Senior UI Designer – League of Legends (12-Month Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UI Designer – League of Legends (12-Month Contract)

Company: Riot Games

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Job Type: Contract

Category: UI/UX Design, Game Development Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the visual design and interactive experience for core features within League of Legends, ensuring player immersion and intuitive gameplay.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including art, game design, UX design, and engineering, to translate creative and artistic direction into high-quality UI assets.

• Develop and maintain design systems, style guides, and conventions to ensure visual consistency and thematic coherence across the game.

• Utilize expertise in systemic design, graphic design, typography, color theory, and illustration to craft seamless player experiences from ideation through implementation.

• Uphold and elevate the quality bar for the UI discipline, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and craft best practices within the Dublin-based team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is a 12-month contract, which implies a project-focused engagement with clear deliverables and a defined timeline. The emphasis on "player empathy" and "player-first" suggests that user experience and player satisfaction are paramount, requiring a deep understanding of player behavior patterns and a commitment to iterative design based on player feedback. This is a crucial aspect for any operations role focused on user-facing products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and shape the UI direction for League of Legends features, aligning with creative goals and the overall artistic vision of the project.

• Create visually balanced, intuitive interfaces that demonstrate a strong understanding of readability, visual hierarchy, platform constraints, and player behavior.

• Establish and extend project themes by creating comprehensive style guides, design systems, and visual conventions.

• Collaborate closely with Art Directors, fellow artists, Game Designers, UX Designers, and Engineers to deliver a cohesive and compelling visual player experience.

• Drive the creation and implementation of UI assets through all development stages, from initial concept to final integration within the game engine.

• Leverage deep knowledge of systemic design, graphic design, interactivity, layout, typography, color theory, and illustration to ensure seamless player experiences.

• Embrace a growth mindset, actively seeking mentorship and learning opportunities from discipline artists and the broader community.

• Uphold, innovate within, and elevate the quality bar for the UI design discipline.

• Work autonomously to maintain craft best practices within the Dublin office, while also empowering local developers to adopt and implement these standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "driving the development of concepts from early ideation all the way to implementation in game engine" indicates a full-cycle design responsibility, requiring not just creative vision but also a practical understanding of development pipelines and engine integration. This is analogous to operations roles that manage projects from conception to deployment and ongoing optimization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and experience in visual communication design is expected.

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience as a Visual Designer, UI Designer, or UI Artist, with hands-on experience contributing to major feature, game, product launch, or entertainment property.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in Figma for UI design and prototyping.

• Proven ability to contribute to major features, game launches, or significant entertainment properties through visual communication design.

• Deep understanding and practical application of systemic design principles.

• Strong graphic design skills, including layout, typography, and color theory.

• Proficiency in illustration for UI elements and thematic representation.

• Experience in creating visually balanced and intuitive interfaces.

• Familiarity with player behavior patterns and their impact on UI design.

• A growth mindset and willingness to learn and adapt.

• Ability to work autonomously and uphold craft best practices. Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of the game development pipeline, including asset optimization, localization processes, and implementation strategies.

• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite products, particularly Photoshop.

• Familiarity with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine.

• Experience in a secondary creative area like motion graphics, illustration, animation, or 3D modeling.

• Experience working within a distributed development environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "expert knowledge in Figma" is critical. This is a key tool for UI/UX design and prototyping, akin to how CRM or ETL tools are critical in operations. The "Desired Qualifications" for game engines and secondary creative areas suggest that a candidate with a broader skillset, particularly one that touches on technical implementation or broader artistic domains, will have a significant advantage. This mirrors how operations professionals with broader technical or analytical skills are often more valuable.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 5+ years of professional design work, with a strong emphasis on contributions to major game features, product launches, or entertainment properties.

• Demonstrate expert-level proficiency in Figma, including examples of complex UI layouts, interactive prototypes, and design system components.

• Provide clear examples of how systemic design principles were applied to create scalable and consistent UI elements.

• Include case studies that detail the design process from initial ideation and concept development through to final implementation and iteration.

