Games User Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Are you on a mission to create games that bond players together into deeply invested communities? Are you fascinated by IPs that blend genres and approach UX/UI in potentially novel ways? Are you delighted by game interfaces that make it frictionless to play with friends? Are you drawn to dissecting trends in game UX and interaction design?
As the Senior UX/UI Design Lead on teamLFG, you will drive the UX/UI of an Unannounced Project from pre-production and beyond. Through collaborating with Directors and other Leads, you will develop product and staffing strategies for the UX/UI discipline. Through research, prototyping and collaboration with other disciplines, you'll turn player experience goals into user experiences that support both player needs and product goals. Most importantly, you will work with a fun, dedicated, cross-discipline team devoted to turning a creative dream into a new franchise at PlayStation.
We look for candidates who value joining a mission-focused team with a diverse set of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and viewpoints.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Establish and maintain the UX/UI development roadmap, upholding the vision of the game by understanding its product and player needs, working with the Game Director
• Proactively represent UX/UI in discussions, feature prioritization, and goal creation, ensuring the UX/UI and player experiences effectively support aspects of the game such as core gameplay mechanics, social mechanics, monetization strategies, live events, and player progression systems
• Collaborate with the Art Director to capture the look and feel of the user interface, communicating the direction, feedback and thoughts to the UX/UI team
• Deliver functional wireframe specs, user flow diagrams, information architecture, interactive prototypes and more to drive alignment on UX/UI vision to cross-functional teammates
• Design from first principles, through deeply understanding the game genre, analyzing competitive references, actively participating in playtesting sessions, and collaborating with User Research to uncover player needs and motivations, and address usability concerns
• Establish and maintain robust UX standards and best practices across the studio in coordination with the UX/UI department, encompassed by UX/UI pillars, design systems, pipelines, and component libraries to enhance development efficiency, consistency, and quality
• Build and maintain a healthy UX/UI team through managing, staffing planning, hiring, and exdev management, embracing a "we" culture
REQUIRED SKILLS
• Experience leading or directly supporting leadership in an ongoing live service game
• Expert skills of clear written and verbal communication, such as Slack messages, presentations, wireframes, flows, prototypes, and design documentation
• Expert ability to articulate UX/UI design decisions and work effectively with cross-disciplinary teams (Game Design, Art, Engineering, Test, etc.)
• Expert ability to give constructive feedback, receive feedback, and determine next steps • Proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar
• Expert ability to create functional prototypes and accompanying technical documentation
• Strong management, strategy, planning, and team building experience
• Strong understanding of design and user-center principles
• Strong understanding of game development pipelines and technical constraints
• Experience bridging the gap between technical specs and player experiences
• Experience with multiplayer genres and across a variety of platforms (PC, console)
NICE-TO-HAVE SKILLS
• Experience with global gaming markets and the competitive gaming/esports landscape
• Familiarity with development using Unreal Engine
REQUIRED
• Strong portfolio showcasing previous UX/UI design work in games
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE's top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.
This is a flexible role that can be remote, with varying pay ranges based on geographic location. For example, if you are based out of Seattle, the estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$173,000-$259,000 USD
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
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