Senior UI Engineer

PlayStation Global
Full-time•$145k-218kundefined (USD)
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📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UI Engineer

Company: PlayStation Global

Location: United States, Remote

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UI Engineering, Game Development, User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: June 16, 2025

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Remote

🎨 Role Summary

  • Develop and maintain robust, production-quality UI systems and workflows for a new game IP using Unreal Engine 5.
  • Translate the UX vision from the Design team into functional, responsive, and visually appealing user interfaces for players.
  • Provide technical leadership and guidance on UX/UI systems to empower cross-functional gameplay and design teams.
  • Collaborate daily within a dedicated team focused on creating a new franchise with lighthearted and whimsical characters and engaging action gameplay.
📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "UI Engineer," the description strongly emphasizes collaboration with the Design team to bring the "UX vision" to life. This indicates a critical need for strong understanding and appreciation of user experience principles and the ability to translate design specifications into technical solutions within the game development context. The role bridges the gap between pure engineering and design implementation.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

  • Build and maintain complex, production-ready UI systems, including Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), front-end menus, and other in-game user interfaces using C++ within Unreal Engine 5.
  • Implement and manage workflows and tools related to UI development, ensuring efficiency and scalability for the development team.
  • Provide expert technical guidance and support to cross-disciplinary teams (designers, gameplay engineers, artists) on implementing and utilizing UXUI systems effectively.
  • Actively collaborate with design, art, and gameplay teams to iterate on UI features and ensure seamless integration with core gameplay mechanics and visual style.
  • Debug and optimize UI performance across various platforms, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience for players.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "production-quality UI systems" and "minimal oversight" highlights the senior nature of this role. The candidate is expected to be a self-starter capable of architecting and delivering significant UI features independently while also mentoring or guiding less experienced team members on UI best practices within Unreal Engine.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Game Development, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior-level engineering role in the gaming industry. Equivalent professional experience with a strong portfolio of shipped titles is often considered.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in software development, with a significant focus on UI development within the gaming industry. Demonstrated experience building and maintaining complex UI systems for shipped game titles is highly valued. A portfolio showcasing technical UI implementation skills and successful collaboration with design teams is beneficial.

Required Skills:

  • Proficiency in C++ programming language, with the ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code for game development.
  • Strong debugging skills to identify and resolve issues within complex UI systems and game code.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively interact with technical and non-technical team members (designers, artists, producers).
  • Extensive experience in building and maintaining a wide range of UXUI systems, including but not limited to HUDs, menus, inventory systems, customization screens, and localization workflows.

Preferred Skills:

  • Direct experience developing games using the Unreal Engine, specifically Unreal Engine 5, including familiarity with its UI frameworks (e.g., UMG).
  • Experience with game development across multiple platforms, such as PC, PlayStation consoles, and potentially other platforms.
  • Prior experience working on real-time action multiplayer games, understanding the unique UI challenges and performance considerations in such titles.
  • Experience shipping one or more commercial game titles, demonstrating an understanding of the full game development lifecycle and release process.
📝 Enhancement Note: The combination of strong C++ skills and experience with a broad range of UI systems suggests a need for a versatile engineer who understands both low-level implementation and high-level UI architecture. The preferred skills emphasize direct game development experience, particularly within the Unreal ecosystem and on relevant game genres, indicating a preference for candidates who require minimal ramp-up time in the specific development environment.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials: While this is primarily an engineering role, demonstrating an understanding of how technical implementation supports design vision is crucial. A technical portfolio or case studies focusing on UI systems are highly recommended. This should showcase:

  • Examples of UI systems you have built or contributed to, highlighting complexity and functionality.
  • Demonstration of responsive UI implementation that adapts to different screen resolutions or aspect ratios.
  • Code samples showcasing clean, efficient C++ code used for UI development within a game engine context (if possible, within Unreal Engine).
  • Examples of tools or workflows you have created to improve UI development efficiency.

