Lead UI Engineer - StarCraft | Irvine, CA

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 124,000 - 229,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, HSA/HRA

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays, vacation & sick time

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Irvine, CA is seeking a Lead UI Engineer to define the technical direction of StarCraft's user interface, architect scalable UI frameworks, and guide a team of engineers while collaborating with designers, artists, engineers, and production partners.

The role requires 8+ years in software with strong C++ and Unreal Engine UI experience. This position offers a hybrid work week with on-site Irvine days and remote flexibility.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with UI for games or interactive apps.
• Experience leading engineers or feature teams through full dev lifecycle.
• Experience shipping at least one commercially released title or large interactive product.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical vision and implementation strategy for UI across the game experience.
• Architect, develop, and maintain scalable, performant UI frameworks and workflows.
• Collaborate with designers, artists, engineers, and production to deliver engaging player experiences.
• Mentor and lead a team of UI engineers, setting priorities and ensuring code quality.
• Partner with leadership to plan milestones and align UI goals with broader game dev objectives.

Skills

C++ Proficiency

UI Frameworks

Unreal Engine

Team Leadership

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or equivalent in CS

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

Team Name: StarCraft

Job Title: Lead UI Engineer - StarCraft | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID: R028154

Job Description: Your Mission Blizzard Entertainment is assembling a team to build the next chapter of StarCraft, returning to a universe forged in interstellar war. This mission offers something new: crafting an original story-driven, open-world shooter while honoring the legacy of one of Blizzard's most beloved games. We are here to reignite this universe alongside you. We are here to make StarCraft, and it's about damn time. We are looking for a Lead UI Engineer to help craft this new game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will lead the technical direction, execution, and evolution of the game's user interface systems while helping build a collaborative and high-performing engineering team. You are comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose. This role offers a hybrid work week, with a mix of work-from-home and on-site days, based out of our Irvine studio.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Lead the technical vision and implementation strategy for user interface systems across the game experience.
• Architect, develop, and maintain scalable, performant, and extensible UI frameworks and workflows.
• Collaborate closely with designers, artists, engineers, and production partners to deliver intuitive and engaging player experiences.
• Guide a team of UI engineers through mentorship, technical leadership, prioritization, and day-to-day execution.
• Establish engineering standards, best practices, and code quality expectations for UI development.
• Partner with technical leadership to identify risks, plan milestones, and align team objectives with broader game development goals.
• Optimize user interface performance, memory usage, and platform compatibility for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
• Drive improvements to UI pipelines, tools, and workflows that enable efficient iteration across disciplines.
• Review designs and technical proposals, providing feedback that balances creative goals with technical requirements.
• Foster a collaborative environment that promotes continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and professional growth.

Minimum Requirements

• Experience 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with significant experience developing user interface systems for games or interactive applications.
• Experience leading engineers, technical initiatives, or feature teams through the full development lifecycle.
• Experience managing people, programs, or multidisciplinary efforts to achieve business and development objectives.
• Experience shipping at least one commercially released title or large-scale interactive product.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively within teams and foster productive partnerships across all departments.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire colleagues through an enthusiastic approach to game development and a commitment to continuous improvement of core skills.
• Ability to take initiative and manage responsibilities independently, demonstrating strong ownership and accountability.
• Experienced and knowledgeable player of a wide range of games; able to use this expertise to enhance creative decisions in game development.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong proficiency in C++ and modern software architecture principles.
• Extensive experience building UI systems, frameworks, and tooling for game development.
• Experience integrating user interfaces with gameplay systems, backend services, and platform features.
• Comprehensive understanding of performance optimization, memory management, and debugging practices.Experience working with Unreal Engine and related UI technologies.
• Experience leading technical reviews, architecture discussions, and engineering planning efforts.
• Strong understanding of accessibility considerations and player-centered design principles.
• Experience developing for PC, Xbox, and/or PlayStation platforms.

Key Attributes

• A collaborative, team-oriented approach to solving complex technical challenges.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical decisions across disciplines.
• A passion for creating polished, intuitive experiences for players.
• The ability to balance long-term technical health with immediate production needs.
• A commitment to mentoring engineers and fostering a culture of accountability and growth.
• Comfort operating within a dynamic environment and navigating fluid deadlines and changing priorities with purpose.

Extra Points

• Experience leading UI engineering teams on AAA game development projects.
• Experience developing UI editor tooling and content creation workflows.
• Experience supporting live-service or online game features.
• Experience integrating telemetry, analytics, or player feedback systems into UI workflows.
• Background working on action, role-playing, social, or open-world game experiences.
• Experience contributing to recruiting, interviewing, and career development efforts for engineers.

Your Platform

Your Platform At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we've been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We're on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences ever. Hard work, iteration, and polish go into the Blizzard secret recipe, but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us. Our World Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.

Rewards

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $124,000.00 - $229,400.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.

Blizzard Entertainment® is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. By focusing on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard Entertainment has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception.