Staff UI Artist, Art and Motion Graphics

Level; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Level is seeking a Staff UI Artist and Motion Designer to lead UI visual language and motion systems across our educational products. You will define interface art, animation, and feedback, setting the craft bar and building reusable systems for multiple projects.

You will mentor junior designers, collaborate with engineers and product teams, and shape experiences that engage learners while delivering strong visuals. This senior role requires strong portfolio and leadership in dynamic teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in UI art and motion design within gaming or interactive media.
• Expert level proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (including After Effects).
• Hands-on experience implementing UI and animation in a modern game engine (Unity/Unreal).
• Experience with 2D/runtime animation tools such as Spine, Rive or Lottie.
• Ownership of a design system or UI component library across multiple products.
• A reel or portfolio showing interface craft and motion work.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the UI visual language across our products: layout, typography, iconography, color, and state design.
• Build and maintain component libraries and design systems that scale across projects and screen sizes.
• Produce polished, production-ready UI assets and see them through to final implementation in engine.
• Establish visual quality standards and uphold them within platform and performance constraints.
• Define the motion language: timing, easing, hierarchy, and choreography for responsive interfaces.
• Design and produce UI animation, transitions, and feedback that reinforce motivational frameworks.
• Create motion graphics for in-game moments, onboarding, marketing, and storytelling.
• Build reusable animation systems and templates, then implement in engine using visual/Nodes tools.
• Set best practices for asset creation, organization, optimization, and handoff; document workflows.
• Partner with engineering to define requirements for UI and animation systems across devices.
• Translate educational concepts into visual experiences aligned to learning goals.
• Mentor junior UI artists and motion designers to grow craft maturity.

Skills

UI art & motion design

Mentoring artists

Strong communication

UX principles

Portfolio review & critique

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

After Effects

Unity UI Toolkit

Sequencer

Unreal UMG

Spine

Rive

Lottie

Job description

Level is a learning technology company dedicated to helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to, not something they struggle through.

We Support What Teachers, Schools, And Parents Are Already Doing By Increasing Student Engagement With High Quality, Standards Aligned Practice That Reinforces Classroom Learning. That’s Why We’re Building

For students: Rewarding and motivating learning experiences that meet students where they are to build real academic proficiency.

For educators: Tools that fit naturally into instruction and help students stay engaged while reducing teacher workload.

For parents: Activities that help your kid catch up or get ahead, build confidence, and minimize homework battles, whether learning at school or at home.

We are committed to helping every person maximize their potential and live a life of meaning. It’s a difficult problem that requires brilliant people and tremendous effort over time.

Level is looking for an an experienced Staff UI Artist and Motion Designer to join our innovative team at LEVEL, where we're revolutionizing educational technology through engaging games and motivational frameworks. In this senior role, you'll own both halves of how our products feel in the users hands: the UI visual language and the motion language that brings it to life. You'll define the interface art, animation, and feedback systems that make learning feel rewarding, set the craft bar for how those systems are built and reused, and help shape products that genuinely impact learning outcomes and student engagement.

What You Will Do

UI Visual Systems

• Define and evolve the UI visual language across our products: layout, typography, iconography, color, and state design.
• Build and maintain the component libraries and design systems that scale across projects and screen sizes.
• Produce polished, production ready UI assets and see them through to final implementation in engine.
• Establish visual quality standards and hold them within platform and performance constraints.

Motion Design and Animation

• Define the motion language of our products: timing, easing, hierarchy, and choreography that make interfaces feel responsive and alive.
• Design and produce UI animation, transitions, and reward and progression feedback that reinforce our motivational frameworks.
• Create motion graphics for in game moments, onboarding, marketing, and product storytelling.
• Build reusable animation systems and templates, then implement and tune them in engine using visual and node based tools.

Craft Standards and Collaboration

• Set an example for the UI/UX team by establishing best practices for asset creation, organization, optimization, and handoff, and document the production workflow that supports them.
• Partner with engineering to define requirements and constraints for UI and animation systems, optimize assets across devices, and identify tooling that makes the team faster.
• Partner with game designers and product to translate educational concepts into compelling visual and motion experiences aligned to learning and engagement goals.
• Mentor junior UI artists and motion designers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and craft growth.

Direction and Innovation

• Inform the UI art and motion roadmap, anticipating future needs and shifts in educational gaming.
• Evaluate and integrate new tools and workflows that enhance our creative capabilities.
• Champion initiatives that improve both visual quality and the educational effectiveness of our products.

Qualifications

Need to Have

• 8+ years in UI art and motion design roles within gaming or interactive media, with strong depth in both disciplines.
• Expert level proficiency in industry standard design and animation software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite including After Effects, and comparable tools).
• Hands on experience implementing and tuning UI and animation in a modern game engine using its built in visual tooling (for example Unity UI Toolkit, Animator, and Timeline, or Unreal UMG and Sequencer).
• Experience with 2D and runtime animation pipelines such as Spine, Rive, or Lottie.
• Demonstrated ownership of a design system or UI component library used across multiple products.
• A reel or portfolio showing both interface craft and motion work, including interaction feedback and reward moments rather than linear video pieces alone.
• Strong grasp of UX principles and of platform and performance constraints, with the judgment to hit the visual bar within them.
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting and defending design decisions to non design stakeholders, and experience mentoring artists.

Nice to Have

• Shader, material, or VFX authoring in node based tools such as Shader Graph or Unreal's material editor, and familiarity with real time rendering optimization.
• Experience in educational technology, serious games, or gamification of learning content.
• Background in mobile game development and cross platform optimization.
• Familiarity with accessibility and inclusive design practices, including reduced motion considerations.
• Experience with version control (Git, Perforce) and agile development methodologies.
• Portfolio work combining entertainment with educational or behavioral outcomes, including motivational mechanics expressed through visual and motion design.