UI Unity Engineer - Modding Tools
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UI Unity Engineer - Modding Tools
Company: Amber Studio
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Job Type: Contractor
Category: Game Development / Engineering
Date Posted: December 04, 2025
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: On-site (with potential for remote flexibility within Romania time zone)
🚀 Role Summary
- Architectural design and implementation of in-game UI plugins within the Unity engine, focusing on modding tools.
- Development of player-friendly and developer-friendly plugin experiences to facilitate game mod support.
- Proactive communication and collaboration with internal teams, clients, and stakeholders to ensure project alignment.
- Creation of complex features such as mod recommendations and efficient image caching systems.
- Management of individual workload, identification of potential project risks, and implementation of mitigation strategies.
📝 Enhancement Note: While the job is listed as "TELECOMMUTE" and "remote_derived": true, the "Project details" section specifies "Working hours must be compatible with Romania time zone," and "About us" mentions "employees are key to making that happen," implying a preference or requirement for presence within the local time zone, potentially indicating a hybrid or on-site role with flexibility. This role is categorized under Game Development/Engineering due to the specific focus on Unity Engine UI development for modding tools within the gaming industry.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Architect, design, and implement robust in-game UI plugins using the Unity engine.
- Develop and refine complex features, including mod recommendation systems and image caching functionalities.
- Support the integration of virtual currency systems within the modding tools framework.
- Expand platform support for modding tools, migrating from Unreal Engine to Unity.
- Execute release management tasks, including packaging and managing GitHub workflows for code deployment.
- Collaborate closely with product managers, engineering teams, and design specialists to align on feature development and user experience.
- Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks to ensure timely and successful delivery of modding tools.
- Prototype, iterate on, and optimize interaction flows for both developer and end-user modding experiences.
- Provide clear and consistent communication to teammates, clients, and stakeholders regarding project progress and technical challenges.
- Ensure seamless integration of virtual currency and manage release processes efficiently.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of core engineering, feature development, cross-functional collaboration, and project management, indicating a mid-to-senior level role focused on delivering functional and integrated modding solutions within a game development context.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While no specific educational requirements are listed, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Game Development, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for roles requiring this level of technical expertise and experience.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of overall experience in game development.
- Minimum of 4 years of specialized experience with Unity Engine UI development.
Required Skills:
- Proven expertise in architecting and implementing in-game UI plugins within the Unity engine.
- Strong proficiency in Unity Engine UI development, including UI materials and post-process materials.
- Comprehensive understanding of core game engine components: Rendering, AI, Networking, Navigation, Physics, and UI systems.
- Solid knowledge of design patterns and software architectural principles.
- Familiarity with source control systems, specifically P4V and GitHub, within the Unity Engine environment.
- Ability to proactively communicate with teammates, clients, and stakeholders, clearly articulating technical concepts and project status.
- Experience in prototyping, iterating, and refining interaction flows for user interfaces.
- Capacity to develop complex features such as mod recommendations and image caching.
- Experience in managing own work, identifying project risks, and implementing mitigation strategies.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in creating custom editor widgets for Unity.
- Proven experience working with and developing plugins for game engines.
- Familiarity with UI navigation code for gamepads, ideally demonstrated on a shipped title.
- Good understanding of cross-platform game development principles and challenges.
- Experience with Unreal Blueprint and UMG for UI/UX plugin development.
📝 Enhancement Note: The extensive experience requirements (7 years in game dev, 4 years in Unity UI) suggest this role is for a seasoned engineer capable of independent work and complex problem-solving. The "Nice to have" skills point towards a need for versatility and experience in related engines or specific UI functionalities.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Showcase of developed in-game UI plugins and modding tools, demonstrating architectural soundness and implementation complexity.
- Examples of UI interaction flow design and refinement, highlighting iterative development processes.
- Demonstrations of complex feature development, such as mod recommendation algorithms or efficient image caching systems.
- Evidence of cross-platform development considerations and successful implementations.
- Examples of work involving virtual currency integration or release management workflows.
Process Documentation:
- Case studies detailing the design and implementation of specific UI features or plugins, including challenges faced and solutions implemented.
- Documentation of workflow optimization efforts related to UI development or modding tool integration.
- Examples of how version control (P4V, GitHub) was utilized for collaborative development and release management.
- Documentation illustrating the integration of UI elements with core game engine components (e.g., AI, Networking, Physics).
📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on modding tools and UI plugins, a portfolio demonstrating practical application of Unity UI, architectural design, and the development of complex features is crucial. The emphasis on collaboration and release management implies a need to showcase process adherence.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: As this is a contractor position with "Competitive project-based compensation," a precise salary range is not provided. However, based on industry standards for a UI Unity Engineer with 7+ years of experience in Bucharest, Romania, a competitive hourly or project rate would typically range from €30 - €60+ per hour, or an equivalent monthly project fee. This estimate considers the specialized skills, experience level, and the cost of living in Bucharest.
Benefits:
- Competitive project-based compensation, reflecting the value of specialized skills and experience.
- Support provided throughout the project duration, ensuring resources and guidance are available.
- Professional and friendly work environment, fostering a positive and collaborative atmosphere.
- Opportunity to work with awesome and talented colleagues, contributing to a high-performing team.
- Potential for extended engagement based on project needs and performance.
Working Hours: The role requires working hours compatible with the Romania time zone (Europe/Bucharest). While the base employment type is "Contractor" and the location is "TELECOMMUTE," the explicit mention of time zone compatibility suggests a need for significant overlap with local working hours, likely around 40 hours per week but with potential for flexibility.
📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is project-based, typical for contractors. The estimated range is derived from general market data for senior Unity Engineers in Western/Eastern European tech hubs, adjusted for Bucharest's cost of living and the specialized nature of modding tools development.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: Game Development / Interactive Entertainment. Amber Studio operates within the dynamic and competitive global gaming industry, known for its rapid innovation, creative demands, and focus on player engagement.
Company Size: Not explicitly stated in the provided data, but Amber Studio is known to be a significant player with multiple studios and a substantial workforce, suggesting a mid-to-large sized organization. This implies established processes and potential for cross-team collaboration.
Founded: Amber Studio was founded in 2013. This indicates a company with a solid track record and established presence in the industry, likely possessing mature development pipelines and a clear vision.
Team Structure:
- The role likely sits within a dedicated engineering or R&D team focused on game development tools and platform integration.
- Reporting structure would typically be to an Engineering Lead or Project Manager overseeing the modding tools initiative.
- Significant cross-functional collaboration is expected with game designers, product managers, other engineering disciplines (e.g., backend, QA), and potentially client stakeholders.
Methodology:
- Emphasis on agile development methodologies, with iterative prototyping and continuous feedback loops.
- Data-driven decision-making for feature development and optimization, especially concerning player engagement with modding tools.
- Focus on modular design and clean architecture for maintainable and scalable tool development.
- Strong commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in game development tools and services.
Company Website: https://www.amberstudio.com/
📝 Enhancement Note: Amber Studio's focus on delivering "top-notch service" and "continuous improvement and innovation" suggests a culture that values quality, efficiency, and user satisfaction, which translates directly to the expectations for tool development in this role.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior Engineer level, requiring significant experience and a high degree of autonomy. It's a specialized track within game development engineering, focusing on tool development rather than direct game feature implementation.
Reporting Structure: The UI Unity Engineer will report to a Lead Engineer or Project Manager within the tools or platform engineering department. They are expected to work independently on assigned modules while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
Operations Impact: The work directly impacts the game development pipeline by enabling robust modding capabilities. This can enhance player engagement, extend game longevity, and foster a community around user-generated content, indirectly contributing to revenue and market position through increased player retention and acquisition.
Growth Opportunities:
- Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in Unity Engine UI, plugin architecture, and game modding systems.
- Cross-Platform Expertise: Gain experience extending capabilities across different game engines (Unreal to Unity).
- Leadership Potential: Opportunities to mentor junior engineers, lead feature development, or influence architectural decisions for future tools.
- Project Management Skills: Develop skills in managing project risks, timelines, and stakeholder communications.
- Industry Exposure: Work on diverse projects and collaborate with various clients, broadening professional network and experience.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a specialized career path within game development, focusing on the critical area of tools and platform engineering. Growth is likely to come from increased technical responsibility, project leadership, and specialization in user-generated content enablement.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: While listed as "TELECOMMUTE," the emphasis on working hours compatible with the Romania time zone and the general company culture ("employees are key to making that happen") suggests a hybrid or primarily on-site model at their Bucharest office, with potential for remote flexibility.
Office Location(s): Bucharest, Romania. This location offers a vibrant tech scene and a competitive talent pool within Eastern Europe.
