Careers
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Play VideoWe seek passionate, creative, and open-minded professionals; people who leave a positive impact on not only the project, but on their fellow coworkers. If you seek to join a company where you can be proud to do your best work, learn how we can work together.
“To create experiences we are proud of, with people we like, in order to make the world a better place.”
People First
Above all else at Schell Games, we value and prioritize our people. Each person makes up a part of the vibrant culture at Schell Games and each new hire is an addition to that culture. We’re always looking for curious, creative, and kind individuals who want to grow with the studio! Our goal with benefits and total compensation is to remove obstacles so you can be your best creative self. We’ve highlighted a few of our unique, industry-leading benefits below:
Physical Health
We value your health and have made it a priority to provide you and your family with medical, dental, and vision coverage that is affordable, accessible, and effective, starting on your first day.
Emotional Health
Your well being extends beyond the physical. Not only do we provide generous vacation time, but we have multiple Employee Assistance Programs, a supportive management structure, and an anonymous feedback system that is answered directly by our CEO, Jesse Schell.
Financial Security
Besides having a sustainably-sized workforce that has never had a layoff, we have a 401(k) program with low fee funds, a company match, and education opportunities to help you reach your retirement goals.
Professional Development
We have a clear title structure that breaks down the attributes and qualities needed for advancement. We have semi-annual feedback sessions so you know how you are doing, and provide funds and additional leave so you can attend classes or conferences to aid your professional growth.
Social Connectedness
We are committed to the city of Pittsburgh. We are constantly looking for ways to give back to our community and provide you with opportunities for further engagement.
Other
In addition, we offer:
- Family-Friendly Benefits. Parental leave for new parents, a health insurance plan that covers IVF, an adoption benefit, and Paid Family Care Leave.
- Jam Week. One week a year we suspend all projects and have a Game Jam with copious amounts of food and snacks.
- Work-Life Balance. Seriously, if you’re crunching, we’re doing something wrong.
Culture Accolades
Our People
Our diverse team of highly talented artists, programmers, producers, and game designers work collaboratively to create transformative experiences across a wide variety of platforms. We need people who are flexible and looking to develop new skills, and individuals who are highly specialized in a subdiscipline. Check out a few of our amazing team members:
Josh He/Him
Advanced Artist
"I've learned a lot from the friends and coworkers I have here at Schell Games."
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Laura She/Her
Product Support Specialist
"The way Schell Games encourages everyone to thrive and have a good time while collaborating makes work fun and exciting."
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Addie She/Her
Game Designer
"Schell Games is full of some of the most friendly, encouraging, and intelligent people I have ever met."
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Josh He/Him
Advanced QA Specialist
"I've never had a job where I've felt safer, more invested, and more valued as a part of the community."
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Zada She/Her
IT Technician
"The best thing about working at Schell Games is the instant 100+ friends you make as soon as you walk through the door."
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Cory He/Him
Game Engineer
"The best thing about Schell Games is the community. Everyone is willing to go out of their way to help and teach each other new things."
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Conor He/Him
Game Producer
"Schell takes on such a variety of projects that there is a very good chance that you or a colleague could be working on the next big thing at any time."
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Russell He/Him
Principal Engineering Manager
"The leadership here takes into account the personal well-being of the employees, and that influences a lot of other aspects of the people and culture here."
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Anna She/Her
Advanced Producer
"The best part about working at Schell Games is working with amazing people who really do their best to bring their best every day!"
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Alexis She/Her
Director of Product Management
"The work culture is the best of anywhere I have worked."
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Abby
Advanced Artist
"I get to do what I love every day, and I have the freedom to explore the things that I am interested in."
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Kirsten She/Her
Senior Production Manager
"I'm working on interesting and challenging projects with great people in a fun and supportive environment!"
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Todd
Senior Artist
"One of the best things about working at Schell Games is getting to create games with all the talented and unique minds. It really makes coming to work everyday that much better."
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Lauren She/Her
Senior Director of Human Resources
"If I had to choose the best thing about Schell Games, I would settle on getting to work with phenomenally talented and kind people."
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Ryan He/Him
Advanced Designer
"Events, celebrations, seminars and talks are all opportunities to share, connect and develop a positive reputation within the studio."
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Chris He/Him
Senior Artist
"I get to do what I love in a stress-free environment. Schell Games really cares about us and they make sure that Iʼm free to go home and spend time with my family."