• Showcase strong visual communication design skills, with examples of effective typography, color theory application, and layout hierarchy. Process Documentation:

• Detail the workflow used for asset creation, from concept to in-game engine implementation, highlighting collaboration points with art, game design, UX, and engineering.

• Illustrate the creation and maintenance of style guides and design systems, explaining how these were used to ensure visual consistency and thematic coherence.

• Explain how player behavior patterns and feedback were incorporated into the design process for iterative improvements.

• Provide examples of how optimization and localization considerations were integrated into the UI design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI design role, the portfolio is the primary demonstration of operational capability. It needs to showcase not just aesthetic output but the process behind it – how problems were solved, how systems were built, and how collaboration occurred. This is directly analogous to how operations professionals must demonstrate their ability to build processes, optimize workflows, and manage systems through project examples and case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While not specified, for a Senior UI Designer role in Dublin, Ireland with 5-10 years of experience on a 12-month contract, the estimated annual salary range would typically be between €60,000 and €85,000. This estimate is based on market research for similar contract roles in the tech and gaming industries in Dublin, considering the seniority level and specialized skills required.

Benefits: As this is a 12-month contract position, benefits may vary. However, typical benefits for contract roles at major tech companies like Riot Games in Ireland could include:

• Competitive hourly or daily rate, translating to the estimated annual salary.

• Access to company facilities and resources.

• Potential for project completion bonuses or extensions based on performance and business needs.

• Opportunities for professional development and networking within the gaming industry.

• Contribution to a pension scheme may be available depending on contract specifics.

• Paid time off (PTO) or holiday pay, often accrued based on hours worked.

Working Hours: The role is listed as requiring 40 hours per week. While the contract is hybrid, specific in-office days will be determined in coordination with the team and reporting manager to ensure effective collaboration and project alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on current market data for Senior UI/Visual Designers in Dublin, Ireland, for contract positions within the gaming/tech sector. Factors influencing this range include the 12-month contract duration, the senior level, and the specific expertise required (Figma, game development pipeline). Benefits for contract roles are often less comprehensive than for permanent positions, focusing more on the rate of pay and access to facilities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Interactive Entertainment, Video Game Development. Riot Games is a leading player in the global gaming market, known for its commitment to player experience and community engagement.

Company Size: Large (1,000+ employees). This implies a structured organization with established processes, but also potential for cross-functional collaboration across various departments and global teams.

Founded: 2006. With a history spanning nearly two decades, Riot Games has a mature organizational structure and a deep understanding of the gaming industry, enabling them to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within their operations.

Team Structure:

• The Senior UI Designer will be embedded within the League of Legends development team in Dublin.

• They will report to the Production Director, indicating a strong focus on project delivery and operational efficiency.

• Collaboration will be frequent with Art Directors, fellow Visual Designers, Game Designers, UX Designers, and Engineers, highlighting a cross-functional team environment. Methodology:

• Emphasis on a "player-first" approach, driving all design and development decisions.

• Collaborative design methodologies, encouraging input from diverse disciplines.

• Iterative development cycles, allowing for continuous refinement based on feedback and data.

• A focus on systemic design and establishing robust design systems to ensure scalability and consistency.

Company Website: https://www.riotgames.com/en/

📝 Enhancement Note: Riot Games' "player-first" mission is a core cultural driver. For operations roles, this translates to a focus on how systems and processes directly impact player experience, engagement, and satisfaction. The company's size and established presence suggest that operational processes are likely well-defined but also subject to ongoing optimization to maintain a competitive edge.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role requires significant expertise and autonomy in UI design, with the expectation of mentoring junior team members and influencing design direction.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Production Director, indicating a direct line of sight to project management and delivery timelines, which is crucial for operations. Collaboration is extensive with Art Directors and other cross-functional leads.

Operations Impact: The Senior UI Designer's work directly impacts player engagement, satisfaction, and retention by creating intuitive and immersive game interfaces. High-quality UI design is critical for the operational success of League of Legends, influencing player progression and overall enjoyment of the game.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in game UI design, systemic design, and potentially explore adjacent areas like motion graphics or UX research within the context of a leading global game.