Workspace Context:
- Collaboration will be facilitated through a mix of in-person meetings (if on-site) and digital communication tools.
- Access to standard development environments and relevant software licenses for Unity development.
- Opportunities for direct interaction with a team of experienced game developers, designers, and project managers.
- A professional yet friendly atmosphere is described, encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing.
Work Schedule: The working hours must align with the Romania time zone. A standard 40-hour work week is typical for contractor roles, with potential for flexible scheduling as long as core hours are covered and project deadlines are met.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "TELECOMMUTE" tag might be a broad categorization. The specific mention of time zone compatibility is crucial for candidates to understand practical work arrangements.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Profile Preselection: Initial review of CV and portfolio by Talent Acquisition. Focus on matching experience years, core skills (Unity UI, game dev), and specific tool experience.
- Talent Acquisition Interview: A screening call to discuss career history, motivations, understanding of the role, and initial assessment of cultural fit. Be prepared to articulate your experience with Unity UI and modding tools.
- Test: A technical assessment, likely involving coding challenges or a small project related to Unity UI or plugin development, to gauge practical skills and problem-solving abilities.
- Technical Interview: A deeper dive with engineering leads/senior engineers. Expect questions on Unity architecture, design patterns, specific engine components, source control, and problem-solving scenarios related to the "quest" responsibilities.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Showcase Modding/Plugin Work: Prioritize projects demonstrating UI plugin development, custom editor widgets, or modding tool integration within Unity.
- Highlight Complex Features: Clearly explain your role in developing features like mod recommendations, image caching, or virtual currency integration.
- Demonstrate Process: Include examples of your workflow, such as how you prototype, iterate, and use source control (P4V/GitHub).
- Quantify Impact: If possible, use metrics. For example, "Reduced load times by X% with optimized image caching" or "Streamlined mod integration process, saving developers Y hours."
- Code Samples: Be ready to share well-documented code samples showcasing your Unity UI and C# skills.
Challenge Preparation:
- Unity UI Proficiency: Practice implementing complex UI layouts, handling different screen resolutions, and optimizing UI performance within Unity.
- Plugin Architecture: Understand how to design and implement modular, reusable plugins for the Unity engine.
- Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare for questions that involve diagnosing and fixing bugs in UI systems, optimizing performance, or designing solutions for the specific responsibilities listed.
- Communication: Practice articulating technical solutions clearly and concisely, as you'll need to communicate with various stakeholders.
📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process, including a test and technical interview, indicates a thorough vetting for this specialized role. A strong, relevant portfolio is paramount for passing the initial screening and demonstrating practical skills.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Unity Engine: The core development platform for implementing UI plugins and modding tools. Proficiency in recent versions is expected.
- C#: The primary programming language for Unity development.
- Version Control: P4V (Perforce) and GitHub are explicitly mentioned, indicating a need for familiarity with both, especially in a game development context.
Analytics & Reporting:
- Internal Tools: Likely specialized internal tools for tracking feature usage, performance metrics, and bug reporting within the modding tools ecosystem.
- Performance Profiling: Tools within Unity for analyzing UI performance, memory usage, and rendering efficiency.
CRM & Automation:
- Project Management Software: Tools like Jira, Asana, or similar for task tracking, sprint management, and workflow visualization.
- Communication Platforms: Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams for team collaboration and real-time communication.
- GitHub Workflows: Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated build/release processes via GitHub.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific tools like Unity, C#, P4V, and GitHub highlights the technical focus of the role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience and proficiency with these technologies.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- Continuous Improvement: A core value for Amber Studio, encouraging proactive problem-solving and optimization of tools and processes.
- Innovation: Valuing creative solutions and forward-thinking approaches to game development challenges, particularly in enabling user-generated content.
- Collaboration: Fostering a team-oriented environment where knowledge sharing and mutual support are encouraged.
- Quality Focus: Dedicated to delivering high-quality, robust, and user-friendly tools that meet client and player expectations.
- Player-Centricity: Understanding how tools impact player experience and community engagement, even when developing for developers.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-functional Integration: Works closely with product, design, and other engineering disciplines to ensure tools are functional, intuitive, and meet project goals.
- Open Communication: Encourages direct and honest communication regarding technical challenges, project status, and feedback.
- Knowledge Sharing: Team members are expected to share best practices, insights, and solutions, contributing to collective growth.
- Iterative Development: Embraces feedback loops and iterative refinement to build the best possible tools.
