From critically acclaimed The Longest Journey to the very first sci-fi MMO Anarchy Online, to the brutal trials of Conan Exiles, our 28-year history has set our players uniquely up for a journey to the harsh world of Dune, where the continual battle for survival and spice will bring a challenge that is Legendary.
The Funcom team consists of over 250 people located in 5 studios - Norway, the US, Portugal, Sweden, a newly opened Romania studio - plus an additional UI/UX hub in the UK. As part of Funcom’s ongoing growth, and completing a successful turnaround, Funcom is now backed by Tencent, the largest online gaming company in the world!
Now, our U/UX team in Newcastle, England needs a Lead UI/UX Designer to lead the local UI/UX team and to help improve the UI/UX in our games.
Your Mission in Funcom
As a Lead UI/UX Designer you will work closely with the UI/UX Director and Leads/Directors from all other disciplines, to evaluate and define the UI/UX strategy and translate this into Goals and in turn Tasks.
You will have extensive experience on AAA projects and be able to bring this knowledge to the team, to help guide and grow their knowledge and expertise. You can give feedback comfortably and do so regulalry to help inspire your team to achieve and innovate.
You are an adept communicator, no matter the audience, able to present progress and be an ambassador for the team as needed.
How you can have an impact in your position:
- Work closely with the UI/UX Director
- Evaluate scope of Design requirements
- Break down work into tasks and delegate these to your team
- Work with Production to schedule and plan work for sprints
- Use your experience to help determine priorities for tasks and estimate their scope
- Create UI/UX guidelines for the team to follow that synchronize with other disciplines
- Use your knowledge of UX to find solutions for our players, to make the game as accessible and usable as possible
- Build trust and motivation within your team
- Lead and inspire your team to achieve their goals
- Evaluate your team and nurture their growth and progression
- Evangelise the product vision to your team and help them understand their part in it
- Carry out key department responsibilities that include reviews, hiring, training, appraising performance and resolving general issues
We are looking for someone that has:
- Previous Leadership experience preferred, although extensive Senior experience also considered
- 5+ years experience working on AAA console and/or PC titles in a UI/UX role
- Full development cycle on at least 1 shipped AAA title on console/PC
- Extensive experience in UI/UX and an impressive portfolio of work
- Expert level experience in relevant tools ie Photoshop, Illustrator, Visio, Adobe XD etc
- Excellent communication, organization, mentorship, time management and interpersonal skills
- Bachelor/Undergraduate degree or equivalent and authorization to work in Europe
- Familiarity with Unreal UE4
- Knowledge of production management (e.g. Jira)
- Keen interest in playing games and game development beyond UI/UX
- Passion for UX, usability, accessibility
We evaluate candidates on an ongoing basis and recommend candidates to apply as soon as possible!
Why Funcom?
We are a Scandinavian company and follow Scandinavian work values. For you, that means a flat structure in which you can thrive, be yourself, and leave a mark in the studio and become an ambassador for our company values. We focus on Agile/Scrum methodology, and heavily value the importance of work-life balance in employee culture. Funcom values close-knit, collaborative individuals who crave creative ownership, a drive for constructive input, and a never-ending pursuit of evolution and quality.
Funcom Newcastle UI/UX hub is a professional working environment with international work culture, including plans to expand and establish a co-working space later this year.
Working at Funcom Newcastle UI/UX hub offers a flexible working schedule and a long list of other benefits. Even more: working at Funcom means being part of a family of kind, skilled and professional colleagues that share a passion for games!
We have a diverse, dynamic, inclusive, challenging and engaging culture, with a basis of continued training and career development opportunities, and we encourage candidates from all walks of life to apply. Come join us in a friendly environment of enthusiastic professionals willing to go the extra mile to deliver world-class games.