Principal UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal UX Designer

Company: Believer

Location: United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Game Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-07-31

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end user experience (UX) for an upcoming game title, encompassing player journeys, friction points, gameplay flows, and a robust information architecture.

• Drive high-quality UI/UX design and implementation, working hands-on within Unreal Engine 5 and collaborating closely with UI Engineers to ensure design intent is realized.

• Lead the production of UI assets, strategically leveraging in-house craft, AI-assisted tools, and external support to meet volume and quality demands.

• Establish and elevate the UX/UI craft bar by developing and maintaining design standards, systems, and style guides, and providing direct guidance to other contributors.

• Act as a design representative in cross-functional teams, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the advancement of the discipline's tools and practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior individual contributor position focused on a critical aspect of game development. The emphasis on "owning" the UX, working directly in Unreal Engine 5, and setting standards indicates a high level of autonomy and responsibility, typical of a Principal-level role in the gaming industry.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and meticulously map out comprehensive player journeys, identifying and resolving friction points across all gameplay and meta-game systems.

• Develop intuitive and engaging information architecture that ensures consistency, discoverability, and a delightful player experience throughout the game.

• Translate UX concepts into high-fidelity wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final UI assets, ensuring seamless integration with game mechanics and narrative elements.

• Partner with UI Engineers to translate design specifications into functional UI elements within Unreal Engine 5, iterating based on technical feasibility and performance feedback.

• Create and maintain detailed UI asset production pipelines, including style guides, component libraries, and asset specifications, to ensure visual and functional consistency.

• Conduct user research and usability testing to gather player feedback, informing design decisions and validating UX solutions.

• Collaborate with product managers, game designers, narrative designers, and engineers to ensure a cohesive and compelling player experience.

• Mentor and guide other UX/UI designers and contributors, fostering a collaborative and high-performing design environment.

• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in UX/UI design for games, and advocate for their adoption where appropriate.

• Represent the design team in cross-functional meetings, effectively communicating design rationale and advocating for player needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "owning" player journeys and information architecture, coupled with direct work in Unreal Engine 5 and UI asset production, signifies a role that requires deep technical and creative expertise in game UI/UX.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional UX/UI design skills and game development experience is paramount.

Experience: 10+ years of experience as a UX and UI expert, with a significant portion dedicated to shipping video games. Proven ability to manage ambiguous and complex design challenges with minimal oversight.

Required Skills:

• Deep Expertise in UX/UI Design: Proven track record of designing and shipping complex, end-to-end user experiences for video games.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to design and articulate interconnected systems, understanding how individual components contribute to the overall player experience.

• Unreal Engine 5 Proficiency: Hands-on experience working directly within Unreal Engine 5, or a comparable game engine, for UI implementation and iteration.

• Information Architecture: Strong skills in organizing complex information and designing intuitive navigation systems for games.

• Player Empathy: Deep understanding and ability to empathize with diverse player needs, motivations, and behaviors.

• Design Systems & Standards: Experience in building, scaling, and maintaining UX/UI standards, style guides, and component libraries.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Demonstrated ability to mentor other designers and provide constructive feedback.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven success working effectively with engineering, product, and other game development disciplines.

• Production Management: Experience managing the production of UI assets, including defining needs and overseeing delivery.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-assisted design tooling.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and usability testing.

• Strong visual design and graphic design skills.

• Experience with rapid prototyping tools.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards in game design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 10+ years of experience and a proven track record of shipping games, combined with hands-on Unreal Engine 5 experience, positions this as a senior leadership role within the design discipline. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "player empathy" are critical for designing complex game experiences.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Game Design Case Studies: Detailed examples showcasing end-to-end UX/UI design for at least two shipped game titles, highlighting player journeys, information architecture, and key UI features.

• System Design Examples: Demonstrations of how complex systems were architected and integrated into a game's UX, illustrating a strong understanding of interconnectedness.

• Unreal Engine 5 Integration Examples: Visual or documented evidence of UI elements designed and implemented within Unreal Engine 5, showcasing practical application.

• Design System Documentation: Samples of style guides, component libraries, or design system frameworks created for previous projects.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Case studies that illustrate how you tackled ambiguous or complex design problems with minimal oversight, detailing your thought process and solution.

• Mentorship Contributions: Evidence of guiding or mentoring other designers, perhaps through team project examples or feedback mechanisms.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your design process from concept to implementation, emphasizing how you gather requirements, ideate solutions, iterate based on feedback, and ensure quality through production.

• Provide examples of how you have established and maintained UX/UI standards and processes for a team.