• Leadership Development: Potential to influence design strategy, mentor junior designers, and lead design initiatives on key features, building leadership capabilities relevant for future operations management roles.

• Industry Exposure: Working on League of Legends, one of the world's most popular games, provides unparalleled experience and visibility within the gaming industry, opening doors for future opportunities in game development operations or related fields.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is in Design, its senior level and focus on process, collaboration, and project delivery align with growth trajectories in operations. The "Production Director" reporting line suggests an operational focus on execution and efficiency. The emphasis on mentorship and influencing strategy points towards developing leadership skills applicable in operations management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. Employees are expected to work from the Dublin office on a hybrid basis, balancing remote work with in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): Dublin, Ireland. This location offers a vibrant tech and creative hub with access to a skilled talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The Dublin office is designed to foster collaboration, with teams working closely together on game development. This includes close interaction with art, design, and engineering disciplines.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma, Adobe CC) and potentially game engines within the office environment.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for in-person brainstorming, design reviews, and team meetings to ensure alignment and shared understanding of project goals.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility expected to meet project deadlines and production needs. The hybrid model allows for a balance between focused individual work and collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is a key aspect for operations professionals, requiring strong time management and self-discipline. The emphasis on collaboration within the office context suggests that roles requiring significant cross-functional interaction will benefit from this setup, helping to streamline communication and operational workflows.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, detailing their design process, key projects, and contributions to specific features or launches. This is a critical step where operational thinking (process, problem-solving) will be evaluated.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: Potential for a design challenge or practical exercise to evaluate Figma proficiency, problem-solving skills, and ability to apply design principles under pressure.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with team members from Art, Game Design, UX, and Engineering to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Discussion with the Production Director and potentially other senior leaders to confirm alignment with role requirements and company objectives.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project. Highlight how you approached challenges, made decisions, and iterated based on feedback.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, demonstrate the impact of your work. For UI roles, this could involve discussing how your design improved usability, player engagement, or conversion rates within a feature.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase examples of working effectively with other disciplines (e.g., engineers on implementation, game designers on mechanics). Explain how you communicated your design intent and incorporated their feedback.

• Figma Expertise: Be prepared to demonstrate your advanced Figma skills, including complex component systems, prototyping capabilities, and collaborative features.

• Tailor to League of Legends: Research League of Legends' current UI and art style. Be prepared to discuss how your work aligns with or could evolve this aesthetic and player experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Problem-Solving Focus: Expect design challenges that test your ability to solve specific UI problems within a game context. Focus on demonstrating a structured approach to problem-solving.

• Time Management: Be mindful of time constraints during any practical exercises. Prioritize key aspects of the design problem to showcase your core skills.

• Articulate Rationale: Be ready to clearly explain the reasoning behind your design choices, linking them back to player needs, game objectives, and design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is the operational equivalent of a candidate presenting their project management or process implementation track record. It needs to go beyond just showcasing final outputs and detail the methodology, challenges, and outcomes, mirroring how operations professionals present their project successes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expert proficiency required. This is essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Understanding of its advanced features like components, auto layout, and collaboration tools is key.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop): Highly desired for asset creation, image manipulation, and potentially texture work.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned, a Senior UI Designer is expected to understand how their designs are measured. Familiarity with analytics tools (e.g., internal Riot tools, general analytics platforms) used to track player interaction with UI elements would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable in the traditional sense for this role, but understanding how UI elements integrate with game logic and player progression systems (which could be considered a form of "system management") is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Adobe CC highlights the core technical stack. The implicit need to understand how UI impacts player metrics suggests an indirect connection to analytical tools and data-driven decision-making, which is a hallmark of operations roles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Player-First: Every decision and design is made with the player's experience and enjoyment as the highest priority. This drives a culture of empathy and user-centricity.

• Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality execution and attention to detail in all aspects of design and implementation.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and mutual respect across all disciplines and teams.

