Associate UX Director

Firaxis Games • Sparks Glencoe, MD

56d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees