Senior UI Programmer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UI Programmer

Company: Epic Games

Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Game Development - UI Programming

Date Posted: May 22, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Core UI feature development for innovative new experiences and technology within Epic Games.

• Design, plan, refactor, and implement systemic UI features like HUD widgets, minimaps, and mission flows.

• Write robust, maintainable, and modular C++ code with a focus on future-proofing and scalability.

• Optimize existing systems and resolve bugs in both new and legacy UI codebases.

• Integrate backend systems to enhance the player experience and support online functionality.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the "Programming - Games" division at Epic Games, specifically focusing on UI development for their renowned game titles and potentially the broader Fortnite ecosystem. The emphasis on "new and growing team" suggests an opportunity for significant impact and input into foundational UI architecture and processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Envision, plan, refactor, and implement core UI features such as HUD widgets, HUD markers, minimaps, mission flow systems, activity feeds, and conversation/interaction menus with a systemic and modular approach.

• Write high-quality, robust, and maintainable C++ code, prioritizing generic modularization and long-term scalability for future development.

• Identify and implement optimizations for performance-critical UI systems and diligently fix bugs in both newly developed and legacy code.

• Seamlessly integrate backend services and systems to ensure a cohesive and robust player experience, particularly for online and multiplayer functionalities.

• Actively collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team, including programmers, designers, and artists, to develop and deliver cutting-edge features that enhance player experiences within games and potentially across the Fortnite ecosystem.

• Work closely with backend developers to ensure alignment on client-server goals, API contracts, and data synchronization for UI-related features.

• Partner with art and design leads to translate aesthetic visions and functional requirements into high-quality UI implementations that meet both visual and usability standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for a programmer who can not only execute on UI development but also contribute to architectural decisions and system design. The emphasis on "systemic approach" and "generic modularization" indicates a requirement for forward-thinking code that supports iterative development and scalability across multiple game features and potentially platforms.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Game Development, or a related field is often preferred for senior programming roles in the gaming industry.

Experience: 5-10 years of professional experience in game programming, with a significant focus on UI development. Experience in developing features for games across multiple platforms is essential.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional C++ programming proficiency, demonstrating deep understanding of language features and best practices.

• Proven experience in developing features for games that have shipped on multiple platforms (e.g., PC, consoles, mobile).

• Substantial experience in developing online multiplayer games or other interactive real-time technology applications with a strong online component.

• Demonstrated ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code with a focus on modular design and future extensibility.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a mature approach to debugging and performance optimization.

• Excellent teamwork and cross-discipline collaboration skills, including effective communication and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.

• A keen interest in social features, frontend development, and gameplay-adjacent areas of game development.

Preferred Skills:

• Direct experience with Unreal Engine development, including its UI systems (e.g., UMG - Unreal Motion Graphics).

• Familiarity with UI architecture patterns and best practices in large-scale game development.

• Experience with UI performance profiling and optimization techniques.

• Understanding of common backend service integration patterns for live-service games.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "exceptional C++" and "significant experience" requirements point towards a senior-level candidate capable of leading technical aspects of UI development. The preference for Unreal Engine experience is a strong indicator of the primary technology stack. The emphasis on user empathy and balancing tradeoffs suggests a candidate who understands the player perspective and can make pragmatic technical decisions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of at least two complex UI systems developed for shipped games or significant prototypes, demonstrating systemic design and modular implementation.

• Examples of C++ code demonstrating robust architecture, maintainability, and efficiency, ideally with insights into optimization strategies.

• Case studies detailing the process of integrating backend systems or services to support UI features, highlighting problem-solving and collaboration.

Process Documentation:

• Documentation or detailed explanations of your approach to designing and implementing modular UI systems, including workflow design and optimization phases.

• Examples of how you have documented your code and systems for clarity and maintainability, facilitating collaboration within a team.

• Descriptions of your process for performance analysis and bug fixing of UI elements, including methodologies for identifying and resolving complex issues.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UI Programmer role, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only display finished products but also the candidate's thought process, problem-solving skills, and technical rigor in building scalable and maintainable UI systems. The emphasis is on demonstrating how they build, not just what they build.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UI Programmers with 5-10 years of experience in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between CAD $120,000 - $170,000 annually. This range can vary based on specific experience, skill set, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage: 100% paid by Epic Games for employees and dependents, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Specialized insurance: Critical illness insurance, telemedicine services, Life and AD&D insurance, long-term disability insurance, and weekly indemnity (short-term disability).

• Retirement savings: A competitive retirement savings plan with a strong employer match.

• Employee Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and a robust mental well-being program (Modern Health) offering free therapy and coaching for employees and dependents.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. While specific flexibility is not detailed, the nature of game development often involves periods of intense work leading up to key milestones or releases.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on current market data for senior software engineering roles in the gaming industry in major Canadian tech hubs like Montreal, considering the employer's reputation and benefits package. The extensive benefits package is a significant draw for potential candidates.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Video Game Development, Interactive Entertainment, Engine Technology. Epic Games is a leader in the gaming industry, known for titles like Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, which powers a vast array of games and visual experiences across various industries.

Company Size: 4,500+ employees globally, with 46 studios across 25 countries. This indicates a large, established company with a significant global presence.

Founded: Over 25 years ago, signifying a long history of innovation and stability in the tech and gaming sectors.

Team Structure:

• The UI Programming team is described as "new and growing," suggesting a dynamic environment where early members can shape processes and direction.

• It's a small, focused team, implying close collaboration and direct impact.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on "systemic approach" and "generic modularization" in UI development, pointing towards a focus on scalable, maintainable, and reusable code.

• Collaborative development is a key aspect, requiring close interaction between programmers, designers, and artists to achieve aesthetic and functional goals.

• Integration of backend systems is crucial for modern online games, indicating a need for strong API and service interaction skills.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Epic Games is known for fostering a creative, collaborative, and innovative culture. As a large global company, it offers stability and resources, while the "new and growing" nature of this specific UI team suggests an opportunity to influence and grow with the initiative. The company's commitment to its community and users is a recurring theme.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Programmer role, indicating a level of expertise and leadership potential within the technical domain of UI development. It's a position for an individual contributor who is expected to mentor junior members and drive technical excellence.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a lead within the UI Programming team, which is part of the broader Games programming division. Collaboration will be extensive with cross-functional leads in Art, Design, and Backend Engineering.

Operations Impact: The Senior UI Programmer will have a direct impact on the player experience by building intuitive, functional, and visually appealing user interfaces for games and potentially across the Fortnite ecosystem. Their work will influence player engagement, retention, and overall game satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in Unreal Engine UI systems, C++ optimization, and advanced UI architecture.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Lead UI Programmer role, mentoring junior developers, overseeing technical direction, and managing feature implementation for larger projects.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Opportunities to work on diverse initiatives, gain insights into other areas of game development (e.g., gameplay, backend services), and contribute to cutting-edge technologies.

• Broader Ecosystem Impact: Potential to contribute to features that span across the entire Fortnite ecosystem, offering exposure to large-scale, live-service game development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies that candidates should not only possess strong technical skills but also demonstrate an ability to guide technical decisions and mentor others. The growth opportunities suggest a career path that can lead to technical leadership or broader system ownership within Epic Games.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role, indicating a traditional office environment where in-person collaboration is prioritized. Epic Games offices are typically modern and equipped to support creative and technical teams.

Office Location(s): Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This location is a significant hub for game development in Canada, offering a vibrant tech community.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is likely to be highly collaborative, fostering close interaction between programmers, artists, and designers to iterate on UI elements.

• Access to industry-leading tools and technology, including Unreal Engine, will be standard.

• Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing and problem-solving sessions with team members are expected.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time work schedule, likely Monday to Friday. While the company offers a strong benefits package, game development can sometimes require extended hours during critical project phases or release windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Montreal suggests a candidate looking for a stable, collaborative environment within a major gaming hub. The emphasis on cross-disciplinary work means the workspace is designed to facilitate communication and teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Resume and portfolio review to assess C++ skills, game development experience, and UI focus.

• Technical Interview(s): In-depth discussions on C++ programming, Unreal Engine, UI architecture, and problem-solving scenarios. Expect live coding exercises or whiteboard challenges.

• System Design/Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio, discuss your contributions to specific UI systems, systemic design choices, and optimization strategies.

• Cross-Disciplinary Interview: Meeting with potential collaborators (e.g., designers, artists, backend leads) to assess teamwork, communication, and ability to integrate feedback.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Final discussion focusing on role fit, career aspirations, and cultural alignment with Epic Games.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systemic Design: Clearly articulate how you approached designing modular and scalable UI systems. Use diagrams or flowcharts if helpful.

• Showcase C++ Mastery: Provide well-commented C++ code samples that demonstrate clean architecture, efficiency, and best practices. Explain your optimization techniques.

• Detail Collaboration: For team projects, clearly define your specific contributions and how you collaborated with artists, designers, and backend engineers.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the positive impact of your UI work (e.g., improved player engagement, reduced load times, enhanced usability).

• Unreal Engine Focus (if applicable): If you have Unreal Engine experience, showcase projects using UMG or other relevant UI frameworks, explaining your implementation details.

Challenge Preparation:

• C++ Fundamentals: Be prepared for questions on C++ core concepts, memory management, object-oriented design, and common data structures.

• Unreal Engine Concepts: If you have UE experience, review its architecture, common APIs, and UI-specific features like UMG and Blueprint integration.

• UI Design Principles: Understand core UI/UX principles, accessibility considerations, and how to balance aesthetic goals with functional requirements.

