--- title: 'UI/UX Designer (5-month contract) at Blackbird Interactive' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/ui-ux-designer-5-month-contract-blackbird-interactive-vancouver-rygxky1ap645' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # UI/UX Designer (5-month contract) at Blackbird Interactive - **Company:** Blackbird Interactive - **Location:** Vancouver, Canada - **Compensation:** $90k–$110k - **Employment:** temporary - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-08-14 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/blackbirdinteractive/ae555f5e-aa96-4a32-8e6c-06bf286bdbb9 ## Job description Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres. Our studio operates as a remote-first workplace, offering flexible work arrangements. PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada. Blackbird Interactive is looking for a UI/UX Designer to help adapt a large, established simulation game to new platforms. You'll design intuitive, readable, and engaging player experiences that feel native to each platform while preserving the depth and functionality of the original game. Working closely with design, art, engineering, and production, you'll improve existing interfaces, create new interaction patterns, and help shape a polished, accessible player experience. If you enjoy solving usability challenges and making complex games approachable, we'd love to hear from you. ## Responsibilities - Collaborate with design, art, engineering, and production to adapt UI and UX systems for new platforms - Design user flows, wireframes, mockups, and interface layouts for new input methods and platform-specific interactions - Improve navigation, readability, accessibility, and overall usability - Identify UX challenges introduced by platform transitions and develop player-focused solutions - Maintain consistency with the game's visual style, information hierarchy, and interaction patterns - Participate in design reviews, playtests, and usability evaluations, incorporating player feedback into your work - Champion usability, accessibility, and player-centered design throughout development ## Requirements - 3+ years of professional UI/UX design experience in game development - Experience designing interfaces for complex gameplay systems or feature-rich applications - Strong understanding of UX, information hierarchy, accessibility, interaction design, and usability best practices - Proficiency with Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Animate, or equivalent design tools - Experience designing controller-first interfaces and platform-specific UX - Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across design, art, engineering, and QA - Ability to clearly communicate design intent through mockups, documentation, and presentations Pluses - Experience with game ports, remasters, or cross-platform development - Experience designing UI for simulation, strategy, management, or other systems-heavy games - Background in visual design, typography, iconography, or information visualization - ## Experience with usability testing and accessibility - Familiarity with console, PC, and cross-platform UX - Passion for creating elegant, intuitive interfaces for deep gameplay systems ## About Blackbird Interactive ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Blackbird Interactive is an award-winning independent game development studio based in Vancouver, best known for the Homeworld series, Hardspace: Shipbreaker, and collaborations on Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Legends. - **Entity Type**: Private (independent studio, no public funding rounds disclosed) - **Headquarters**: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - **Founded**: 2007 (as a studio; began operations in 2010 per company site) - **Founders**: Rob Cunningham (co-founder of Relic Entertainment) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Video game development (AAA and indie titles, RTS, simulation, action) - **Target customers**: PC and console gamers (B2C); also partners with major publishers (B2B) - **Mission or purpose**: “To create iconic experiences and explore new horizons” through world-class art, design, and technical mastery ## Products & Services - **Homeworld 3**: Direct sequel to the classic RTS franchise; developed for Gearbox Software (PC, 2024) - **Hardspace: Shipbreaker**: Space salvage simulator (early access 2020, full release 2022); IP acquired from Focus Entertainment in 2025; multiple new Hardspace projects in development - **Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak**: RTS spin-off set in the Homeworld universe (2016) - **Earthless**: An original game released via early access in 2024; published by Blackbird Interactive - **Crossfire: Legion**: RTS game set in the Crossfire universe (2022) - **Minecraft Legends / Minecraft Earth**: Co-developed with Mojang Studios (2023, 2019) - **Project Eagle**: Interactive art model of a Mars base in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2018) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding not disclosed; significant revenue from publishing partnerships and game sales - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Gearbox Software, Focus Entertainment, Lyrical Games, Xbox Game Studios, Mojang Studios, NASA JPL - **Growth Signals**: - Acquired the IP of the *Hardspace* franchise (August 2025) - Signed a new title with indie publisher Lyrical Games (2025) - Multiple unannounced projects in development (as of 2025) - Staff count ~150 per company website; previously had 330 at peak ## Competitive Advantages - **Deep RTS heritage**: Founders and many staff are veterans from Relic Entertainment (original Homeworld team) - **IP ownership**: Owns the *Hardspace* franchise and developing original IP (e.g., *Earthless*) - **Technical expertise**: Custom pipelines for Unreal Engine 5, VR, data visualization, and procedural content - **Established partnerships**: Long-term relationship with Gearbox (Homeworld) and Xbox Game Studios (Minecraft franchise) - **Award-winning track record**: Multiple critically acclaimed games with strong fan communities ## Strategic Focus - **Expand original IP**: Invest in the *Hardspace* universe and new original games (e.g., *Earthless*) - **Grow development services**: Partner with major publishers for co-development while building own IP portfolio - **Sustain remote-first culture**: Continued focus on flexible work and employee well-being to attract top talent - **Leverage Unreal Engine 5**: Upcoming projects (including “Original Game”) built on UE5 ## Why Work Here - **Remote-first culture**: Flexible work environment (remote-first policy) - **Generous benefits**: Competitive salary, comprehensive extended health & wellness, paid parental leave top-up, generous vacation and personal leave - **Innovation opportunities**: R&D time, New IP Pitching Program with bonuses for greenlit projects - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on creative freedom, technical challenges, and a healthy work-life balance (previously trialed a 4-day work week in 2021–2022, implemented across teams) - **Industry veterans**: Work alongside talent from EA, Capcom, The Coalition, Relic; leadership with decades of game development experience - **Open roles (as of search date)**: Design Director, Gameplay AI Software Engineer (UE5), Senior Systems Designer, Technical UI, Intermediate Software Engineer, Lead Software Engineer ## Sources 1. [Blackbird Interactive – Official Website](https://www.blackbirdinteractive.com/) 2. [Blackbird Interactive – Careers Page](https://blackbirdinteractive.com/careers-2/) 3. [Blackbird Interactive – Job Listings (Lever)](https://jobs.lever.co/blackbirdinteractive) 4. [Blackbird Interactive – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_Interactive) 5. 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