Process Documentation: For this role, process documentation should focus on the technical implementation of UI systems and collaboration with design. Highlight:

  • How you collaborated with designers to translate wireframes, mockups, and UX flows into functional UI.
  • Your approach to handling UI states, animations, and transitions programmatically.
  • How you addressed performance considerations and optimization for UI elements.
📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UI Engineer, the "portfolio" takes a different form than for a pure designer. It's less about visual design and more about demonstrating technical prowess in building robust, performant, and maintainable UI systems. Highlighting collaboration with design teams is key to showing the ability to bridge the gap between technical implementation and creative vision.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The estimated base pay range for this fully remote role in the United States is $145,000 to $218,000 USD per year. This range is based on competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location, as stated by PlayStation. Individual pay will be determined based on job-related factors including knowledge, skills, experience, and specific location within the US.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
  • Matching 401(k) retirement savings plan.
  • Generous Paid Time Off (PTO).
  • Wellness Program promoting employee health and well-being.
  • Coveted employee discounts on Sony products, including PlayStation consoles and games.
  • This role may also be eligible for an additional bonus package.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. As a remote role, there may be flexibility in daily scheduling, but collaboration with a cross-functional team will likely require availability during core team working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to a remote role within the United States, with the example given for the Seattle area. This indicates that pay may vary based on the candidate's specific location within the US, reflecting different cost-of-living and market rates. The detailed benefits package is typical for a large, established technology and entertainment company like Sony/PlayStation.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Entertainment Providers, specifically the highly competitive Video Game industry. PlayStation is a global leader in interactive entertainment, focusing on console gaming, software development, and network services.

Company Size: Large (10,001+ employees globally). Working within a large organization like PlayStation means exposure to established processes, extensive resources, and collaboration with a vast network of professionals across various disciplines.

Founded: Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company behind PlayStation, has a history dating back to the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994.

Team Structure: The Senior UI Engineer will be part of "teamLFG," a dedicated cross-disciplinary team focused on developing a new IP and genre. This suggests a relatively focused and potentially agile team structure within the larger PlayStation organization, emphasizing close collaboration between engineering, design, art, and production.

Methodology: While not explicitly stated, game development teams at this level typically utilize Agile methodologies (like Scrum or Kanban) to manage workflows, iterations, and collaboration. UI development will likely involve close loops of feedback between design, engineering, and playtesting.

Company Website: https://www.playstation.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of working on a "new IP and new genre" within a dedicated team ("teamLFG") is highly significant. It suggests an opportunity to contribute to a fresh project with potentially more creative freedom compared to working on established franchises. The emphasis on a "cross-disciplinary team" highlights the collaborative nature of game development, where engineers work hand-in-hand with designers, artists, and other specialists.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level engineering role with a strong focus on UI implementation. While not a traditional "design" role (like UX or UI Designer), it requires a deep understanding of design principles and the ability to technically execute complex user interface designs within the game environment. The "Senior" title implies significant experience, technical leadership potential, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.

Reporting Structure: The role will likely report to an Engineering Manager or Technical Director within the "teamLFG" structure. Collaboration with Design Leads and Art Directors will be frequent and essential.

Design Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on the player's experience. The quality, responsiveness, and usability of the implemented UI directly influence how players interact with the game, navigate menus, understand information, and ultimately enjoy the gameplay. The UI Engineer is crucial in bringing the intended user experience to life technically.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Advancement within the engineering track to Lead UI Engineer or Technical Lead, potentially leading a team of UI engineers or specializing in specific areas like UI architecture or performance optimization.
  • Opportunity to deepen expertise in Unreal Engine UI development, becoming a subject matter expert within the team or organization.
  • Potential to transition into a more technical design role (e.g., Technical Designer focused on UI) if there is interest and aptitude in bridging the gap further between engineering and design.
📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UI Engineer, growth often involves taking on more complex technical challenges, mentoring junior engineers, and having a greater influence on the technical direction of UI systems. The opportunity to work on a new IP provides a unique chance to shape the foundational UI architecture for a new franchise.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: This is a fully remote position within the United States. While the physical location of "teamLFG" or PlayStation's offices is not the primary workspace, the company culture is likely influenced by its large corporate structure and gaming industry focus.

