Lead UX Designer

Soul Assembly Limited; Royal Leamington Spa; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - GBP 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming studio in the UK seeks a visionary Lead UX Designer to drive a groundbreaking Mixed Reality project based on a world-class sports franchise. This role merges creativity and leadership, aiming to shape immersive gaming experiences while mentoring the Game Design team. The ideal candidate will possess profound expertise in UX principles and video game design, with a track record of successful game delivery and team development. Join a vibrant environment that values innovation and collaboration.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus options to buy more

Enhanced pension and private medical insurance

Team-building events and outings

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of video game design principles and methodologies.
• Proven track record in leading game projects.
• Hands-on experience in XR game development.

Responsibilities

• Lead UX design from initial concepts to production.
• Mentor and elevate the Game Design team.
• Establish and uphold design documentation quality.

Skills

UX design principles

Video game design

Miro

Confluence

JIRA

Excel

Mentoring and coaching

Time management

Collaboration

XR game development

Tools

Unity

Job description

Hybrid Work Pattern - Mandatory 3 days in the studio is expected every week

About Us

At Soul Assembly, we're not just building games; we're crafting immersive worlds that redefine XR entertainment. From our vibrant studios in the heart of Leamington Spa, this multi-award-winning developer has launched some of the most celebrated and downloaded titles in the XR landscape. With a growing team of innovators, we're accelerating into the future of Mixed Reality, the metaverse, and beyond.

We're on the hunt for a visionary Lead UX Designer to spearhead a ground breaking Mixed Reality reimagining of a world-class sports franchise, blending simulation depth with XR's boundless possibilities. If you're a leader who thrives on mentoring talent and shaping intuitive, game-changing experiences, come assemble the future with us.

The Role

Reporting to the Project Director and partnering with discipline leads and production, you'll set the gold standard for UX in our XR simulation game—elevating features, systems, and balancing from concept to launch. As a pillar among our studio's lead designers, you'll nurture and expand our Game Design team through empathetic guidance, while pioneering UX methodologies, documentation, and workflows that turn bold ideas into unforgettable gameplay.

We're seeking an organised, self-motivated powerhouse with stellar cross-disciplinary communication—a passionate advocate for growth, ready to share expertise and evolve alongside a team that's all-in on XR's transformative potential. Dive into a flourishing, collaborative environment where your leadership will unlock new horizons for players, old and new.

Key Responsibilities

Your impact will span creative vision and team empowerment—here's a glimpse of the core contributions:

• Lead UX design from nascent concepts to full production, reinterpreting a iconic franchise through MR's innovative tech and UX frontiers.
• Oversee the Game Design team's workload alongside production, streamlining day-to-day operations for peak efficiency.
• Mentor and elevate the team via one-on-ones, peer reviews, objective-setting, and appraisals to spark personal and professional growth.
• Offer insightful feedback, validation, and approvals on designs, collaborating seamlessly with the Project Director.
• Establish and uphold quality benchmarks for design documentation and specs, ensuring consistency and excellence.
• Champion cutting-edge documentation and implementation tools to empower game, narrative, and systems designers.
• Align with Programming, Art, and QA to weave creative goals across disciplines into a cohesive vision.
• Evaluate feature quality and usability through usability testing and in-house playtests.
• Stay abreast of game design theory, innovations, and tools to propel the team toward industry-leading standards.

What We're Looking For

The right leader combines deep UX acumen with inspirational guidance.

Essential experience includes:

• Profound expertise in video game design principles and methodologies.
• Strong command of tools like Miro, Confluence, JIRA, and Excel.
• Track record of shipping multiple games as an individual contributor, plus at least one in a leadership role.
• Proven mentoring and coaching of Game Designers, with empathetic, effective leadership at heart.
• Exceptional delegation, time management, and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to operate in structured settings while disseminating methodologies and workflows team-wide.
• Rock-solid reliability in delivery and communication.
• A collaborative ethos that amplifies collective strengths to drive team momentum.
• Hands-on XR game experience (or development), attuned to its unique challenges and opportunities.
• In-depth simulation game background; sports game passion highly desirable.

Desirable skills to shine:

• Unity familiarity.
• Basic scripting experience.

We're eager for innovative thinkers—bring your fresh perspective!

Why Soul Assembly?

Step into a studio that's scaling fast and fostering a genuinely supportive vibe where creativity and technical prowess go hand in hand. As part of our growing family, you'll enjoy:

• A relaxed, progressive environment with 25 days' annual leave (plus the option to buy 3 more).
• Enhanced pension, sick pay, family leave, private medical insurance, and life assurance.
• Perks like holiday buy schemes, length-of-service rewards, and regular fun—think pub nights, cinema outings, and team-building adventures.
• The chance to shape our culture, processes, and even our games, with your ideas welcomed at every level.

We're committed to an inclusive workplace where diverse backgrounds fuel our success. Soul Assembly is an equal opportunities employer—we celebrate differences and support adjustments for applications. No agencies, please.

Ready to lead the UX charge on our sports game MR revolution?