Games and Play Program Developer

foundry10 is an education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. We offer competitive salaries, benefits, and vacation time. Full-time employment at foundry10 is a four-day work week. This is not a remote position. Candidates must live in Washington State and be able to work in person in the greater Seattle area as needed. We are not able to sponsor visa applications, and to be considered for this position, you must be eligible to work in the United States. To protect our staff, partners, and the youth we serve, we require all foundry10 employees to adhere to our masking and COVID testing policies when working in person.

Summary of Role

Program Developers execute essential exploratory and evaluative education fieldwork for foundry10. Through cultivating partnerships, ongoing professional development, and grounding their work in evidence-based best practices and relevant research, Program Developers identify gaps and needs in their respective fields of impact and expertise. They then design, develop, and deploy educational programming and resources to bridge those gaps and meet those needs.

Program Developers must consider the ongoing impact and sustainability of their program work and be able to identify needs and opportunities for further evaluation, iteration, and expansion. In order to do this, Program Developers will work with foundry10’s Research, Sharing, and Philanthropy pillars to pursue critical questions and further study, engage in impactful storytelling, and initiate responsive giving of resources and funds.

A foundry10 Program Developer is ultimately responsible for the development, delivery, and evaluation of educational programming and resources for foundry10. This individual will be furthering our educational programming work on the Creativity, Design, and Play Team. We are seeking expertise in youth learning involving games and play, including tabletop games, video games, and playful learning. The ideal candidate is an experienced educator who thinks expansively about how games and play can impact learning and has experience working with a wide range of audiences and ages.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $70,000 to $112,625 per year and reports to the Education Program Manager.

Responsibilities

• Identify needs and gaps in games and play-based learning by analyzing partner needs, trends, relevant research, professional development, and current events.
• Develop and design educational programs and curricula for K-12 youth to be offered directly through foundry10, or in conjunction with schools and community partners.
• Deliver programs to groups of youth in-person, onsite, or online for schools, partner facilities, and public venues.
• Collaborates with the Program Evaluator and the Program Pillar admin team to evaluate the impact of the offered educational program.
• Coordinate with the Program Pillar admin team to hire, onboard, and manage the work of part-time educators.
• Serve as an internal and external representative of the Program Pillar to help support and guide projects, goal setting, and focus for the Creativity, Design, and Play Team and Program Pillar; this includes:
  • Collaborating with researchers to create research questions and contribute to program based research projects
  • Identifying and recommending impactful and responsive philanthropy initiatives
  • Collaborating with the Sharing Pillar to communicate impactful learning, resources, and stories through a variety of formats such as reports, videos, infographics, blog posts, and social media.
• Represent foundry10 Programs in education spaces; in schools, community organizations, conferences, within publications, and face-to-face with a variety of community partners

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Minimum five years’ experience in games or play-based education. This could include teaching with tabletop games, video games, game design, play interventions, early learning games, and guided play experiences in formal or informal learning settings.
• Two years’ experience teaching and facilitating youth in a traditional or non-traditional education setting.
• Minimum two years’ experience creating K-12 curriculum, and developing education programs for youth
• Understanding of learning standards and application within K-12 teaching environments.
• Track record and passion for advocating for youth and education.
• Experience serving as a positive role model to children and youth.

Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge

• Demonstrated ability to work highly collaboratively with a wide range of people.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to speak and present to groups of youth and adults.
• Track record of listening, patience and understanding with youth.
• Excellent organizational skills and abilities to understand budgeting.
• Ability to respond to individual and group learning experiences.
• Skills and abilities in games and play-based education.

foundry10 offers competitive salary and benefits that include:

• A 4-day workweek
• A flexible and hybrid work schedule
• Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their dependents
• $1,500 yearly education stipend
• $3,000 yearly wellness and hobby stipend, before taxes
• Generous paid time off that includes:
  • 4 weeks of vacation time annually and additional accrual with tenure
  • 12 paid holidays
  • 56 hours of paid sick and safe leave frontloaded annually
  • Week-long office closures twice a year - each summer and winter
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
• Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee
• Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance paid fully by foundry10

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please outline your experience in using games and play in a K-12 learning environment. Applicants without a cover letter will not be considered. Priority will be given to applications received by April 30, 2025.

Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs. foundry10 strives to provide a work environment free from discrimination and harassment because of a protected characteristic. The organization does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, color, creed, citizenship, status, national origin, ancestry, gender, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, age, religion, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities with the application and interviewing process as well as essential job functions.