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Brooke She/Her
Senior Director of Education
"Everyone at Schell Games has a commitment to making the best possible player experiences while maintaining a healthy work-life balance."
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Mike
Senior Animator
"There is a commitment to quality here that everyone shares that I really appreciate."
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Francisco He/Him
Senior Design Manager
"Youʼll never find a cooler group of game developers."
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Zachary He/Him
Senior Concept Artist
"This is a company that truly understands the nature of how to be creative. They encourage you to try things and even if you “fail”, itʼs just another step in the process to success."
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Shawn He/Him
Principal Designer
"The people and culture of testing and iteration are the best parts of Schell Games."
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Ryan He/Him
Senior Artist
"Schell encourages you to grow as an artist by participating in workshops, conventions and classes."
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William
Principal Engineer
"The Schell Games office is pretty awesome. It is located in a great location that is close to downtown Pittsburgh."
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Jared He/Him
Senior Designer
"Schell Games doesnʼt pursue the flavor of the day, but roots itself in the stable projects and visions that allow our continued success over a long period, and jobs for its employees."
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Mike He/Him
Senior Engineering Manager
"Itʼs a really great group of talented creative people weʼve got here."
View My StoryWelcome To Pittsburgh
Whether you’re big on culture, arts, and inner-city living, or having both land in the suburbs and a reasonable commute, we like to think Pittsburgh has something for everyone. The city itself is made up of over 90 unique neighborhoods, all within a 10-mile radius of the office, and each with its own personality. We’re proud to be a part of the thriving tech industry while enjoying the region’s low cost of living. Over half of our team members own homes, both in the city and surrounding areas.
Pittsburgh Median Home Value
$200,195
Compare With
Austin - $454,896
Boston - $659,826
Chicago - $276,992
Los Angeles - $809,865
New York - $657,637
Raleigh - $315,046
San Francisco - $1,400,444
Seattle - $813,154
Washington DC - $672,601
Home Value Index
Data from
Last Updated 3/1/2021
Interns & Fellows
Interns & Fellows
Our internships are both competitive and impact-making - you’re treated as a full team member doing real tasks. It’s a great opportunity to experience game development in a professional, supportive setting. Our programs run during the spring (Jan-May), summer (Jun-Aug), and fall (Aug-Dec), and we work with various institutions to provide cooperative work education experiences. You must be currently enrolled as a student to qualify for an internship. If no current internship is listed, please apply via “Future Internship General Submission” for consideration in the next applicable round.
If you are not currently a student, but are looking to break into the games industry, you may qualify for a post-graduate fellowship. Fellowships are six-to-nine month experiences that function much like an internship but are not limited to academic calendar years and have better perks! Please apply via “General Submission” and indicate your interest in being considered for our fellowship program.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ's
What's the best (and only) way to apply?
The careers section of our website (www.schellgames.com/careers) has all of our available openings listed, and there is an “Apply for this Job” button on each post. We are notified by email each time someone submits an application. This is the only way to ensure that your application will be reviewed. Note, if you know an employee at the studio and want them to put in a good (or great) word for you, please apply via the website, list their name in the “Referred By” section, and have them send HR an email telling us the many ways in which you are awesome.
What if there aren’t any openings for my skill set listed?
Don’t freak out - we are always looking for talented people! Our General Submission posts (both full-time and internship) are there all the time so we can receive applications from all possible candidates. If we have a specific need, we typically advertise that opening in a separate post and then go through our existing candidate pool from the general submission posts and convert those applications to active consideration.
Will I always hear back something from my application?
Now that you have applied, we can assure you that your application was not swallowed by a black hole. All candidates will get an acknowledgment that we have received your application. Additionally, we will let all candidates know of the status of their application to specific job postings periodically throughout the hiring process.
If you send your application through our General Submission post, we will review the application periodically as specific job postings arise. If we find your application matches a newly posted position, we will notify you accordingly. To stay on top of all job postings from Schell Games, we recommend setting a Google Alert for new postings or checking back frequently to see if your specific skill set has its own post!
How do I make my application stronger?
We always recommend having a portfolio of some sort, whether it’s your own personal website, or a Dropbox folder of stuff you’ve worked on. Having some prototypes, code samples, or artwork readily available helps demonstrate your passion and commitment!
Should I only include finished products in my portfolio?
No way! How you got to the finished product is just as important (if not more so) than the finished work itself. It’s also helpful to call out on a portfolio item what exactly you contributed if it was a team effort. Check out game designer Marlena Abraham's post: "Creating a Killer Game Design Portfolio: What To Include and Why."
