Senior Technical UI Designer - Sledgehammer Games

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Technical UI Designer

Company: Activision (Sledgehammer Games)

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Game Development / UI/UX Design & Engineering

Date Posted: December 3, 2025

Experience Level: Senior (8+ years, 1+ year technical design)

Remote Status: On-site (Studio-based with flexible working support)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role serves as a critical bridge between UI Engineering, UX Design, and UI Art within the game development lifecycle, focusing on the implementation of user interfaces for a new AAA title.

• You will be responsible for translating complex design wireframes into robust, maintainable, and extensible scripts using a proprietary Lua-based UI engine.

• The position involves significant prototyping capabilities using custom in-house UI tools to bring interactive user experiences to life.

• You will contribute to the architecture of implementation systems, ensuring both end-user satisfaction and ease of future development by internal teams.

• A key aspect of this role is driving pipeline and process improvements within the UI development workflow, fostering efficiency and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Senior" title and the emphasis on bridging design and engineering, this role likely involves significant autonomy and a requirement to lead technical UI implementation efforts, potentially mentoring junior team members. The focus on a "custom Lua-based UI engine" suggests a need for adaptability and strong foundational scripting skills rather than just tool proficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with UX Designers, UI Artists, and UI Engineers to conceptualize and implement an exceptional, cohesive user experience across the entire game.

• Design, prototype, and implement user interface elements directly within the game engine, rigorously ensuring adherence to both visual aesthetics and functional requirements.

• Produce clear, comprehensive, and accurate documentation for UI implementation, designed to support Engineers and QA testers effectively.

• Architect and develop UI implementation systems with a dual focus on the end-user's experience and the long-term maintainability and scalability for internal development teams.

• Actively participate in and contribute to discussions aimed at enhancing the UI development pipeline, processes, and workflows.

• Consistently write high-quality, extensible, and efficient script code that adheres to established coding standards.

• Work collaboratively with the Quality Assurance (QA) team to identify, debug, and resolve any scripting or UI-related issues, ensuring bug-free functionality.

• Foster a positive culture of continuous growth and learning, which includes mentoring more junior members of the technical design team and those outside of the technical design discipline.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Architect implementation systems" and "Contribute to pipeline and process improvement discussions" indicates a strategic component to this senior role, requiring proactive problem-solving and foresight beyond day-to-day implementation tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Game Design, or a related field is highly beneficial.

Experience: A minimum of 8+ years of practical work experience in UI/UX design or technical design within the game development industry, with at least one shipped AAA title (or equivalent significant project). A minimum of 1+ years specifically in technical design is required.

Required Skills:

• Mature and comprehensive understanding of UX/UI design principles, user-centered design methodologies, and interaction design best practices.

• Proven experience in technical design, including the ability to translate wireframes and mockups into functional implementations.

• Well-developed proficiency in LUA and/or other scripting and coding languages such as Python, React JS, Actionscript, C#, or C++.

• Strong command of 2D animation principles and techniques relevant to UI elements.

• Expertise in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, After Effects, and Figma.

• Demonstrated experience creating UI architecture and menu systems using a combination of game editing tools and scripting.

• Excellent time management skills, enabling effective creative work within a demanding team environment while also supporting colleagues.

• Solid debugging skills with a methodical approach to problem-solving.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in broader Game Design or Systems Design, offering a holistic understanding of game mechanics.

• Proficiency in advanced Visual Design principles.

• Experience working with major AAA game engines such as Source, Unreal Engine, Unity, or CryEngine.

• 3+ years of cumulative experience specifically within the Game Industry is highly preferred.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Mature understanding" and "Well-developed" descriptors for skills suggest that the company is looking for seasoned professionals with deep expertise, not just surface-level familiarity. The broad list of scripting languages indicates a need for adaptability, with LUA being primary for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of UI/UX design projects, with a strong emphasis on technical implementation.

