UI Engineer - RuneScape: Dragonwilds

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Engineer - RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Company: Jagex: The RuneScape Company

Location: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Game Development / UI Engineering

Date Posted: 2026-05-05

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (Predominantly Remote, requires occasional office attendance)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the architecture and implementation of gameplay-facing UI systems within the RuneScape: Dragonwilds development team, ensuring robust and scalable user interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with game designers, gameplay engineers, and UX specialists to translate player-facing goals into practical, high-performance Unreal Engine solutions.

• Drive the modernization of existing UI and establish reusable widgets, frameworks, and data flows to empower designers with rapid iteration capabilities.

• Focus on connecting sophisticated UI elements to core gameplay mechanics, including abilities, attributes, cooldowns, and player status, ensuring seamless integration in a networked multiplayer environment.

• Take ownership of refactoring legacy UI codebases, enhancing technical structure, and establishing best practices for UI engineering standards in C++ and Blueprint.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly mentions "owning gameplay-facing UI systems from architecture through to implementation," indicating a high degree of autonomy and technical leadership expected from the UI Engineer. The emphasis on "scalable, performant interfaces" and connecting "complex gameplay systems" suggests a need for strong architectural design skills beyond simple screen implementation. The implied experience level of 5-10 years reinforces this expectation for a significant level of technical contribution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement gameplay-facing UI features using Unreal Engine, leveraging UMG, Common UI, and MVVM patterns where applicable.

• Design and build reusable UI widgets, robust data flows, and developer tools to streamline the design and iteration process.

• Integrate UI elements with core gameplay systems such as the Gameplay Ability System (GAS), player attributes, cooldown timers, and real-time status effects.

• Systematically refactor and modernize existing UI code to improve maintainability, consistency, and production readiness.

• Partner with game designers and UX researchers to effectively translate player needs and game design specifications into functional Unreal Engine UI implementations.

• Ensure UI performance, reliability, and correctness within a complex, networked multiplayer context, addressing potential edge cases and replicating state accurately.

• Diagnose and resolve complex bugs related to UI, input handling, replicated state, and core game flow scenarios.

• Contribute to defining and enforcing UI engineering standards for architecture, naming conventions, code ownership, and the appropriate use of Blueprint and C++.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of new feature development, technical debt reduction (refactoring legacy UI), and foundational work (defining standards). The direct mention of "multiplayer-safe" and "replicated state" highlights the critical need for expertise in networked game development.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Specific educational qualifications are not explicitly stated, but a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of skills is expected.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of professional game development experience, with a significant focus on UI engineering within Unreal Engine.

Required Skills:

• Unreal Engine Proficiency: Solid, demonstrable experience with Unreal Engine development.

• UMG & Slate: In-depth knowledge and practical application of Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG) and Slate fundamentals for UI creation.

• Blueprint/C++ Integration: Strong experience in integrating UI logic and functionality using both Unreal Engine Blueprints and C++.

• Gameplay Systems Integration: Proven experience connecting UI to complex gameplay systems, such as the Gameplay Ability System (GAS) or equivalent state management frameworks.

• UI Architecture: Understanding of ViewModel concepts, separation of concerns principles, and designing maintainable UI architectures.

• Code Refactoring: Track record of successfully refactoring inherited UI codebases and improving their technical structure and efficiency.

• Multiplayer Development: Strong experience working on and shipping multiplayer games, understanding network replication and client-server interactions.

Preferred Skills:

• Unreal Viewmodel/MVVM: Experience with Unreal Engine's Viewmodel or MVVM plugins in a production environment.

• Common UI: Familiarity with Unreal Engine's Common UI framework for cross-platform UI development.

• Input Routing: Experience with Unreal Engine's input routing systems and handling player input for UI interactions.

• Platform UX: Understanding of platform-specific user experience considerations for UI design and implementation.

