At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the UI/UX department and create player-centric designs for immersive games.
- Company: Join Creative Assembly, a leader in game development with a passion for innovation.
- Benefits: Work remotely, enjoy enhanced holidays, and receive comprehensive health insurance.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of gaming by crafting engaging user experiences for millions.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership and UI/UX expertise, with a focus on player psychology and design.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Join Creative Assembly and craft deep and detailed games that are entertaining to millions of players around the world. As the Head of UI/UX Department, you will build and lead a department that balances in‑house expertise with external partnerships, developer collaboration, and a data‑driven approach to player‑centric design.
Responsibilities
- Lead the recruitment, training, and mentoring of top UI/UX talent, fostering a culture of excellence.
- Craft the vision and strategy for UI/UX across the franchise in alignment with franchise and project goals.
- Work with Production to establish budgets, timelines, and staffing needs.
- Own the long‑term UI/UX backlog as part of the wider Gameplay Platform initiative.
- Establish and maintain quality standards, best practices, design systems, documentation, and guidelines.
- Use player feedback and research to inform UI/UX decisions.
- Keep the department ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and interaction models.
- Drive innovation in control schemes, accessibility, onboarding, and player journey design.
- Serve as the primary liaison for UX Testing & Research, validating player interactions.
- Collaborate with Project Leadership, UXR, and audience research for playtesting, A/B testing, eye‑tracking, and user research.
- Translate player insights into actionable design improvements.
- Maintain player personas and behavioural models to inform game design.
- Identify risks, opportunities, and new initiatives; plan mitigation and escalate as needed.
- Represent and communicate the department’s vision, strategy, and status to stakeholders.
- Support the franchise and project delivery with a data‑informed and people‑led mindset.
- Build and maintain the resourcing strategy and communicate it clearly to stakeholders.
- Lead and mentor the UI/UX team, fostering individual and collective growth.
- Define guidelines, standards, workflows, processes, and documentation across the department.
- Align the department’s vision and roadmap with the strategic roadmap of the organization.
- Plan future strategic work and ensure project delivery.
- Act as a tiebreaker between Projects and the franchise for department‑related decisions.
- Review UI/UX concepts, provide strategic direction and hands‑on feedback.
- Stay involved in high‑level problem‑solving to align solutions with player expectations.
- Plan and oversee UX research and playtests, analysing data for usability improvements.
- Engage external vendors and outsourcing partners, ensuring quality and integration of external work.
- Advocate for product‑ and player‑centric design in franchise‑wide discussions.
- Monitor UI/UX trends and best practices to keep the team at the forefront of industry standards.
Qualifications
Essential
- Strong leadership skills with a track record of mentoring and managing UI/UX teams.
- Proven experience building and leading a UI/UX department, including structure, hiring, and best‑practice implementation.
- Ability to balance creative vision, business and technical constraints with player value and best practices.
- Expertise in UI/UX for games: interaction design, accessibility, information architecture, usability heuristics, and technical requirements.
- In‑depth knowledge of game control schemes, onboarding, and player psychology.
- Experience in outsourcing and vendor management.
- Methodological and data‑informed approach.
- Experience with Scrum and Agile project‑management methodologies.
- Knowledge of project‑management software and tools.
- Excellent organisational, management, and problem‑solving skills.
- Strong diplomatic skills and ability to unite stakeholders with varied priorities.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Familiarity with in‑house engines (Unreal UMG, Unity UI) and iterative development workflows.
Desirable
- Experience in AAA or high‑profile game development with a major UI/UX leadership role across multiple platforms.
- Strong visual design sensibility and ability to work with artists and engineers on high‑quality UI aesthetics.
- Familiarity with motion design and UI animation principles.
- Proficiency in UI/UX tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, Axure.
- Passion for game accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG, Xbox Accessibility Guidelines).
- Experience planning and delivering large‑scale AAA game projects.
- Broad knowledge of the entire game development lifecycle and inter‑disciplinary dependencies.
- Broad interest in relevant industry trends.
- Experience with data analytics for player behaviour analysis.
- Hands‑on experience with UX research methods: usability testing, playtesting, and data‑driven design.
Benefits
- Work from anywhere temporarily each year (subject to restrictions such as visas).
- Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexible core hours, and no‑notice holidays.
- Bespoke relocation package.
- Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover, and free health care screening.
- Additional perks such as free games, work parties, and discounts on technology.
- Wellbeing support and virtual confidential counselling.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are an equal‑opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.
Head of UI/UX in Horsham employer: The Creative Assembly Ltd
The Creative Assembly Ltd is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Horsham where creativity thrives. With a strong focus on employee growth, the company provides extensive benefits, including enhanced holiday and medical insurance, alongside a hybrid work model that promotes work-life balance. Joining the Total War team means being part of a collaborative culture that values innovation and excellence in game development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of UI/UX in Horsham
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at The Creative Assembly Ltd for a Head of UI/UX, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like The Creative Assembly Ltd before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of UI/UX in Horsham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Head of UI/UX at The Creative Assembly Ltd, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work The Creative Assembly Ltd does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to The Creative Assembly Ltd. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at The Creative Assembly Ltd.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Creative Assembly Ltd
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with The Creative Assembly Ltd, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. The Creative Assembly Ltd might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at The Creative Assembly Ltd!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what The Creative Assembly Ltd is looking for.