• Illustrate your approach to collaborating with UI Engineers and other disciplines to ensure successful integration of design work.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal UX Designer role, the portfolio must go beyond static mockups. It needs to demonstrate a deep understanding of game development pipelines, systemic design, and practical implementation within a game engine. The ability to showcase leadership and process development is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $185,000 - $230,000 Annually

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, with Believer covering 100% of monthly costs.

• Income Protection: Short-term disability and long-term disability insurance.

• Life Insurance: Provided to support employees and their families.

• Equity Package: Opportunity to share in the company's success through stock options or grants.

• Generous Time Off: 10 observed holidays, 10 days for Winter Break, and a flexible "Take What You Need" PTO policy.

• Remote Work Support: Fully remote position enabling work from anywhere within the United States.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week. While remote, flexibility is expected to accommodate cross-functional collaboration and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Principal-level UX Designer in the US, especially for a remote role in the gaming industry. The comprehensive benefits package, particularly the 100% employer-paid health insurance and generous PTO, indicates a strong commitment to employee well-being. The "Take What You Need" PTO policy suggests a culture of trust and autonomy.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Global Games Company (specifically focused on creating new game titles). Believer operates within the highly competitive and innovative video game development sector.

Company Size: The provided data doesn't specify exact size, but the description of building a "world-class team" and having developers "all over the world" suggests a growing, likely mid-to-large-sized studio with a global footprint.

Founded: The company was founded with a mission to create games they are proud of, drawing on the experience of veterans from well-known titles like Words With Friends, League of Legends, Destiny, and Apex Legends. This history implies a culture that values player-centric design and long-term game vision.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer will report directly to the Design Director, indicating a clear reporting line within the design department.

• The role involves close partnership with UI Engineers, game designers, product managers, and narrative designers, highlighting a highly collaborative, cross-functional structure.

• The Principal UX Designer is expected to mentor other contributors, suggesting a tiered design team structure with opportunities for leadership. Methodology:

• Player-Centricity: A core tenet is putting players at the center of all decisions, from game design to business operations.

• Data-Driven Design: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "serving games we're proud of" and "business we run to keep the fun going" implies a focus on metrics and player engagement to inform design and business strategies.

• Iterative Development: The emphasis on working hands-on, partnering closely with engineering, and iterating based on feedback suggests an agile or iterative development process.

• Craftsmanship & Excellence: The company aims to build "best-in-class UI/UX" and expects contributors to "set the craft bar for the discipline."

Company Website: https://www.believer.gg

📝 Enhancement Note: Believer's culture appears to be driven by a passion for game creation, a deep respect for players, and a commitment to high-quality execution. The blend of experienced veterans and a forward-looking vision suggests an environment that balances proven methodologies with innovation. The global, remote-first nature of the team is a significant cultural characteristic.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Principal UX Designer role is at the senior-most individual contributor level within the UX/UI discipline. It signifies a high degree of autonomy, expertise, and influence over the product's user experience. The role is responsible for setting strategic direction, defining standards, and mentoring others, rather than managing people directly.

Reporting Structure: The role reports directly to the Design Director. This suggests a hierarchical structure within the design department where strategic vision and departmental goals are cascaded down from the Director. The Principal designer acts as a key strategic partner and technical lead within this structure.

Operations Impact: The Principal UX Designer's impact is direct and profound on the player experience, which is a critical driver of game success. By owning the end-to-end UX, optimizing player journeys, and ensuring high-quality UI implementation, this role directly influences player engagement, retention, and overall satisfaction. This, in turn, impacts game sales, player community growth, and the company's long-term reputation and revenue. The role's influence extends to setting design standards, which shapes the entire team's output and the game's visual and interactive identity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced UX/UI techniques for games, particularly within Unreal Engine 5, and become the go-to expert for complex design challenges.

• Design Leadership: Transition into a Lead UX Designer role with direct team management responsibilities, or continue as a Principal, taking on broader strategic initiatives across multiple projects.

• Cross-Disciplinary Expansion: Develop a deeper understanding of game design, narrative design, or technical art, potentially leading to hybrid roles or broader product ownership.

• Process Improvement: Lead initiatives to enhance the design team's tools, workflows, and methodologies, impacting the efficiency and quality of the entire design department.

• Studio-Wide Influence: Contribute to the overall design vision and culture of Believer, influencing how design is perceived and integrated across the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title implies a career path that focuses on deep expertise and influence rather than people management. Growth opportunities will likely involve taking on more complex projects, leading strategic design initiatives, and mentoring, aligning with an expert individual contributor track.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning there is no physical office requirement. The work environment is distributed, with team members working from various locations within the United States.