What else should I highlight in my application?
Schell Games is a highly collaborative environment, so if you have examples of working in cross-discipline teams, we would love to have you share! A great way to do this is by writing a development blog where you discuss difficult challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve solved tricky problems as a team.
Do I need a certain degree or educational background to apply?
Not necessarily! Making games is hard, but if you’re dedicated, it’s easy to find resources to help. Full, professional video game engines are available to you, right now, for free. Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, and a plethora of smaller tools can be found with a simple web search, and most won’t charge you to start developing. There are also tutorials to help you get started using them. YouTube tutorials, quick start guides, and blog posts about individual problems are all at your fingertips. Nobody has ever gotten a job in the video game industry based on the strength of their ideas alone. Making video games is fun, but it’s also a lot of work, and you need to show you are willing and able to take that work on.
Having nothing to show for yourself except a dream and a degree is much, much worse than having a portfolio full of small, simple mods/art/games that you’ve seen through to completion.*
Full Benefits List
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Physical
Emotional
Financial
Professional
Social
Medical
We cover a large portion of the premiums for your UPMC medical plan. We also provide an HRA that covers 85% of the in-network deductible. For other costs you can use a medical FSA, which we frontload at the beginning of the year. Coverage starts on your first day.
Dental
The plan has no deductible and you still have great rates. Coverage includes two cleanings a year and a tiered benefit schedule based on what procedures you have done.
Vision
For a small copay you get one exam every twelve months and can use your benefit towards glasses or contacts in that same period.
Sick Leave
Because we want a healthy workplace, everyone gets 10 sick days per year that can be used for when you are feeling ill or are going to a scheduled medical/dental/vision exam.
Short-Term Disability
Combined with the benefit from our Short-Term Disability provider, Schell Games provides up to 6 week of 100% paid leave, and 6 weeks of 50% paid leave. The period of 50% paid leave can be supplemented with vacation or sick leave.
Long-Term Disability
The studio provides Long-term Disability Insurance. LTD insurance pays 60% of your salary up to a $10,000 monthly maximum, minus taxes, should you become disabled for a period of longer than 90 days. This benefit will be reduced in the event you qualify for Social Security Disability.
Vacation Leave
Everyone needs a break and time to recharge, so all full-time employees get 18 days of paid vacation. If you start in the middle of the year, you get a prorated amount. There is no waiting period to start using your time.
Company Holidays
The studio offers 13 paid holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving. Additionally, the studio is closed for Winter Break from December 24th through January 1st.
Parental Leave
All new parents are automatically eligible for 1 week of 100% paid Parental Leave, followed by 6 weeks of 50% paid Parental Leave that can be supplemented with Vacation and Sick Leave. Our Short-Term Disability will also apply for pregnancies.
Family Care Leave
After missing 5 days of work to care for a family member experiencing a critical decline in health requiring doctor’s care or a serious health condition requiring intensive care, an employee will be eligible for 10 days of Paid Family Care Leave. Employees are eligible once in a twelve month period.
Bereavement Leave
The studio provides up to three paid days for the passing of an immediate family member and one paid day for non-immediate family members.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The EAPs from both Unum and UPMC provide employees with a wide range of resources and help in areas including Family, Health, Life, Money and Work. This can include mental health professionals or lawyers, and is anonymous as far as Schell Games is concerned.
401(k)
We want to help you make good steps towards your retirement so we auto-enroll you at a 5% contribution rate. We'll escalate you by 1% a year until you reach 10%, so you'll get our full match. Once you're at a 10% contribution rate you'll receive the maximum employer match of 3.5% of your salary. You can choose from a tax deferred 401(k) or a Roth 401(k).
Professional Development
The studio allows all employees the opportunity to attend conferences, seminars, and classes that will aid in their professional development. Accordingly, the studio will, in addition to granting paid time off (Development Leave days), reimburse the employee for 2/3 of the total cost of attendance, including registration, hotel, and transportation costs. This benefit is limited to $1,200 per employee per year.
Jam Week
One week every year we stop our projects and have a Game Jam. We feed you all day and let you choose what kind of game you want to make. Occasionally, projects from Jam Week go on to become funded studio projects.
Employees enjoy memberships to:
- IGDA
- VR/AR Association
- Mattress Factory
- The Children’s Museum
- AIXR Membership