• UI Tooling: Experience developing or utilizing UI tools to enhance the development workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The distinction between "Solid experience" and "Demonstrable experience" for core requirements versus "benefit" for preferred skills suggests a tiered approach to candidate evaluation. The emphasis on GAS and MVVM indicates a desire for candidates familiar with modern, robust UI patterns.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Unreal Engine UI Projects: Showcase at least 2-3 significant UI projects developed in Unreal Engine, demonstrating a range of UI components and system integrations.

• Gameplay Integration Examples: Provide clear examples or case studies of how UI elements were connected to complex gameplay mechanics (e.g., ability displays, status effects, player feedback systems).

• Technical Architecture Documentation: Include documentation or explanations of the UI architecture used in a project, highlighting design patterns like MVVM or ViewModel, and demonstrating an understanding of separation of concerns.

• Refactoring Case Study: Present a case study detailing a situation where inherited UI code was refactored, outlining the challenges, the approach taken, and the measurable improvements achieved (e.g., performance, maintainability, bug reduction).

• Multiplayer UI Considerations: If possible, include examples or discussions of UI challenges specific to multiplayer environments and how they were addressed in your projects (e.g., network state synchronization, latency compensation in UI feedback).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss your process for designing UI workflows, from initial concept and wireframing to implementation and iteration, with examples of how you optimized these processes for efficiency.

• System Implementation & Automation: Detail your approach to implementing reusable UI systems and frameworks, and how you might introduce automation to aid designers or improve development speed.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you measure the performance and effectiveness of UI systems, including techniques for debugging, profiling, and analyzing UI responsiveness in a live game environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UI Engineering role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just showing finished screens and must detail the how and why behind the technical implementation, especially concerning gameplay integration and architectural patterns. Case studies on refactoring and multiplayer considerations are highly valuable.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the location (Cambridge, UK), experience level (Mid-Level to Senior, 5-10 years), and the specialized nature of Unreal Engine UI development in the gaming industry, the estimated salary range for this role is approximately £55,000 - £85,000 per annum. This estimate is derived from industry benchmarks for senior game developers and UI engineers in the UK tech sector, considering the demand for specialized Unreal Engine skills.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Healthcare: Private Healthcare, including a Dental Plan, ensuring well-being.

• Performance Incentives: Discretionary annual performance bonus, rewarding contributions to team and company success.

• Retirement Planning: Minimum 6% Pension contributions, supporting long-term financial security.

• Financial Protection: Life Insurance coverage for peace of mind.

• Family Support: Enhanced family leave policies from day one, supporting work-life balance during significant life events.

• Flexible Work: Flexible working hours and predominantly remote work options, promoting autonomy and work-life integration.

• Generous Leave: 25 days of annual leave plus Bank Holidays, with the option to buy or sell holidays for added flexibility.

• Additional Perks: "So much more!" indicates a comprehensive package of other benefits not explicitly listed.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible working hours, allowing for adjustments to accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on typical UK market rates for a senior UI Engineer in the gaming industry. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, interview performance, and Jagex's internal compensation structure. The benefits package is notably generous, reflecting Jagex's commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Gaming / MMORPG Development. Jagex is a prominent player in the online gaming space, with RuneScape being a long-standing and highly successful MMORPG. The company is undergoing a strategic expansion, aiming to build a broader ecosystem around RuneScape, including a significant push into Steam Early Access with RuneScape: Dragonwilds.

Company Size: Jagex is a well-established company, likely employing hundreds of individuals, given its history and the scale of its flagship products. This size suggests a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for significant impact.

Founded: RuneScape was launched in 2001, and Jagex has been operating for over two decades. This longevity implies a stable company with deep expertise in online game development and community management. The company's recent strategic shifts indicate a forward-looking approach, balancing legacy with innovation.

Team Structure: The UI Engineer will join the RuneScape: Dragonwilds development team. This team is likely composed of specialized roles including game designers, gameplay engineers, UX designers, artists, and QA testers. The reporting structure would typically involve a Lead UI Engineer, Technical Director, or Development Director overseeing the team's technical output. Collaboration is expected to be cross-functional, with frequent interaction between UI, gameplay, and design disciplines.