Office Location(s): PlayStation Global has major offices in San Mateo, California, London, and Tokyo, in addition to various game development studios worldwide. However, this specific role is remote-based within the US.

Design Workspace Context: As a remote role, the "workspace" is the candidate's home environment. Effective remote work requires strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively using digital tools. The company will likely provide necessary equipment and support for remote work.

  • Emphasis on virtual collaboration tools for daily stand-ups, meetings, and feedback sessions with the cross-disciplinary team.
  • Access to internal development tools, version control systems, and build pipelines necessary for game development in Unreal Engine.
  • Potential for occasional travel to team or company gatherings, although this is not specified.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time remote. While there may be flexibility, alignment with core team working hours for collaboration and meetings will be important, especially given the cross-disciplinary nature of the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role is a significant factor. Successful candidates must be comfortable working independently and collaborating effectively with a distributed team using various digital communication and project management tools. Experience with remote game development workflows would be highly beneficial.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process: While this is an engineering role, the interview process will likely include elements assessing technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration skills, particularly in the context of UI development and working with design teams. Expect:

  • Initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss experience and fit.
  • Technical interviews focusing on C++ programming, data structures, algorithms, and potentially game engine specifics (especially Unreal Engine).
  • Interviews assessing experience with UI system architecture, implementation challenges, and performance optimization.
  • Behavioral interviews to evaluate collaboration skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit within a cross-disciplinary team.
  • Discussion of past projects, potentially including a technical deep-dive into specific UI systems you have built.

Portfolio Review Tips: For this role, the "portfolio" is more likely to be a technical demonstration or a detailed discussion of past projects where you implemented UI systems. Prepare to discuss:

  • Specific examples of complex UI features or systems you have built, explaining the technical challenges and your solutions.
  • Your approach to integrating UI with gameplay systems and handling data flow.
  • How you collaborated with designers and artists on UI implementation, demonstrating your ability to translate design intent into code.
  • Any tools or workflows you created to streamline UI development.

Challenge Preparation: A technical coding challenge or a take-home assignment related to UI implementation in C++ or Unreal Engine is possible. Prepare by practicing coding problems, reviewing Unreal Engine UI frameworks (UMG), and thinking about how to build scalable and maintainable UI systems.

  • Review C++ fundamentals, data structures, and algorithms.
  • Familiarize yourself with Unreal Engine's UI systems (UMG) and how to implement UI elements programmatically.
  • Be prepared to discuss your approach to problem-solving and technical decision-making.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Senior UI Engineer will heavily weigh technical proficiency in C++ and game engine UI systems, but also assess the candidate's ability to collaborate effectively with creative teams. Demonstrating an understanding of the design process and how technical UI implementation supports the overall user experience is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools: While this is an engineering role, familiarity with common design tools is beneficial for understanding designer handoff. The core tools for this role are development-focused:

  • C++: The primary programming language for building core UI systems and logic within the game engine. Strong proficiency is essential.
  • Unreal Engine 5: The core game engine. Experience with its UI framework (UMG) and overall development environment is highly preferred.
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Likely Visual Studio or similar for C++ development within the Unreal Engine environment.

Collaboration & Handoff:

  • Version Control System: Likely Perforce or Git for managing code changes and collaborating with the team.
  • Project Management Software: Tools like Jira or Trello for tracking tasks, bugs, and project progress.
  • Communication Tools: Slack, Discord, or similar for real-time team communication and collaboration.