• Live Coding: Practice solving programming problems under time constraints, focusing on clean, efficient, and well-structured code.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize technical proficiency in C++ and Unreal Engine, alongside the ability to integrate UI development within a broader game development context. A strong, well-curated portfolio demonstrating systemic design and collaborative problem-solving is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Programming Language: C++ (exceptional skills required)

• Game Engine: Unreal Engine (preferred, with UMG - Unreal Motion Graphics being a key component)

• Version Control: Likely Git or Perforce (standard in game development)

• IDE: Visual Studio or Rider (common for C++ development)

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this role, but familiarity with systems that feed data to the UI (e.g., backend services, player data management) is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technical requirement is C++ and Unreal Engine. Proficiency in these areas, particularly with Unreal's UI tools, will be a major differentiator. Understanding how to work with potentially custom-built internal tools for analytics and backend integration is also implied.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: Continuously pushing the boundaries of what's possible in game development and engine technology.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across disciplines to achieve shared goals.

• Player Focus: Prioritizing the end-user experience in all development decisions.

• Excellence: Striving for the highest quality in code, design, and execution.

• Growth: Encouraging continuous learning and professional development.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly cross-functional, with programmers working hand-in-hand with artists and designers from concept to implementation.

• Open communication and constructive feedback are encouraged to refine features and resolve challenges.

• A team-oriented approach where collective success is prioritized.

📝 Enhancement Note: Epic Games values a culture of creativity, collaboration, and a deep commitment to its players. For this role, it means being part of a team that is passionate about delivering exceptional user experiences and is comfortable working in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Systemic Complexity: Designing and implementing UI systems that are robust, scalable, and maintainable across a large, live-service game or ecosystem.

• Cross-Disciplinary Alignment: Effectively translating artistic visions and design requirements into functional code, while also managing technical constraints.

• Performance Optimization: Ensuring UI elements are performant across various hardware configurations, especially in complex scenes or demanding multiplayer scenarios.

• Evolving Technology: Keeping pace with advancements in Unreal Engine, UI technologies, and backend service integrations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Unreal Engine Development: Gaining deeper expertise in Unreal Engine's latest features, rendering capabilities, and UI frameworks.

• Live-Service Game Development: Understanding the nuances of building and maintaining UI for games that are constantly updated and have a massive player base.

• Technical Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior programmers, contribute to architectural discussions, and potentially lead feature development.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to resources and events that foster continuous learning in game development and programming.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a leading game development studio, focusing on scale, complexity, and technical excellence. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening technical expertise and advancing into leadership roles within the specialized field of game UI programming.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Systemic Design: "Describe a complex UI system you designed and implemented. What were your design choices, how did you ensure modularity, and what challenges did you overcome?" (Prepare a case study from your portfolio.)

• C++ Optimization: "How do you approach optimizing C++ code for performance in a game development context? Can you give an example of a performance bottleneck you identified and resolved in a UI system?"

• Collaboration Scenarios: "Imagine a designer wants a UI element that is technically very difficult to implement efficiently. How would you approach this conversation and collaboratively find a solution?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Epic Games and this specific UI Programmer role?" (Research their recent projects, company values, and the nature of the Fortnite ecosystem.)

• "How do you approach giving and receiving constructive feedback from cross-functional teams?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of your key projects, then dive into 1-2 detailed case studies that best represent your skills for this role.

• Focus on "Why" and "How": For each project, explain the problem you were solving, your approach (systemic design, modularity), the technologies used, your specific contributions, and the outcome.

• Code Snippets: Be ready to show and discuss relevant C++ code samples, highlighting architectural patterns and optimization techniques.

• Metrics: If possible, present quantifiable results of your work (e.g., performance improvements, user feedback).

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time; present your strongest work clearly and efficiently.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should center on demonstrating depth in C++, Unreal Engine (if applicable), and a strong understanding of UI system architecture and player-centric design. The ability to articulate your process and collaborate effectively will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UI Programmer position:

• Visit the Epic Games careers page and locate the job posting (Job ID: 6004774004).

• Submit your application through the provided link, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.

• Portfolio Preparation: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature your strongest C++ UI programming projects, emphasizing systemic design, modularity, and cross-platform development. Include code samples and detailed case studies.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your exceptional C++ skills, experience with Unreal Engine, and significant contributions to online multiplayer games or real-time interactive applications. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Practice: Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on C++ fundamentals, Unreal Engine specifics, and common UI programming challenges. Practice explaining your portfolio projects and collaborative problem-solving approaches.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Epic Games' history, its flagship titles (especially Fortnite), its engine technology, and its company culture. Understand the scope of the Fortnite ecosystem and its impact.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description provides a comprehensive overview based on the provided information and industry standards. Specific details regarding responsibilities, qualifications, and the interview process should be confirmed directly with Epic Games during the application or interview stages.