📝 Enhancement Note: Amber Studio's stated values of continuous improvement and innovation, coupled with a collaborative approach, suggest an environment where engineers are empowered to contribute ideas and work together towards shared objectives.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Technical Complexity: Developing robust, cross-platform UI plugins and modding tools requires deep understanding of Unity's architecture and potential limitations.
- Balancing Developer & Player Needs: Creating tools that are powerful for developers but intuitive and user-friendly for players.
- Integration with Diverse Games: Ensuring compatibility and seamless integration of modding tools across potentially different game projects or clients.
- Rapid Iteration & Feedback: Adapting to evolving project requirements and incorporating feedback efficiently within tight deadlines.
- Migration from Unreal to Unity: Successfully transferring knowledge and implementing features from one engine to another.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Advanced Unity Expertise: Deepen knowledge of Unity's UI system, editor scripting, and performance optimization techniques.
- Modding System Design: Gain specialized experience in designing and implementing systems for user-generated content.
- Cross-Engine Development: Acquire valuable experience working with and migrating between major game engines like Unity and Unreal.
- Mentorship: Opportunity to learn from and potentially mentor other engineers within the team.
- Industry Trends: Stay abreast of the latest developments in game development tools, UI/UX design, and player engagement strategies.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant technical challenges in a specialized area of game development, offering substantial opportunities for skill development and career advancement within the tools and platform engineering domain.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- Operations Strategy: "Describe your approach to architecting a robust and scalable UI plugin system within Unity. How would you ensure it's both developer-friendly and player-friendly?" (Focus on modularity, API design, and user experience considerations).
- Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "How do you typically collaborate with product managers and designers when developing new features? Can you provide an example of a time you had to balance competing requirements from different stakeholders?" (Emphasize communication, negotiation, and problem-solving).
- Problem-Solving: "Imagine a key modding feature is causing significant performance degradation. What steps would you take to diagnose and resolve this issue?" (Demonstrate systematic debugging, profiling, and optimization skills).
Company & Culture Questions:
- Company Operations: "What interests you about Amber Studio and our work in game development tools, specifically modding?" (Research Amber's portfolio, values, and recent news. Connect your skills to their mission).
- Team Dynamics: "Describe your ideal team environment. How do you contribute to a positive and productive team culture?" (Highlight collaboration, communication, and a proactive attitude).
- Operations Impact: "How do you see this role contributing to the success of Amber Studio and its clients?" (Focus on player engagement, game longevity, and developer efficiency).
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Structure Case Studies: For each relevant project, clearly outline the problem, your solution, your specific contributions, the technologies used (Unity UI, C#, etc.), and the outcome or impact.
- Quantify Achievements: Use metrics wherever possible (e.g., performance improvements, time saved for developers, feature adoption rates).
- Showcase Modding/Plugin Work: Prioritize examples directly related to UI plugins, custom editors, or modding tools. If direct modding tool experience is limited, show transferable skills in complex UI development and engine extensibility.
- Demonstrate Process: Be prepared to walk through your development process, including how you approached design, implementation, testing, and version control (P4V/GitHub).
- Be Ready for Technical Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific implementation details, architectural choices, and problem-solving approaches within your portfolio projects.
📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their experience with Unity UI, C#, plugin architecture, and source control in detail. A strong, well-documented portfolio is critical for demonstrating practical skills and experience.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this UI Unity Engineer - Modding Tools position:
- Submit your application through the provided jobvite link: https://jobs.jobvite.com/amberstudiocareers/job/o5u1yfwS
- Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your Unity Engine UI development, plugin architecture, and any experience with modding tools or complex feature implementation. Ensure these projects are well-documented and highlight your contributions.
- Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your 7+ years of game development experience and 4+ years specifically with Unity Engine UI. Use keywords from the job description, such as "Unity Engine UI," "in-game UI plugins," "modding tools," "C#," "P4V," and "GitHub." Quantify achievements where possible.
- Prepare for Technical Assessments: Familiarize yourself with common Unity UI challenges and C# programming concepts. Be ready to tackle coding exercises and demonstrate your understanding of engine components.
- Research Amber Studio: Understand their company culture, their position in the gaming industry, and their commitment to innovation and quality. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team, and projects.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
Application Requirements
Candidates should have at least 7 years of experience in game development and 4 years with Unity Engine UI. Familiarity with game engine components and source control is also required.