Principal level UX Designer

Company Description

Smoking Gun Interactive, a Keywords Studio, is an industry-leading game development studio founded in 2007 by award-winning industry veterans. SGI is fearless in creating IP and boldly partners with renowned brands to develop a wide range of world-class, immersive titles and interactive experiences that resonate with strategy gamers worldwide and entertain millions of casual players every day.

Job Overview:

We are currently seeking a Senior level or Principal level UX Designer to join our team!

As a Senior or Principal UX Designer, you will lead the creation of intuitive, player-focused experiences that shape how players interact with our games. You’ll use research, prototyping, and collaboration to turn gameplay ideas into engaging, data-informed user experiences that support both player needs and product goals.

This individual has the knowledge and sensibility of what makes an interface intuitive and how to employ visual presentation principles to create user-centric experiences. They have impeccable conceptual and problem-solving skills with a strong understanding of how information can be visually and functionally transformed into an intuitive user interface.

*Whilst this position is being offered on a remote basis, we are only able to consider applicants who are currently located within the greater Vancouver area

In this role, you will:

• Lead the UX design process for one or more game titles, from concept through launch and live support;
• Bridge the gap from design goals and features to exceptional user experiences
• Define standards for the art team to build exceptional assets within
• Champion your UX designs across all areas and disciplines, including Studio Leadership reviews, to drive buy-in and alignment for the product
• Create and iterate on wireframes, prototypes, and player flows that define the game’s user experience;
• Conduct user research, competitive analysis, and usability testing to understand player needs and behaviors;
• Continuously refine designs based on player feedback and data-driven insights;
• Collaborate with UI artists, Game Designers, Developers, and Production to deliver a cohesive and polished final user experience;
• Proactively problem-solve and inform the game design with UX-driven solutions;
• Advocate for the end-user, ensuring accessibility, clarity, and engagement across all player touchpoints;
• Communicate design decisions effectively using visuals, examples, and prototypes;
• Help establish and maintain UX standards and best practices across the studio;
• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving player experience methodologies.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• 6+ years of professional experience in UX design in the game industry with multiple shipped titles in the mobile space
• Prior hands-on UX development experience on multiple games, platforms and user input schemes (i.e. touch, controller, mouse & keyboard, motion control);
• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in user experience design, player flow optimization, and problem-solving in interactive environments;
• Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, or equivalent;
• Deep understanding of game design principles and how they inform player experience;
• Experience conducting and applying insights from user research, usability testing, and player data;
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines in a fast-paced, iterative development environment;
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills—able to clearly convey design decisions and rationale;
• Bachelor’s degree in User Experience, Graphic Design, or a related field.

It would also be helpful if you had:

• Background in game design or UI art experience.

• 10 days vacation leave
• 5 paid days personal leave
• 7 paid sick days
• Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Extended Healthcare Benefit
• Dental Care
• RRSP/DPSP matching
• Training & Development

Salary Range:

• Senior UX Designer: $75,000 - $95,000 CAD
• Principal UX Designer: $95,000 - $110,000 CAD

Smoking Gun Interactive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.

Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice at https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice.

Role Information: EN
Studio: Smoking Gun
Location: Americas, Canada, Vancouver
Area of Work: Game Development
Service: Create
Employment Type: Full Time
Working Pattern: Remote