Senior UX Designer - League of Legends (12 Month Contract)

📍 Job Overview

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

Company: Riot Games

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Job Type: Contract

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: June 26, 2026

Experience Level: 4+ Years (Required), 6+ Years (Desired)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the user experience design for complex, high-scope product areas within League of Legends, a globally recognized PC game.

• Drive innovation and player delight through a deep understanding of design thinking and player empathy.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including designers, engineers, and product managers, across different time zones.

• Develop and articulate data-informed design visions, ensuring experiential continuity across multiple features and platforms.

• Contribute to establishing and maintaining design best practices and quality standards within the Design discipline.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior-level position focused on a critical product area within a major live-service game. The emphasis on "high-scope," "complex," and "ambiguous" product areas, along with the requirement to break down experiences for incremental shipping, indicates a need for strong strategic design thinking and the ability to manage large, intricate design challenges. The hybrid work model in Dublin suggests a balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the end-to-end design process for significant product areas within League of Legends, from concept to development completion.

• Conduct user research and leverage data analytics to inform design decisions, ensuring a player-centric approach.

• Create comprehensive design artifacts, including strategy articulation, journey maps, user flows, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Translate complex player needs and business objectives into intuitive and engaging user experiences.

• Collaborate with Design leadership to define and uphold design best practices, ensuring consistency and quality across the player experience.

• Manage the experiential quality and consistency of features throughout their lifecycle, from initial concept to post-launch iterations.

• Facilitate effective communication and alignment with cross-functional stakeholders by clearly presenting design rationale and data-informed insights.

• Deconstruct large-scale experiences into smaller, manageable components to enable incremental delivery of value (Minimum Viable Experience).

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "breaking down experiences thoughtfully for teams to be able to ship value incrementally" is a key operational aspect for live-service games, requiring a designer to think about phased rollouts and Minimum Viable Experiences (MVEs) rather than solely monolithic releases.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Visual Design, Interaction Design, User Experience Design, or a closely related field is desired.

• Equivalent practical experience demonstrating mastery in UX/Interaction Design will also be considered. Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in designing digital experiences, products, and platforms, specifically as a User Experience Designer or Interaction Designer.

• 6+ years of experience in user experience design or interactive design is highly desirable.

• Proven experience working within a distributed team environment, particularly across different time zones, is advantageous.

• Experience in the video game industry, especially with live-service gaming titles, is a significant plus. Required Skills:

• Proficiency in core UX design principles and methodologies, including user research, persona development, journey mapping, and information architecture.

• Expertise in creating wireframes, mockups, and high-fidelity interactive prototypes.

• Advanced skills in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, or Sketch.

• Strong understanding of design thinking principles and their application to complex problem-solving.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and data-informed insights effectively to diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Experience in designing for large-scale, complex digital products. Preferred Skills:

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

• Experience in designing for esports or competitive gaming platforms.

• A strong personal relationship with and passion for games, particularly League of Legends.

• Experience in advocating for and implementing design best practices and quality standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required qualifications emphasize practical experience and tool proficiency, while desired qualifications point towards specialized industry knowledge and a deeper understanding of the gaming ecosystem. The "4+ years" and "6+ years" indicate a need for seasoned designers capable of working independently and mentoring others.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of digital design projects, highlighting your UX and Interaction Design expertise.

• Demonstrations of your ability to tackle complex and ambiguous design challenges, with clear articulation of the problem, your approach, and the outcomes.

• Examples of how you've translated player needs and strategic objectives into tangible design solutions.

• Evidence of your proficiency with industry-standard design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite) through project deliverables.

• Case studies detailing your process, including user research findings, journey maps, user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. Process Documentation:

• Showcase how you break down large-scale experiences into incremental, deliverable components (Minimum Viable Experience).

• Illustrate your approach to ensuring experiential quality and consistency across multiple features and platforms.

• Provide examples of how you communicate your data-informed design vision and rationale to cross-functional stakeholders.

• Demonstrate your contribution to establishing and maintaining design best practices and quality standards within a team or organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, particularly in a company like Riot Games, the portfolio is paramount. It must not only display aesthetic skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of the design process, especially in the context of live-service games and cross-functional collaboration. The emphasis on "process" and "system" requirements is about demonstrating how you design, not just what you design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Given the Senior UX Designer role, the 12-month contract nature, and the Dublin, Ireland location, a competitive salary range would be estimated between €65,000 - €95,000 per annum. This range accounts for the experience level, the specialized nature of the gaming industry, and the cost of living in Dublin.