Methodology: Jagex emphasizes building "deep, community-powered games" and fostering an "inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion." Their core values (Embrace Fellowship, Hone our Craft, Honour our Vows, Be our Customers’ Heroes, Seize the Day) suggest a collaborative, data-informed approach focused on continuous improvement, transparency, and player-centric development. Expect a blend of agile methodologies for iterative development and more structured processes for core system architecture and long-term planning.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's strategic focus on expanding the RuneScape universe and launching on Steam is a key context. Candidates should understand this means working on a high-profile, established IP with new ambitions, requiring both respect for legacy and a drive for innovation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level to senior UI Engineer. It involves significant ownership of technical systems, architectural input, and mentorship potential, moving beyond individual feature implementation to defining technical foundations. The role is critical for the success of "gameplay-facing UI systems," suggesting a high level of responsibility and impact on the player experience.

Reporting Structure: The UI Engineer will report to a Lead UI Engineer or a Development Director overseeing the RuneScape: Dragonwilds project. They will work closely with designers and gameplay engineers, forming a core part of the game's technical development team.

Operations Impact: The UI Engineer's work directly influences player engagement, usability, and the overall perception of game complexity and polish. By creating intuitive and performant interfaces for complex gameplay systems, they enable players to understand and interact with the game more effectively, directly impacting retention and player satisfaction. Their contributions to robust architecture also reduce long-term development costs and improve team efficiency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in Unreal Engine UI development, advanced GAS integration, and complex networking for UI.

• Architectural Leadership: Progress into Lead UI Engineer roles, guiding technical direction and mentoring junior engineers.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skill Development: Gain deeper insights into game design, UX principles, and gameplay engineering through close collaboration.

• Project Ownership: Take on lead roles for specific UI features or systems within future Jagex projects.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to a high-profile, long-running MMORPG franchise, building a strong portfolio and reputation within the game development industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers substantial growth potential within a well-established, yet evolving, gaming company. The opportunity to shape the UI for a major expansion of a beloved franchise is a significant career differentiator.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Jagex operates from a physical office located in Cambridge, UK. However, this role is classified as "Hybrid" and "Predominantly Remote," indicating a flexible work model. While remote work is the primary arrangement, occasional on-site presence will be required, likely for key meetings, team-building events, or critical project milestones. Applicants are expected to be within a reasonable commuting distance or willing to relocate.

Office Location(s): Cambridge, England, United Kingdom. This location is known as a technology and innovation hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model suggests a blend of focused individual work (remote) and collaborative team interaction (on-site). Expect to work with a diverse team of developers, designers, and artists.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard development tools, likely including powerful workstations, version control systems (e.g., Perforce, Git), and robust internal development pipelines for Unreal Engine.

• Team Interaction: Regular communication via platforms like Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams is expected for remote collaboration, supplemented by in-person meetings when on-site.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week) with flexible working hours. This flexibility allows for personal scheduling needs while ensuring team coordination and project delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "predominantly remote" aspect is key. Candidates should be comfortable with remote collaboration tools and workflows, while also understanding the necessity of occasional on-site attendance for team cohesion and strategic alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess technical fit and experience.

• Technical Interview(s): In-depth discussions focusing on Unreal Engine, C++, UI architecture, GAS, and multiplayer development. Expect questions on problem-solving, debugging, and design patterns. This may include a live coding or whiteboard session.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, walking through key projects, technical decisions, and achievements. Be prepared to discuss your role, challenges faced, and solutions implemented.

• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Meet with potential team members and hiring managers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with Jagex's company values.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss overall fit and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Focus on 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant projects that best showcase your skills in Unreal Engine UI, gameplay integration, and multiplayer development.

• Detail Technical Decisions: For each project, explain why you made certain architectural choices, what challenges you overcame, and what the impact of your work was. Use diagrams where appropriate.