• Specific examples of translating wireframes and design specifications into functional UI prototypes or implemented game UI.

• Demonstrations of UI architecture, menu flow, and interactive element design for complex systems.

• Evidence of experience with scripting for UI functionality, ideally using LUA or similar languages.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of technical documentation created for UI implementations, including flowcharts, scripting logic explanations, and functional specifications for engineers and QA.

• Demonstrations of how you approach system architecture for UI, focusing on scalability, maintainability, and user experience.

• Evidence of contributions to defining or refining UI development workflows and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Senior Technical UI Designer," the portfolio should not only showcase aesthetic and UX design but critically, the technical execution and problem-solving involved in bringing those designs to life within a game engine environment. Demonstrating an understanding of maintainable code and robust systems is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry standards for Senior Technical UI Designers in Toronto, Canada, with 8+ years of experience and AAA title contributions, the estimated salary range is CAD $100,000 - $150,000 annually. This range can vary based on specific experience, skills, and interview performance.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement savings plans (e.g., RRSP matching).

• Paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and attending industry conferences.

• Access to cutting-edge game development tools and technology.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or stock options.

• Studio-based amenities and a collaborative work environment.

Working Hours: The standard workweek is 40 hours, typically Monday through Friday. While the role is studio-based, flexible working support may be available, allowing for some adjustment around core business hours to accommodate project needs and personal work-life balance. Overtime may be required during crunch periods, common in game development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on general market data for senior technical design roles in Toronto, Canada, factoring in the specific requirements of AAA game development. Benefits are standard for large tech/gaming companies in North America.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Video Game Development, specifically focused on AAA first-person shooter titles.

Company Size: Activision is a large, publicly traded company (part of Microsoft), with Sledgehammer Games operating as a significant studio within it. The studio itself likely comprises several hundred employees, with global collaboration across multiple Activision Blizzard studios.

Founded: Sledgehammer Games was founded in 2009. Activision itself has a much longer history, founded in 1979. This blend of established company structure and a relatively newer, focused studio contributes to a dynamic culture.

Team Structure:

• The UI team at Sledgehammer Games is likely composed of specialized roles including UX Designers, UI Artists, UI Engineers, and Technical UI Designers.

• This Senior Technical UI Designer will report into a UI Lead or Director of UI, working closely with leads from Engineering and Art departments.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is expected, with UI designs informed by player feedback, playtesting results, and performance metrics.

• Agile or hybrid development methodologies are common in game development, emphasizing iterative design, prototyping, and continuous feedback loops.

• Focus on creating scalable and maintainable systems that support ongoing development and future game iterations.

Company Website: www.sledgehammergames.com, careers.activision.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of collaboration with US and Australian studios suggests a global, distributed team environment, requiring strong remote collaboration skills and cross-cultural awareness. Activision's acquisition by Microsoft may also influence long-term strategic direction and operational integration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level position within the Technical UI Design discipline. It implies a high degree of autonomy, technical expertise, and the ability to influence design and implementation strategies. The role is expected to contribute significantly to the success of an unannounced AAA title and may involve mentoring junior talent.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Technical UI Designer will likely report to a UI Lead, Art Director, or Technical Director within Sledgehammer Games. They will work closely with peers in UI Engineering and UX Design, as well as collaborate with leads from other disciplines such as Gameplay and Systems Design.

Operations Impact: The UI is a fundamental element of the player experience. This role's impact is direct and significant, influencing player engagement, comprehension of game systems, and overall satisfaction. Effective UI design and implementation are crucial for the commercial success of AAA titles, impacting player retention and critical reception.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in LUA scripting, UI engine architecture, and advanced UI implementation techniques.

• Leadership Development: Progress into Lead Technical UI Designer roles, managing a team, or taking on more significant architectural responsibilities.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Expand knowledge into UX research, game design, or engine programming through collaboration and internal training.