Office Location(s): While the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, this role is remote and specifically for individuals located within the United States. This allows for flexibility in where the employee chooses to work, provided they are within the specified country.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Digital Space: The primary workspace is digital, relying on communication and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Discord, video conferencing) to connect with team members across different time zones.

• Advanced Tooling: Access to industry-standard design software, Unreal Engine 5, and potentially AI-assisted tooling will be provided or expected. The company emphasizes equipping its team with the necessary technology to perform their roles effectively.

• Team Interaction: While remote, opportunities for team interaction will exist through scheduled meetings, virtual team-building activities, and informal digital communication channels. The company culture aims to foster connection despite geographical distance.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. Given the distributed nature of the team, some flexibility in working hours may be required to accommodate collaboration with colleagues in different time zones. However, core working hours are likely to align with standard business days in the US.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of Believer is a key aspect of its work environment. This requires strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and comfort with digital collaboration tools. The company's commitment to global development suggests a mature approach to managing remote teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application & Portfolio Review: Candidates submit their resume and a portfolio showcasing relevant UX/UI design work for games. The hiring team will review for alignment with experience, skills, and the quality of presented work.

• Screening Call: A brief conversation with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss experience, role expectations, salary expectations, and cultural fit.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Candidates may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or a live exercise focusing on a specific UX/UI problem relevant to game design. This assesses problem-solving skills, design thinking, and execution.

• On-site/Virtual Interviews: A series of interviews with the Design Director, other senior designers, UI engineers, and potentially cross-functional leads. This stage focuses on in-depth discussion of portfolio projects, design philosophy, technical skills (especially Unreal Engine 5), and collaboration style.

• Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion, potentially with leadership, to confirm fit and extend an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Effectively: Select 3-5 of your strongest game UX/UI projects that best demonstrate your skills relevant to this Principal role. Prioritize projects that show end-to-end ownership, complex problem-solving, and shipped titles.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the challenges encountered, your design solutions, and the impact (quantifiable if possible). Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, gameplay footage) to illustrate your points.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly demonstrate how you approach designing interconnected systems and information architecture.

• Showcase Engine Proficiency: If possible, include examples or discuss your experience working directly within Unreal Engine 5 or a similar engine for UI implementation.

• Address Ambiguity: Be prepared to discuss how you navigate ambiguous requirements and drive clarity.

• Prepare for Mentorship Discussion: Be ready to talk about your experience mentoring other designers and your approach to fostering design talent.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Game UX Principles: Refresh your knowledge of core UX principles as they apply to game design, player psychology, and interactive entertainment.

• Familiarize Yourself with Unreal Engine 5: If you have limited direct experience, research its UI capabilities (UMG - Unreal Motion Graphics) and common workflows for UI integration.

• Practice Articulating Your Process: Be ready to clearly explain your design process, decision-making rationale, and how you would approach a given game UX problem under time constraints.

• Prepare Questions: Have thoughtful questions ready for the interviewers about the game, the team, the design challenges, and the company culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge indicates that practical skills and demonstrable experience are highly valued. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their work in detail and articulate their strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities in a game development context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Unreal Engine 5: Essential for hands-on UI implementation and iteration. Proficiency in its UMG (Unreal Motion Graphics) system is critical.

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar tools for wireframing, UI design, and interactive prototyping.

• Information Architecture Tools: Miro, Lucidchart, Whimsical, or similar for creating user flows, sitemaps, and information architecture diagrams.

• Asset Creation Tools: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) for creating UI assets.

• AI-Assisted Tooling: Mentioned as a potential part of the workflow, indicating an openness to leveraging AI for asset generation or ideation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for the designer, understanding how to interpret game analytics and player feedback data is crucial. This might involve tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or custom in-game analytics dashboards used by the company. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but understanding how player data might inform design decisions is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is proficiency with Unreal Engine 5 and its UI system (UMG). Beyond that, standard industry-standard design and prototyping tools are expected. The mention of AI-assisted tooling suggests that Believer is exploring modern approaches to design production.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Player-Centricity: A fundamental value, meaning all design decisions are made with the player's experience at the forefront. This influences every aspect of design, from core mechanics to menu navigation.

• Creativity & Innovation: The company seeks individuals "bursting with creativity" and encourages pushing the boundaries of game design.

• Candor with Compassion: A value that promotes open, honest feedback delivered constructively and empathetically. This fosters a healthy environment for critique and collaboration.

• Accountability: Holding oneself and peers accountable for what's best for players, ensuring high standards and commitment to quality.

