
- Strong visual storytelling and storyboarding ability, translating complex ideas into narrative arcs and branching paths.
- Comfortable moving between high-level mechanics design, hands-on grayboxing, and narrative framing as an independent contributor.
- Engine or framework literacy (e.g., Unity, Phaser, PixiJS, WebGL) sufficient to hand off specs to an engineering team.
- Experience using AI generation tools to accelerate design workflows.
- Background in EdTech or education-focused product work.
- Interest in turning abstract concepts into satisfying, rewarding gameplay loops.
- Engagement type: Contractor
- Duration: Estimated 6 month engagement
- Time commitment: 40 hours/week
- Location: Remote, US-based
- Compensation: $70-$90/hour
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Skills Required
- Demonstrated game design craft with a portfolio showing strong mechanics, systems design, and player feedback loops
- Ability to break simulations into reusable components, variables, and rule sets for scenario templatization
- Strong visual storytelling and storyboarding ability, including narrative arcs and branching paths
- Ability to work across high-level mechanics design, hands-on grayboxing, and narrative framing independently
- Engine or framework literacy, such as Unity, Phaser, PixiJS, or WebGL
- Experience using AI generation tools to accelerate design workflows
- Background in EdTech or education-focused product work
- Interest in creating satisfying and rewarding gameplay loops
What We Do
We deeply believe in the power of books to connect people, amplify diverse voices, create meaningful change, and make a lasting impact in the world. Macmillan Publishers is a leading publishing company and home to some of the world's most cherished authors and creators. We are firmly committed to our employees, authors, and core values — and strive to build a culture that is inclusive of diverse voices and perspectives throughout all levels of the company. Our U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, The St. Martin's Publishing Group, and Tor Publishing Group. Macmillan Publishers is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to reflecting a broad representation of differences — race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical ability, age, family status, economic background and status, geographical background and status, and perspective — in our workplace.