• Project Leadership: Take ownership of specific UI systems or features from concept to ship, driving their technical implementation and quality.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to AAA titles that gain critical acclaim and player recognition, enhancing professional reputation.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a Senior role, the expectation is not just execution but also strategic input and potential leadership. The growth path likely involves increasing scope of responsibility and influence within the UI discipline and the broader game development team.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Studio-based environment. This implies a physical workspace designed for collaborative game development, likely featuring open-plan areas, dedicated team zones, meeting rooms, and potentially screening rooms for playtesting.

Office Location(s): The role is based at the Sledgehammer Games studio in Toronto, Canada. This location offers a vibrant urban setting with access to a large talent pool in the tech and creative industries.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is highly collaborative, with frequent interaction between designers, artists, engineers, and producers.

• Access to proprietary game development tools, high-performance workstations, and necessary software suites will be provided.

• Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing, brainstorming sessions, and direct feedback from peers and leads are integral to the workflow.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday. While studio-based, the company offers "flexible working support," suggesting potential for some autonomy in managing work hours around core business needs, especially when collaborating with international teams. However, game development often involves periods of intensive work ("crunch") leading up to milestones and release.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "flexible working support" in a studio-based role indicates a balance between the need for in-person collaboration and a modern approach to work-life integration, a key consideration for attracting and retaining talent in the competitive gaming industry.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by HR and the hiring team to assess foundational qualifications and experience.

• Technical Assessment/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into your portfolio, discussing your contributions to specific projects, your technical approach, and problem-solving methodologies. This may include a practical test or a case study presentation.

• On-site/Virtual Interviews: Interviews with key team members, including UI Leads, Engineering Leads, and potentially Art Directors. These will focus on technical skills, collaboration style, cultural fit, and strategic thinking. Expect questions about your experience with LUA, UI architecture, and handling complex design challenges.

• Final Interview: Potentially with studio leadership to discuss overall fit and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Technical Contributions: Clearly articulate your specific role and technical contributions to each project, especially those involving LUA scripting or custom engine work.

• Showcase Process: Include examples of your design process, from wireframing and prototyping to final implementation and documentation. Explain why you made certain technical or design decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics or qualitative feedback to demonstrate the success of your UI implementations (e.g., improved player engagement, reduced error rates, faster menu navigation).

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with AAA game development, first-person shooters, and complex UI systems. Showcase your proficiency with the required tools (Photoshop, Figma, LUA).

• Prepare for Q&A: Be ready to discuss your design philosophy, how you handle feedback, your experience mentoring, and your approach to optimizing UI performance and maintainability.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scripting Exercises: Be prepared for potential tasks involving LUA scripting to demonstrate your ability to implement UI logic or create interactive elements.

• System Design Scenarios: You might be asked to outline how you would architect a specific UI system (e.g., a complex inventory system, a multiplayer lobby).

• Problem-Solving: Anticipate questions about how you would approach debugging a difficult UI issue, optimize performance, or integrate a new feature seamlessly into an existing UI framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "custom Lua-based UI engine" means candidates should be ready to demonstrate not just design acumen but deep technical understanding of scripting and engine integration, beyond generic UI tool usage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Custom Lua-based UI Engine: The core tool for implementing UI logic and functionality. Proficiency or strong adaptability to learn proprietary scripting environments is key.

• Game Editing Tools: In-house or proprietary tools for integrating UI elements and managing game assets.

• LUA Scripting Environment: For writing and debugging UI scripts.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned, experience with analytics tools for tracking UI engagement and user behavior would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

Design & Prototyping:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects (essential for asset creation, animation, and visual design).

• UI/UX Design Tools: Adobe XD, Figma (for wireframing, prototyping, and design handoff).

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is a strong grasp of LUA and the ability to work within a proprietary engine. Experience with industry-standard design tools is assumed, but deep technical scripting skills are the differentiator for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence in Execution: A commitment to delivering high-quality, polished user experiences that meet AAA standards.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong emphasis on working together across disciplines (Art, Design, Engineering) to achieve common goals.

