Research Associate Professor Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Utah
Research associate professor visa sponsorship jobs in Utah are concentrated at the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University, with Salt Lake City and Logan as the main hiring hubs. These research-intensive institutions regularly sponsor international faculty across STEM, social sciences, and health disciplines, making Utah a steady market for academic visa sponsorship.
Find Research Associate Professor JobsOverview
Showing 3 of 43+ Research Associate Professor Jobs in Utah with Visa Sponsorship
See all 43+ Research Associate Professor Jobs in Utah with Visa Sponsorship
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Research Associate Professor Jobs in Utah with Visa Sponsorship.
Get Access To All JobsPosition Information
Proposed Faculty Rank Associate Professor
Department 01508 - Games
City Salt Lake City, UT
Track Tenure Track
New Position to Begin 7/1/2027
Details
The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Associate Professor in Games, with a focus on game design, to begin Fall 2027.
This hire is part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative, a $25 million, multi-year investment by the University of Utah in the faculty, facilities, and programs of the Division of Games. PRESS PLAY is growing both our teaching faculty and our research faculty, and new colleagues will help shape the next stage of games education and research at the U.
We seek an accomplished game designer with a substantial record of designing games, whose scholarship and research advance foundational knowledge of game design, including the principles, methods, and tools that inform how games are designed and made. Candidates should demonstrate strength in advancing that knowledge through its application to create compelling play experiences. Areas of particular interest include systems design, narrative design, level and world design, UX and interface design, and multiplayer and social systems design. These areas are examples rather than a complete list, and we welcome applications from candidates with expertise in any area of game design.
The successful candidate will lead a nationally and internationally recognized, externally funded research program and will play a leadership role in growing the Division’s research enterprise, including graduate education and collaborations across disciplines and funding agencies. They will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and mentor junior faculty and graduate students. They will also take a leading role, with Division leadership and faculty, in keeping our design curriculum current as tools, platforms, and development practices change, including the growing role of AI in how games are designed and built. We especially welcome candidates who connect these areas to broader domains of games research and practice, and whose work connects with other units in the College of Architecture and Planning, the Kahlert School of Computing, Psychology, Philosophy, the School of Medicine, or the University’s planned Institute for Digital Experience.
Necessary Qualifications
- A Ph.D. in a games-related field with a focus on areas of practice in game design.
- Experience with design research methods, such as research through design, rapid prototyping and iteration, playtesting, and the use of player feedback and data to evaluate and refine gameplay, together with fluency in the professional tools of game design, including commercial game engines and their scripting tools.
- A track record of peer-reviewed research in at least one area of game design, such as gameplay design, narrative design, interaction design, or level and world design, that advances foundational knowledge of how games are designed and made.
- Broad knowledge of games and game development practice, sufficient to teach in-person courses across the Division’s undergraduate and graduate curricula on the Salt Lake City campus.
- A sustained and substantive record of external research funding.
- Demonstrated commitment to teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
- Demonstrated capacity to contribute to university and professional service and leadership, such as collaborative curriculum development, unit or college administrative service roles, outreach to local industry and government partners, or recruitment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise in more than one area of game design, with demonstrated application in games designed and deployed.
- Research that advances principles, methods, or tools for designing games that includes the use of AI in game design workflows.
- Demonstrated academic leadership, such as directing a research lab, design studio, or center, leading interdisciplinary collaborations, or developing externally funded research programs involving multiple investigators, institutions, or industry partners.
About the Division
The Division of Games, in the College of Architecture + Planning, is a world leader in games education, with consistently top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Utah Games faculty includes artists, social scientists, games studies scholars, designers, and computer scientists who collectively work together on the mission to push the boundaries of what is possible in games. This plurality of backgrounds is one of the core elements within our identity. We strongly value inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, and seek to foster collaboration across the University of Utah. Currently, our faculty sustain ongoing collaborations with other units within the College of Architecture and Planning, as well as the School of Medicine, the Colleges of Education, Humanities, Science and Engineering, and other campus partners. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with the vibrant local game development community and other significant game industry-wide partners.
Our unit is committed to being a responsible member of our campus and professional community, and we strive to recruit and support faculty committed to acting in furtherance of our unit’s values. Interested candidates may view these values by visiting the University of Utah's website.
If you are interested in joining us to build a culture of academic excellence; to create ideas that advance our understanding of games; to share those ideas with our students, communities, and society; and to apply those ideas to change the world for the better, we strongly encourage you to apply.
About the College of Architecture and Planning
The University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning (CA+P) is a community of award-winning faculty, entrepreneurial students, and support staff that together form a creative community unlike any other. The College is home to four academic units: the School of Architecture, the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, the Division of Games, and the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design, as well as multiple research centers and collaboratives. Across these units are top-ranked academic programs, outstanding researchers with a strong commitment to addressing defining issues of our time, and a record of unsurpassed societal impact. As part of a campus that values innovation and interdisciplinarity, the College is transforming its disciplines and training graduates to become leaders and changemakers in the built and virtual environments globally.