• Highlight Contributions: Clearly articulate your specific role and contributions, especially in team projects. Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "improved UI loading times by X%", "reduced integration bugs by Y%").

• Showcase Code Quality: If possible, provide access to code repositories (e.g., GitHub) or detailed code snippets that demonstrate clean, maintainable, and efficient C++ or Blueprint code.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that heavily feature complex gameplay integration, reusable UI systems, and multiplayer considerations, as these are key requirements for the RuneScape: Dragonwilds role.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Design: Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing a specific UI system (e.g., an ability bar, a player status display) for a complex multiplayer game, considering scalability, performance, and data synchronization.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare for questions that present hypothetical UI bugs or integration issues in a multiplayer context and ask how you would diagnose and resolve them.

• Code Review Practice: Consider how you would review a piece of UI code for quality, maintainability, and potential issues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is critical. Candidates should prepare a concise yet detailed presentation that highlights their technical depth, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of complex game development challenges, particularly in the context of Unreal Engine and multiplayer environments.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Unreal Engine: The core development environment. Proficiency in UE4/UE5 is essential.

• UMG (Unreal Motion Graphics): For visual UI creation and layout.

• Slate: For lower-level UI customization and framework development.

• C++: For performance-critical UI logic, systems, and engine integration.

• Blueprints: For rapid prototyping, logic scripting, and designer workflows.

• Version Control: Likely Perforce or Git, for managing code and assets in a team environment.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Unreal Engine Profiler: Essential for diagnosing UI performance issues, frame rate optimization, and memory usage.

• Custom Analytics Tools: Jagex likely uses internal or third-party tools to track player behavior and UI engagement metrics, though specific tools are not listed.

CRM & Automation:

• MVVM/ViewModel Frameworks: Including potential Unreal Engine specific plugins or custom implementations for robust UI architecture.

• Gameplay Ability System (GAS): A key framework for managing game abilities and attributes, which the UI must integrate with.

• Networking Systems: Unreal Engine's built-in replication system and potentially custom solutions for synchronizing UI state in multiplayer.

📝 Enhancement Note: Deep expertise in Unreal Engine's UI systems (UMG, Slate) and its integration with core gameplay frameworks like GAS and networking is paramount. Candidates should be comfortable working with both high-level visual tools and low-level C++ for performance and complex logic.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Embrace Fellowship: Collaborate openly with designers, gameplay engineers, and UX specialists, sharing knowledge and solutions. Be a supportive team member.

• Hone our Craft: Continuously learn and improve UI engineering techniques, stay updated on Unreal Engine advancements, and strive for technical excellence in all UI implementations.

• Honour our Vows: Be transparent about technical challenges, deliver on commitments, and maintain high standards of code quality and reliability.

• Be our Customers’ Heroes: Understand player needs and how UI impacts their experience. Strive to create intuitive, accessible, and engaging user interfaces.

• Seize the Day: Proactively identify opportunities for UI improvement, take initiative in refactoring and optimization, and make the most of the chance to work on a major franchise expansion.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Work closely with designers to implement their vision, with gameplay engineers to integrate systems, and with UX to ensure usability.

• Process Review & Feedback: Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and feedback sessions, offering constructive criticism and receiving input to improve UI systems.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively share best practices, reusable code, and technical insights with the team, contributing to a culture of collective learning and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Jagex's values are deeply embedded in their culture. Candidates should demonstrate an understanding and embodiment of these values, particularly "Fellowship" (collaboration), "Craft" (skill development), and "Customers' Heroes" (player focus), which are directly applicable to the UI Engineer role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Gameplay Integration: Effectively bridging the gap between intricate gameplay mechanics (like GAS) and player-facing UI, ensuring accurate and timely feedback.

• Multiplayer State Synchronization: Maintaining UI consistency and responsiveness across multiple networked clients, handling latency and potential desynchronization issues.