• Innovation & Creativity: Encouraging new ideas and approaches to UI design and implementation that push the boundaries of player experience.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that values learning, feedback, and actively seeking ways to enhance processes, tools, and outcomes.

• Passion for Games: A shared enthusiasm for creating great games and contributing to the entertainment industry.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly interactive and communicative, with regular stand-ups, design reviews, and cross-discipline syncs.

• Feedback is actively sought and given constructively, with an emphasis on shared ownership of the player experience.

• A willingness to support colleagues, share knowledge, and mentor junior team members is actively fostered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of "contributing positively to a culture of growth and learning, including mentoring" highlights a value placed on team development and knowledge sharing, indicating an environment where senior members are expected to uplift others.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Proprietary Engine Complexity: Adapting to and mastering a custom LUA-based UI engine that may differ significantly from common game engines.

• Cross-Studio Collaboration: Coordinating UI implementation and ensuring consistency across multiple geographically dispersed development teams.

• Balancing Art, UX, and Engineering: Effectively mediating between the visual aspirations of UI Artists, the functional requirements of UX Designers, and the technical constraints of UI Engineers.

• Performance Optimization: Ensuring that complex UI systems remain performant across various hardware platforms without compromising visual fidelity or functionality.

• Iterative Development: Adapting to frequent changes and feedback within a fast-paced AAA development cycle.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced LUA Scripting: Deepen expertise in LUA for complex UI interactions, data binding, and system integration.

• UI Architecture: Gain experience in designing robust, scalable, and maintainable UI architectures for AAA titles.

• Game Engine Internals: Develop a deeper understanding of how UI systems interact with core game engine functionalities.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior technical designers and potentially step into lead roles.

• Industry Exposure: Working on a high-profile AAA title within a renowned studio like Sledgehammer Games provides invaluable industry experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior technical roles in game development, particularly those involving proprietary tools. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for career advancement within the specialized field of technical UI design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience translating complex UX wireframes into functional UI elements using scripting. Can you walk us through a specific example, detailing the tools and languages you used (especially LUA)?"

• "How do you approach architecting a new UI system for a game feature to ensure it's both user-friendly and maintainable for future development and updates?"

• "Imagine a scenario where a UI feature you implemented is causing significant performance issues. What steps would you take to diagnose and resolve this?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about working on an unannounced AAA title at Sledgehammer Games, and what do you know about our studio's previous work?"

• "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment, especially when working with geographically dispersed teams?"

• "Describe a time you mentored a junior team member or helped someone outside your direct discipline understand UI technical concepts."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Presentation: Begin with an overview of your role and overall contribution to each project. For technical UI roles, focus on the "how" – the scripting logic, the architecture, the problem-solving.

• Demonstrate Technical Execution: Show functional prototypes or video examples of implemented UI. Explain the scripting behind interactive elements and menu navigation.

• Highlight Process & Documentation: Present examples of your technical documentation and explain your workflow for translating designs into code.

• Quantify Results: If possible, discuss any measurable impact your UI work had on player experience or development efficiency.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare for detailed questions about your code, design decisions, and problem-solving approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily focus on demonstrating practical LUA scripting ability and architectural thinking for UI systems, alongside strong communication and collaboration skills. Case studies should highlight technical problem-solving and process improvements.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Technical UI Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Activision Careers website.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your experience with LUA scripting, technical design, AAA title development, and proficiency with the mentioned design tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Focus on showcasing projects that demonstrate your technical UI implementation skills, particularly those involving scripting, prototyping, and working within engine environments. Include examples of documentation and process improvements.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your experience, technical approach, and problem-solving methodologies clearly and concisely during interviews. Practice explaining your portfolio pieces and your role in them.

• Research Sledgehammer Games: Understand the studio's history, their approach to game development, and their recent titles to inform your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding compensation and specific benefits, should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.