About the University of Utah
The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.
EEO/Non-Discrimination Information
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.
Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number, can be located on the University of Utah's website.
Online reports may be submitted on the University of Utah's website.
Notice
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
Special Instructions for Candidates
All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and proceed until the position is filled. The position will start July 1, 2027.
Application Materials
To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:
- Current CV
- Cover letter describing your interest in the position, identifying the area(s) of game design expertise for which you wish to be considered in evaluation and summarizing your research expertise and personal academic goals.
- A Teaching Statement that addresses your experience and plans for teaching and student mentoring.
- A Research Statement describing your current and planned research, including the design work through which that research is carried out.
- Up to three representative publications.
- Contact information for three references.
These materials should make clear how the applicant meets each of the necessary qualifications for the position and, at the candidate’s discretion, how the applicant meets our preferred qualifications beyond the necessary ones.
Open Date 11/03/2026
Close Date
Open Until Filled Yes
Requisition Number PRN01621CF
Type Faculty
Position Information
Proposed Faculty Rank Associate Professor
Department 01508 - Games
City Salt Lake City, UT
Track Tenure Track
New Position to Begin 7/1/2027
Details
The Division of Games at the University of Utah invites applications for a tenure-line Associate Professor in Games, with a focus on game design, to begin Fall 2027.
This hire is part of the PRESS PLAY Initiative, a $25 million, multi-year investment by the University of Utah in the faculty, facilities, and programs of the Division of Games. PRESS PLAY is growing both our teaching faculty and our research faculty, and new colleagues will help shape the next stage of games education and research at the U.
We seek an accomplished game designer with a substantial record of designing games, whose scholarship and research advance foundational knowledge of game design, including the principles, methods, and tools that inform how games are designed and made. Candidates should demonstrate strength in advancing that knowledge through its application to create compelling play experiences. Areas of particular interest include systems design, narrative design, level and world design, UX and interface design, and multiplayer and social systems design. These areas are examples rather than a complete list, and we welcome applications from candidates with expertise in any area of game design.
The successful candidate will lead a nationally and internationally recognized, externally funded research program and will play a leadership role in growing the Division’s research enterprise, including graduate education and collaborations across disciplines and funding agencies. They will teach undergraduate and graduate courses and mentor junior faculty and graduate students. They will also take a leading role, with Division leadership and faculty, in keeping our design curriculum current as tools, platforms, and development practices change, including the growing role of AI in how games are designed and built. We especially welcome candidates who connect these areas to broader domains of games research and practice, and whose work connects with other units in the College of Architecture and Planning, the Kahlert School of Computing, Psychology, Philosophy, the School of Medicine, or the University’s planned Institute for Digital Experience.
Necessary Qualifications
- A Ph.D. in a games-related field with a focus on areas of practice in game design.
- Experience with design research methods, such as research through design, rapid prototyping and iteration, playtesting, and the use of player feedback and data to evaluate and refine gameplay, together with fluency in the professional tools of game design, including commercial game engines and their scripting tools.
- A track record of peer-reviewed research in at least one area of game design, such as gameplay design, narrative design, interaction design, or level and world design, that advances foundational knowledge of how games are designed and made.
- Broad knowledge of games and game development practice, sufficient to teach in-person courses across the Division’s undergraduate and graduate curricula on the Salt Lake City campus.
- A sustained and substantive record of external research funding.
- Demonstrated commitment to teaching and/or mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
- Demonstrated capacity to contribute to university and professional service and leadership, such as collaborative curriculum development, unit or college administrative service roles, outreach to local industry and government partners, or recruitment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise in more than one area of game design, with demonstrated application in games designed and deployed.
- Research that advances principles, methods, or tools for designing games that includes the use of AI in game design workflows.
- Demonstrated academic leadership, such as directing a research lab, design studio, or center, leading interdisciplinary collaborations, or developing externally funded research programs involving multiple investigators, institutions, or industry partners.
About the Division
The Division of Games, in the College of Architecture + Planning, is a world leader in games education, with consistently top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Utah Games faculty includes artists, social scientists, games studies scholars, designers, and computer scientists who collectively work together on the mission to push the boundaries of what is possible in games. This plurality of backgrounds is one of the core elements within our identity. We strongly value inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, and seek to foster collaboration across the University of Utah. Currently, our faculty sustain ongoing collaborations with other units within the College of Architecture and Planning, as well as the School of Medicine, the Colleges of Education, Humanities, Science and Engineering, and other campus partners. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with the vibrant local game development community and other significant game industry-wide partners.
