Associate UX Director

Associate UX Director

Firaxis Games is seeking a motivated Associate UX Director to join our development team. We're looking for an UX Designer with a strong foundation in UX development who enjoys working on a diverse set of exciting problems.  In this role, candidates will serve as UX leadership for Civilization. Firaxis is a highly collaborative and iterative environment. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to lead UX development on a large complex project with empathy and experience. 

What You Will Do

• Define and champion the UX vision and strategy for the game, ensuring alignment with the core strategy gameplay loops, product goals, and overall creative direction.

• Lead, mentor, and grow the dedicated UX/UI design and art team, fostering a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and high-quality execution.

• Act as the primary UX advocate and voice within the core Civilization leadership team, influencing design decisions and product roadmaps.

• Partner closely with the Creative Director, Product Owner, and Art Director to ensure a cohesive and high-quality player experience across all features.

• Oversee the entire UX design process from concept to implementation, ensuring designs are well-documented, feasible, and adhere to established style guides and quality bars.

• Provide critical feedback and design critique to the UX/UI team, guiding them in creating wireframes, flows, prototypes, and visual designs that solve complex strategic problems elegantly.

• Ensure the UX design effectively addresses the unique complexity, information density, and deep mechanics typical of Civilization.

• Drive continuous improvement by partnering with 2K UXR on user research, usability testing, and data analysis, translating insights into actionable design changes.

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with Engineering, Production, Art, and Design teams to ensure smooth integration and technical feasibility of UX features.

• Clearly articulate and present UX concepts, design rationales, and research findings to stakeholders at all levels, soliciting effective feedback and building consensus.

• Partner with production to manage project priorities, resources, and schedules for the UX team, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality assets and documentation.

• Work with the Studio UX Director to ensure standards and quality are followed and applied throughout the UX for the project.

Who We Believe Will Be A Great Addition

• 7+ years of professional experience in User Experience Design, with a significant portion in the video game industry.

• 3+ years of experience in a leadership or management role (e.g., Lead UX Designer, UX Manager, or Director).

• Demonstrated experience shipping at least one large-scale, complex strategy, simulation, or live service video game title (PC/Console preferred).

• Expert-level understanding of UX principles, methodologies, and best practices for information-rich, data-heavy applications and games.

• Proven ability to manage, inspire, and grow a team of UX/UI designers.

• Fluency with industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively.

• A strong portfolio demonstrating complex problem-solving and shipped game experiences.

High Score/Bonus:

• Deep personal passion for and knowledge of the Civilization franchise and/or the strategy game genre (e.g., 4X, Grand Strategy, RTS, City Builders).

• Experience working with game engines (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine) and understanding the technical constraints and implementation pipelines.

• Experience integrating player data, telemetrics, and qualitative research into the design process.

Who We Are:

MAKE LIFE EPIC

Founded in 1996, Firaxis Games is a world-renowned game development studio with an unwavering mission to “build games that stand the test of time”. The name Firaxis, a fusion of “fiery” and “axis,” communicates the company’s dynamic development process that results in the creation of ground breaking titles with unparalleled gameplay delivered to gamers around the world. Under the creative direction of industry legend Sid Meier, Firaxis has released dozens of hit games on multiple platforms and is recognized as an industry leader in game development.

VISION
Make Life Epic…for our Players, our Community and all Firaxians.

CORE VALUES

Be Accountable

Own Outcomes, Be Honest And Treat Feedback As A Gift.

Embrace Enthusiasm

Allow Space For Failure, Share Your Excitement And Let Passion Drive Outcomes.

People First

Treat People With Respect, Create A Culture Of Belonging And Act With Empathy.

Work Smart

Solve For Efficiency, Focus On Collaboration And Prioritize Improvement.

Gameplay Focused

Deliver Quality Game Experiences, Take Pride In Your Work 

And Put Players At The Center Of Every Decision.

The pay range for this position in Maryland at the start of employment is expected to be between $145,900 and $215,920 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program. Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.

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