• Legacy Code Refactoring: Modernizing established UI systems within a long-running game without introducing regressions or disrupting ongoing development.

• Balancing Performance & Features: Delivering visually rich and functional UI while adhering to strict performance budgets, especially in a demanding MMORPG environment.

• Iterative Design Cycles: Adapting UI implementations to evolving game designs and player feedback in a fast-paced development cycle.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Unreal Engine Topics: Deepen expertise in specific UE features relevant to UI, networking, and performance optimization.

• Game Design & UX Immersion: Gain a more profound understanding of game design principles and UX research methodologies through close team collaboration.

• Technical Leadership: Develop skills in mentoring junior engineers, defining technical roadmaps, and leading UI architecture initiatives.

• Industry Exposure: Potential for attending industry conferences (e.g., GDC) or participating in workshops focused on game development and UI/UX.

• Contribution to a Major IP: The opportunity to significantly influence the user experience of a globally recognized MMORPG franchise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in established game development environments. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a clear path for career advancement within both technical and leadership tracks.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• UI Architecture for Complex Systems: "Describe how you would architect the UI for a player's abilities, inventory, and status effects in a highly dynamic multiplayer RPG. What patterns would you use, and how would you ensure data synchronization?" (Focus on MVVM, GAS integration, replication).

• Refactoring Experience: "Walk us through a time you refactored a significant piece of inherited UI code. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you measure the success of your refactoring effort?" (Prepare a specific example with quantifiable results if possible).

• Multiplayer UI Debugging: "Imagine a player reports that their health bar isn't updating correctly in real-time during combat. How would you approach debugging this issue in a networked environment?" (Focus on client-server communication, replication, potential race conditions).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Jagex Values: "How do you see yourself embodying Jagex's value of 'Hone our Craft' in this UI Engineer role?" (Relate to continuous learning, skill improvement, staying updated on UE tech).

• Team Collaboration: "Describe your ideal collaboration process with game designers and gameplay engineers. How do you ensure clear communication and alignment on UI features?" (Emphasize Fellowship, transparency, and proactive communication).

• Player Impact: "How do you prioritize player experience when making technical decisions about UI implementation?" (Connect to 'Customers' Heroes', usability, performance).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a brief overview of your relevant experience, then dive into 2-3 key projects. For each project, clearly state the problem, your solution, the technologies used, your specific contributions, and the outcome/impact.

• Demonstrate Technical Depth: Don't just show screens; explain the underlying architecture, code patterns, and technical challenges overcome. Use diagrams to illustrate complex systems.

• Highlight Gameplay Integration: Explicitly show how your UI connects to game logic, especially if you have examples using GAS or similar systems.

• Address Multiplayer Aspects: If applicable, discuss how your UI handles networked state, player input in a multiplayer context, and performance considerations.

• Engage and Explain: Be prepared for in-depth questions about your projects. Treat it as a technical discussion, not just a presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just technical proficiency, but also an understanding of the specific challenges of UI engineering in a complex multiplayer game like RuneScape, and how your skills align with Jagex's values and project goals.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Engineer position:

• Submit your Application: Apply via the Workable careers portal, ensuring your CV and any linked portfolio are up-to-date.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your strongest Unreal Engine UI projects, specifically those involving gameplay integration, C++/Blueprint development, and multiplayer networking. Prepare a concise presentation that walks through 2-3 key examples, detailing technical decisions, challenges, and outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with Unreal Engine, UMG, C++, GAS, and multiplayer development. Use keywords from the job description and quantify your achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice answering technical questions related to Unreal Engine UI, C++, architecture, and debugging in multiplayer environments. Prepare to discuss your portfolio in detail and articulate how your skills and experience align with Jagex's values and the RuneScape: Dragonwilds project.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Jagex, RuneScape's history and current strategic direction (especially Dragonwilds and Steam Early Access), and their stated company values. Understand the importance of community-driven development and player focus.

⚠️ 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.