Our unit is committed to being a responsible member of our campus and professional community, and we strive to recruit and support faculty committed to acting in furtherance of our unit’s values. Interested candidates may view these values by visiting the University of Utah's website.
If you are interested in joining us to build a culture of academic excellence; to create ideas that advance our understanding of games; to share those ideas with our students, communities, and society; and to apply those ideas to change the world for the better, we strongly encourage you to apply.
About the College of Architecture and Planning
The University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning (CA+P) is a community of award-winning faculty, entrepreneurial students, and support staff that together form a creative community unlike any other. The College is home to four academic units: the School of Architecture, the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, the Division of Games, and the Division of Multi-Disciplinary Design, as well as multiple research centers and collaboratives. Across these units are top-ranked academic programs, outstanding researchers with a strong commitment to addressing defining issues of our time, and a record of unsurpassed societal impact. As part of a campus that values innovation and interdisciplinarity, the College is transforming its disciplines and training graduates to become leaders and changemakers in the built and virtual environments globally.
About the University of Utah
The University of Utah is a Carnegie Research I institution located in Salt Lake City, nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. With thriving arts and culinary scenes, and an exploding high technology sector, Salt Lake City offers a unique mix of urban life juxtaposed with access to remarkable national parks, ski resorts, hiking and climbing, and more, just minutes away from campus.
EEO/Non-Discrimination Information
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.
Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number, can be located on the University of Utah's website.
Online reports may be submitted on the University of Utah's website.
Notice
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
Special Instructions for Candidates
All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and proceed until the position is filled. The position will start July 1, 2027.
Application Materials
To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:
- Current CV
- Cover letter describing your interest in the position, identifying the area(s) of game design expertise for which you wish to be considered in evaluation and summarizing your research expertise and personal academic goals.
- A Teaching Statement that addresses your experience and plans for teaching and student mentoring.
- A Research Statement describing your current and planned research, including the design work through which that research is carried out.
- Up to three representative publications.
- Contact information for three references.
These materials should make clear how the applicant meets each of the necessary qualifications for the position and, at the candidate’s discretion, how the applicant meets our preferred qualifications beyond the necessary ones.
Open Date 11/03/2026
Close Date
Open Until Filled Yes
Requisition Number PRN01621CF
Type Faculty
Research Associate Professor Job Roles in Utah
See all 43+ Research Associate Professor Jobs in Utah
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Research Associate Professor Jobs in UtahResearch Associate Professor Jobs in Utah: Frequently Asked Questions
Which visa types fit research associate professor roles in Utah?
Research associate professor positions at Utah universities typically qualify for the H-1B visa, which covers specialty occupations requiring a directly related bachelor's degree or higher. Canadian and Mexican citizens may also qualify under TN visa status, which covers college and university teachers. J-1 visa exchange visitor status is another common path, particularly for roles structured as visiting scholar or research appointments through a designated sponsor organization. F-1 students finishing degrees may use OPT to gain initial work authorization before an employer pursues longer-term sponsorship.
Which universities and institutions sponsor visas for research associate professors in Utah?
The University of Utah is the state's most active sponsor, particularly through its health sciences, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences colleges. Utah State University in Logan sponsors international faculty across agricultural sciences, education, and engineering. Brigham Young University in Provo also hires sponsored research faculty, though its volume is smaller. Intermountain Health and research arms of Utah's federal installations, including the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, occasionally post research faculty positions with sponsorship available.
Which cities in Utah have the most research associate professor sponsorship jobs?
Salt Lake City generates the highest volume of research associate professor sponsorship activity, anchored by the University of Utah's main campus and its affiliated health system. Logan is the next most active city, driven by Utah State University's research programs. Provo sees consistent postings through Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. St. George and Ogden have smaller research faculty pipelines, though Utah Tech University and Weber State University do occasionally post sponsored positions.
How to find research associate professor visa sponsorship jobs in Utah?
Migrate Mate lists research associate professor positions at Utah employers verified to sponsor international candidates, letting you search specifically within Utah without sorting through roles that don't offer sponsorship. Because academic hiring cycles at the University of Utah, Utah State University, and other institutions tend to open in fall and spring, checking Migrate Mate regularly during those windows increases your chances of finding active openings before they close.
Are there any state-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for research associate professors in Utah?
Utah's research economy is shaped heavily by its university system and a growing life sciences and technology sector along the Wasatch Front. Research associate professor roles tied to federally funded grants often have stronger sponsorship timelines, since funding certainty helps employers commit to multi-year H-1B petitions. Some positions at faith-affiliated institutions like BYU may have additional hiring criteria beyond immigration requirements. Utah's relatively lower cost of living compared to coastal research hubs can also affect prevailing wage determinations under H-1B and TN filings.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored research associate professor jobs in Utah?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.