• Innovation: Encouragement to explore new ideas, push creative boundaries, and find novel solutions to design challenges.

• Growth Mindset: A dedication to continuous learning, seeking feedback, and developing new skills.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers work integrally with Art, Game Design, UX, and Engineering, fostering a highly integrated and communicative development process.

• Feedback Exchange: A culture of constructive feedback is encouraged, with regular design reviews and open dialogue to refine work and align on project goals.

• Knowledge Sharing: Designers are expected to share their expertise, mentor others, and contribute to the collective knowledge base of the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Riot's culture emphasizes values that directly translate to successful operations: player-centricity (customer-centricity), craftsmanship (quality and process rigor), and collaboration (stakeholder management). The collaborative style is crucial for operations roles that require seamless integration across departments.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Player Needs with Technical Constraints: Designing intuitive and visually appealing interfaces within the complex technical limitations of a live game service and specific game engine.

• Maintaining Consistency Across a Massive Game: Ensuring a cohesive and high-quality visual experience across a vast array of features and updates in League of Legends.

• Adapting to Evolving Game Design: Keeping UI designs flexible and adaptable to accommodate ongoing changes and new features in game design.

• Working within a Contract Framework: Navigating the specific project scope, deliverables, and timeline inherent in a 12-month contract role.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Game UI Expertise: Gaining in-depth experience in designing for a complex, live-service game environment.

• Systemic Design Mastery: Deepening understanding and application of design systems for large-scale projects.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Learning from game designers, engineers, and other artists to broaden understanding of the game development pipeline and player experience.

• Industry Best Practices: Exposure to Riot's internal best practices for UI/UX design, asset creation, and collaborative development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are akin to those faced in operations: managing complex systems, adapting to change, and working within defined project parameters. The growth opportunities focus on deepening specialized skills and expanding cross-functional knowledge, mirroring career development paths in operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance a complex creative vision with significant technical or development constraints. How did you navigate this, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem-solving, compromise, and communication.)

• "Walk us through your process for creating a comprehensive design system or style guide for a major feature. What were the key considerations, and how did you ensure adoption by the team?" (Highlight process, scalability, and collaboration.)

• "How do you approach understanding player behavior and incorporating that understanding into your UI designs? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Emphasize user empathy and data-driven design.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about League of Legends specifically, and how do you see your UI design skills contributing to its player experience?" (Show genuine interest and connect skills to the game's context.)

• "Riot Games is known for its 'player-first' philosophy. How does this value resonate with your own design approach?" (Align your personal values with company values.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment and collaborating with remote and in-office team members. How do you ensure effective communication and alignment?" (Demonstrate adaptability and communication skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, explain the problem, your approach, the decisions you made, and the results. Don't just show screens; explain the 'why' behind them.

• Highlight Figma Mastery: Be ready to demo specific Figma features you used, such as complex component libraries, interactive prototypes, or collaborative workflows.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, share metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success of your designs. For example, "This UI redesign led to a 15% increase in feature adoption."

• Focus on Process: Clearly outline your design process, including user research, ideation, iteration, and implementation phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions for senior roles often probe problem-solving, strategic thinking, and process management. For this design role, demonstrating a structured, user-centric, and collaborative approach to UI design is key, much like demonstrating these qualities in an operations context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-critical design position:

• Submit your application through the Riot Games careers portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 key projects that best demonstrate your expertise in UI design, systemic design, Figma proficiency, and experience with major product launches or game features. Ensure each project clearly outlines the problem, your role, your process, and the outcome.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5+ years of experience, expert Figma skills, and any experience relevant to game development, interactive media, or large-scale product design. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "UI Designer," "Visual Designer," "Figma," "Systemic Design," "player experience").

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on your design process, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative contributions. Be ready to articulate your rationale for design choices and discuss how your work impacts the player.

• Research Riot Games & League of Legends: Understand the company's player-first mission, its culture, and the specific challenges and opportunities within League of Legends. Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with their goals.

⚠️ 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.

---