Lead UI Technical Designer

31st Union; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 156,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Paid holidays

Paid vacation 15–25 days

Paid sick days up to 10

Parental leave

Wellbeing programs

Commuter benefits

401(k) plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Job summary

31st Union is seeking a Lead UI Technical Designer to own and evolve our in-game UI systems at scale. You will drive implementation of key UI features with designers, artists, producers, engineers, and more, taking autonomy to deliver high-quality, performant experiences.

You will lead the UI tech design efforts, mentor teammates, and help shape XD tooling and pipelines. This role is onsite/hybrid in California with a strong emphasis on collaboration and technical excellence.

Qualifications

• Experience building UI systems in UE4/UE5 with Blueprints/UMG.
• Ability to solve complex technical/design problems with engineers.
• Lead initiatives and own complex UI systems.

Responsibilities

• Champion design, iteration, and maintenance of UI systems (widgets, menus, animations) using Unreal Engine at expert level.
• Establish UI Blueprint architecture and optimize for cross-platform performance.
• Evaluate new tools/tech to enhance XD across gameplay and interactive elements.
• Translate UX designs into performant in-engine implementations and ensure integration with game systems.
• Develop scalable UI Materials workflows for widgets and collaboration with UX/UI teams.
• Collaborate with UX designers, UI artists, engineers, and audio for aligned implementation.
• Foster a collaborative culture within Experience Design and mentor team members.
• Contribute to hiring and onboarding as the UI tech design function grows.

Skills

Unreal Engine UI

Blueprint scripting

UI performance optimization

Technical leadership

Tools

Unreal Engine

UMG

C++

C#

Job description

WE ARE GAME MAKERS

Who We Are:

We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.

Who You Are:

We’re seeking a Lead UI Technical Designer with exceptional technical fluency, creative vision, and leadership potential to own and evolve our in-game UI systems at scale. You’ll own and drive the implementation of key UI features, working closely with designers, artists, producers, engineers and more. We’re a studio that values autonomy and self-drive in developers who are empowered to do the best work of their careers. If this is you, let’s talk!

Responsibilities:

• Champion the design, iteration, and maintenance of various UI systems. This includes dynamic widgets, responsive menus, and high-fidelity animations using Unreal Engine, Blueprint visual scripting, and AngelScript at an expert level.
• Establish, document, and promote UI Blueprint architecture best practices and workflows, driving optimization strategies to ensure consistency, scalability, and performance across all UI systems for multiple platforms.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging tools and technologies to enhance Experience Design (XD) across gameplay and other interactive elements.
• Translate and improve UX designs into performant in-engine implementations while ensuring seamless integration of UI visuals and behavior with underlying game systems.
• Establish and Reinforce UI Material workflows for widgets - creating scalable, clear and performant UI Materials for our widgets.
• Partner closely with UX designers, UI artists, gameplay engineers, backend developers, and audio teams to align UI implementation with gameplay vision and technical feasibility.
• Build out a collaborative development culture across the Experience Design department (UX, UI, UITD, and UI Engineering).
• Mentor fellow technical designers and cross-functional collaborators. Contribute to growing the Technical UI function, including involvement in hiring and onboarding as the team scales.

Required Qualifications:

• Extensive experience building, debugging, and optimizing UI systems in UE4 or UE5 using Blueprints and UMG. Familiarity with UI materials, animation systems, and widget architecture is essential.
• Ability to analyze and solve sophisticated technical and design problems while collaborating closely with engineers to contribute to the technical roadmap for XD features.
• Deep understanding of data flow, modularity, and performance in UI systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives independently, drive decision-making, and take full ownership of complex UI systems.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced environments and evolving pipelines. Eager to prototype, iterate, and respond constructively to feedback.

Relevant Experience:

• Prior experience shipping high-quality UI in a AAA game environment is highly desirable.
• Solid grasp of scripting and programming fundamentals such as C++ or C#.
• Experience contributing to or leading a UI tech design team.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $155,600 and $230,300 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses. Ontario only: The use of Artificial Intelligence is not being used to screen candidates. The position is for an existing vacancy.

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