Benefits:

• Competitive hourly rate or fixed-term contract salary.

• Opportunity to work on a globally recognized and highly influential game title, League of Legends.

• Exposure to cutting-edge game design and development practices within the gaming industry.

• Potential for contract extension or future opportunities within Riot Games.

• Access to Riot Games' employee resource groups and internal community events.

• Professional development opportunities related to UX design and the gaming sector.

• Contribution to a company culture that prioritizes player experience and collaborative innovation. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, estimated at 40 hours per week.

• Hybrid work arrangement, requiring a balance of in-office collaboration in Dublin and remote work.

• Flexibility within the standard work week, with potential for asynchronous collaboration to accommodate cross-timezone teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this is a contract role, benefits packages can vary. The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior UX designers in major European tech hubs and the specific demands of the gaming industry. The emphasis is on the unique experience and project exposure offered by such a role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Video Games & Esports. Riot Games operates at the forefront of the entertainment industry, creating immersive digital experiences that foster strong communities and competitive engagement.

Company Size: Riot Games is a large, established global company with over 2,500 employees worldwide. This size provides resources and structure while striving to maintain a collaborative and player-focused environment.

Founded: Riot Games was founded in 2006. Its flagship title, League of Legends, launched in 2009 and has since become a dominant force in the PC gaming and esports landscape.

Team Structure:

• The UX Design team at Riot Games is likely structured to support specific product areas or game titles. This Senior UX Designer will be part of a team that could include other UX designers, UI designers, UX researchers, and potentially design operations specialists.

• Reporting structure will likely involve a Design Lead or Director, with close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and other cross-functional leads.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone of Riot's culture, with designers working intimately with development teams to bring experiences to life. Methodology:

• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are heavily influenced by player data, analytics, and player feedback, rather than solely relying on intuition.

• Iterative Development: Embracing agile methodologies to continuously improve and evolve game experiences based on player engagement and feedback.

• Player-Centricity: Every decision is evaluated through the lens of how it impacts the player experience, aiming for delight and meaningful engagement.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Fostering an environment where designers, engineers, product managers, and other disciplines work closely together from conception to launch.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Riot Games is known for its player-focused culture and its commitment to building deep, engaging experiences. The company's success with League of Legends demonstrates a capacity for long-term product vision and continuous iteration, which is critical for live-service games. The Dublin office is a significant hub for Riot, contributing to its global operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level UX Designer role. It signifies a designer who is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, lead design initiatives for significant product areas, and contribute strategically to the overall player experience. Senior designers are often mentors to more junior team members and influence design standards and processes.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will report to a Design Lead or Manager within the League of Legends product group. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other senior stakeholders across different departments (e.g., Marketing, Esports). This structure emphasizes collaboration and shared ownership of product success.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is direct and significant. By shaping the user experience of League of Legends, the Senior UX Designer influences player engagement, retention, satisfaction, and potentially monetization. Their work directly contributes to the game's ongoing success, its esports ecosystem, and Riot's reputation as a premier game developer. The ability to design for "high-scope" areas means affecting a large segment of the player base.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX design relevant to complex games, such as player onboarding, competitive systems, or social features.

• Leadership Development: Potential to take on more significant leadership roles, such as Lead UX Designer for a product area or mentor for junior designers.

• Cross-Product Exposure: Possibility of contributing to other Riot Games titles or initiatives, broadening experience across different game genres and platforms.

• Industry Recognition: Working on a title like League of Legends provides a platform for building a strong professional reputation within the gaming and UX design communities.

• Contract-to-Permanent Potential: While a 12-month contract, successful performance can often lead to opportunities for permanent roles within Riot Games.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a need for strategic thinking and the capacity to lead without constant supervision. The growth opportunities are geared towards specialized expertise within the gaming UX domain and potential leadership within Riot's design teams.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Riot Games operates a modern, collaborative office environment. The Dublin office is designed to foster creativity and teamwork, likely featuring open workspaces, meeting rooms, and common areas conducive to brainstorming and informal collaboration.

Office Location(s): The role is based in the Dublin office. Specific details about the office location within Dublin can be found on Riot Games' careers page or by inquiring during the application process. This location will offer access to the city's amenities and transportation networks.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment will encourage interaction with colleagues, facilitating spontaneous discussions and feedback sessions crucial for iterative design.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and potentially specialized game development tools will be provided to support the design workflow.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for face-to-face interaction with the immediate design team, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, balanced with remote collaboration for distributed teams.

• Hybrid Model: The hybrid setup allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative synergy in the office,