Research & Testing:

  • Debugging Tools: Integrated debugger within the IDE and potentially engine-specific debugging tools.
  • Performance Profiling Tools: Tools within Unreal Engine or external tools for identifying and optimizing UI performance bottlenecks.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values: Based on the job description's emphasis on bringing the "UX vision" to reality and creating "delightful and seamless user experiences," the team likely values:

  • User-Centered Development: A focus on the player's experience and ensuring the UI is intuitive, responsive, and enhances gameplay.
  • Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working closely with design, art, and gameplay teams to achieve a cohesive and high-quality product.
  • Quality and Stability: A commitment to building robust and performant UI systems that are free of bugs and provide a smooth experience.
  • Innovation: As a new IP, there is likely a value placed on exploring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of UI in the chosen genre.

Collaboration Style: The description highlights a "fun and dedicated cross-discipline team." This suggests a collaborative and potentially informal environment where open communication and mutual respect are valued. Regular team meetings, stand-ups, and code reviews are likely part of the workflow.

  • Cross-functional collaboration is key, with daily interaction between engineers, designers, and other disciplines.
  • Open communication and willingness to provide and receive constructive feedback are essential for iterating on UI features.
  • Emphasis on working together to solve problems and achieve shared project goals.
📝 Enhancement Note: The description of "teamLFG" as "fun and dedicated" working on a "lighthearted and whimsical" game suggests a potentially positive and engaging team culture. Candidates should assess if this cultural fit aligns with their preferences during the interview process. The emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration is a standard but important aspect of modern game development team structures.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges: While this is an engineering role, the challenges are often rooted in translating complex design requirements into technical solutions within the constraints of a game engine and performance targets. Potential challenges include:

  • Implementing intricate and dynamic UI elements that are visually appealing and performant, especially in a real-time action multiplayer context.
  • Balancing the need for complex UI features with optimization requirements to ensure smooth gameplay across different platforms.
  • Translating abstract design concepts and user flows into concrete, implementable UI architecture and code.
  • Maintaining consistency and scalability across a broad range of UI systems within a new IP.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deepen expertise in Unreal Engine 5's UI framework and C++ development for games.
  • Opportunity to work on a new IP and contribute to shaping the core UI systems from the ground up.
  • Collaboration with experienced game development professionals across various disciplines, providing learning opportunities in different areas of game development.
  • Potential for professional development through internal training, conferences, or access to learning resources within Sony/PlayStation.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the technical complexity inherent in building high-quality UI for modern games, particularly in a performance-critical environment like a real-time action multiplayer title. The growth opportunities emphasize specialization within game engine technology and the unique experience of contributing to a new franchise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions: While you are an engineer, be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with designers and understand their process. Questions might include:

  • Describe a time you worked closely with a designer to implement a complex UI feature. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?
  • How do you approach translating wireframes or mockups into functional UI code?
  • How do you handle feedback from designers and iterate on UI implementations?

Company Culture Questions: Research PlayStation and the gaming industry. Be prepared to discuss:

  • Why are you interested in working for PlayStation and on a new game IP?
  • Describe your experience working in cross-disciplinary teams. What are the keys to successful collaboration in your opinion?
  • What kind of team culture do you thrive in, and how do you contribute to a positive team environment?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy: Prepare to discuss your technical contributions to past projects, focusing on UI systems. Be ready to walk through code samples or demonstrate working UI elements you have built.

  • Focus on the technical implementation details and challenges of the UI systems you discuss.
  • Explain your decision-making process and the trade-offs you considered.
  • Highlight how your technical work supported the overall design goals and user experience.
📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UI Engineer at PlayStation, interview preparation should balance strong technical readiness (C++, Unreal Engine) with the ability to articulate collaboration skills and understand the relationship between engineering implementation and design intent within the context of game development.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

  • Submit your application through this link
  • Prepare a resume that highlights your experience with C++, Unreal Engine, and building game UI systems, using relevant keywords from the job description.
  • Consider creating a technical portfolio or preparing case studies of past UI implementation projects to showcase your skills.
  • Research PlayStation Global and the specific genre of game being developed by "teamLFG" to demonstrate your interest and understanding during interviews.
  • Practice explaining your technical approach to UI challenges and how you collaborate with design teams.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
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