• Craftsmanship: A commitment to "best-in-class" design and setting a high bar for the discipline.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: The role emphasizes close collaboration with UI Engineers, game designers, and other disciplines, indicating a highly integrated and team-oriented approach.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: The Principal UX Designer is expected to mentor others, fostering a culture where knowledge and best practices are shared freely within the design team and across departments.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Working closely with engineering suggests a collaborative process of design, implementation, feedback, and iteration to ensure optimal results.

• Remote-First Communication: Communication will primarily be digital, requiring clear, concise, and proactive engagement through various platforms to maintain strong working relationships.

📝 Enhancement Note: Believer's culture appears to be a blend of high performance, creative passion, and genuine care for its employees and players. The emphasis on "candor with compassion" and "accountability" suggests a mature and professional team environment focused on collective success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Ambiguity with Execution: Navigating the inherent ambiguity of new game development while delivering high-quality, concrete UI/UX solutions on a tight schedule.

• Unreal Engine 5 Integration: Ensuring seamless and performant integration of complex UI designs within Unreal Engine 5, requiring close collaboration with technical artists and engineers.

• Scaling Design Systems: Developing and maintaining robust design systems and style guides that can scale with the game's complexity and potential future titles.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and building strong relationships with a distributed team, requiring proactive communication and cultural awareness.

• Setting the Craft Bar: Establishing and upholding high standards for UX/UI design within a team, which can sometimes be challenging when working with diverse skill levels.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Game UX: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge UX challenges specific to modern game design and player engagement.

• Unreal Engine 5 Mastery: Further hone skills and gain deep expertise in Unreal Engine 5's UI capabilities and workflows.

• Leadership Development: Gain experience in mentoring, guiding design direction, and influencing product strategy at a senior level.

• Industry Trends: Stay at the forefront of emerging trends in game development, UX/UI design, and AI-assisted tooling.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Work closely with experts in game design, narrative, and engineering, broadening understanding of the full game development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical of senior roles in game development, requiring both strategic thinking and hands-on problem-solving. The growth opportunities are strongly aligned with advancing expertise within the gaming industry and UX/UI specialization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex player journey you've designed and how you identified and addressed friction points. What was the outcome?" (Focus on process, player empathy, and impact).

• "How do you approach building and maintaining design systems and style guides for a large-scale game project? Can you provide an example?" (Focus on scalability, consistency, and collaboration).

• "Walk us through a time you had to work closely with engineers to implement a challenging UI feature in Unreal Engine 5. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on technical collaboration, problem-solving, and engine proficiency).

• "How do you balance delivering high-quality UX/UI with the demands of a fast-paced game development schedule?" (Focus on efficiency, prioritization, and pragmatism).

• "Describe your philosophy on mentoring junior designers. How do you provide constructive feedback and foster their growth?" (Focus on leadership, communication, and team development). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Believer's mission and the games we're aiming to create?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with company vision).

• "How do you embody 'candor with compassion' in your professional interactions?" (Demonstrate understanding of the value and how you apply it).

• "Given our player-centric approach, how would you ensure player needs are prioritized throughout the design process?" (Connect your experience to the company's core value). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline the Problem, Your Role, Your Process, Challenges, Solutions, and Results/Impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals (mockups, prototypes, flow diagrams, gameplay footage) to illustrate your work. Ensure they are clear and easy to understand.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about your design journey, highlighting your thought process and decision-making.

• Unreal Engine Focus: If you have relevant examples, be ready to discuss your experience with Unreal Engine 5's UI tools (UMG) and how you translated designs into the engine.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., increased player retention, reduced task completion time, improved conversion rates) to demonstrate the value of your designs.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect questions on specific design choices, technical constraints, and alternative solutions you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should emphasize demonstrating not only design skill but also strategic thinking, technical aptitude (especially with Unreal Engine 5), and strong collaborative capabilities. Candidates should be ready to articulate their process and impact clearly and concisely, aligning their experience with Believer's stated values and goals.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most relevant game UX/UI projects. Prioritize those that showcase end-to-end ownership, complex problem-solving, and ideally, shipped titles. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your systems thinking and player empathy.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 10+ years of experience, your track record of shipping games, your proficiency with Unreal Engine 5, and your experience in setting design standards and mentoring. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design process, your approach to solving ambiguous problems, and your experience working within game development pipelines. Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling and quantifiable impact where possible.

• Research Believer: Understand the company's mission, its values (player-centricity, candor with compassion), and the types of games they aim to create. Be prepared to discuss why you are a good cultural fit and specifically interested in Believer.

⚠️ 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.