Lead VFX Artist

Are you an experienced VFX artist looking to take the lead on an exciting action-adventure game? A well-established game studio is developing an original IP - an immersive, challenging sandbox world where players can experience dynamic action and rewarding progression, either solo or with friends.

The Role – Lead VFX Artist

The studio is seeking a Lead VFX Artist to define the visual quality of its effects, craft impactful visuals, and develop efficient workflows to streamline production. This is a hands-on leadership role, balancing artistic excellence with technical expertise while guiding a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

Creating VFX Assets

• Design high-quality visual effects for environments, vehicles, and weapons, ensuring they meet both artistic and technical standards.
• Maintain a high benchmark for all VFX work within the team.
• Continuously seek elegant solutions to traditional workflows and challenges. 

Developing Workflows

• Establish efficient pipelines and workflows alongside the Art Director and Technical Artists.
• Streamline VFX creation processes to optimise productivity.
• Maintain a smooth and effective workflow within the team.

Leading the VFX Team

• Provide strong creative and technical leadership, guiding and mentoring the team.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing environment.
• Lead by example, staying hands-on in a small, tight-knit studio where everyone is connected to the game.

Who You Are

A proactive, motivated self-starter with a passion for VFX, capable of balancing hands-on work with team leadership. You thrive in a fast-paced environment, ensuring both artistic excellence and efficiency in production.

Required Skills & Experience

• Several years of experience as a VFX artist, with leadership or senior-level experience in game development.
• Strong expertise in Unreal Engine 5 (including Niagara), with a portfolio demonstrating high-quality, optimised VFX.
• Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Houdini and Blender.
• Experience creating semi-stylised VFX.
• Deep understanding of real-time rendering constraints, optimisation techniques, and current industry trends.

Bonus Skills

• Experience working on live-ops or games-as-a-service titles.
• Familiarity with Atlassian collaboration tools (Jira, Confluence, etc.).
• Experience working in hybrid/remote teams and diverse, multinational environments.

How to Apply

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a studio creating an exciting new game with a talented, collaborative team. Applications from all backgrounds are welcomed, with a commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

If this role matches your skills and experience, apply now via Joe McKernan at Skillsearch: jm@skillsearch.com

Years of experience and salary levels are shown purely as a guide. We will only consider applications from candidates that can demonstrate the skills or experience required for the role.

Please be aware that while we would love to respond to every application we receive, due to high numbers we cannot guarantee this. We do however appreciate any time you invest into the application and will make sure to get in touch should anything in future more closely fit your skillset.