Lead Character Artist

At Turtle Rock, we make the games we want to play. We're dedicated to providing a collaborative environment where our team members feel empowered with the creative freedom to contribute and grow. While we are based in Orange County, CA, we support flexible work arrangements ranging from in-studio, hybrid, to fully remote throughout North America. Join our award-winning game development team and help create our next AAA title.

We are seeking a Lead Character Artist responsible for creating high-quality, realistic 3D creature models. The Lead Character Artist works closely with designers, engineers and artists to create convincing, visually stunning characters and creatures true to the franchise. We are looking for artists who can thrive in a collaborative environment where the whole team works together for the benefit of all aspects of the game. This position will report to the Character Art Director and work closely with the Creative Director to establish relatable, realistic characters that are exciting and compelling with the player in mind.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Character Art team: maintain consistency across the department providing direction and feedback, ensuring all team members understand their role in the department and know what is expected of them
• Collaborate with the Creative Director, Art Director, and Concept Artists to develop initial character designs and concepts while providing feedback to ensure that characters align with the game's artistic vision, narrative, and gameplay requirements
• Lead the creation of high-quality character and creature models using 3D modeling, texturing, and sculpting software such as Maya, Zbrush, and Substance Painter; translating 2D concept art into detailed 3D models, paying attention to anatomy, proportions, and surface details
• Collaborate with department leads to ensure character and creature work is hitting the bar and progressing efficiently
• Work closely with Tech Art and Animation to ensure characters and creatures are modeled in a way that ensures proper deformation when rigged and allows for realistic movement and expression during gameplay
• Review and optimize character assets to ensure they meet performance and memory constraints while maintaining visual quality. This will require very close collaboration with Tech Art and Engineering to implement efficient workflows and techniques for character asset creation
• Work closely with Department Manager to provide mentorship and coaching for Character team members including but not limited to: 1:1s, career development, performance evaluations, and goal-setting

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in game development with one or more shipped titles on multiple platforms in a senior/principal or leadership role
• A strong portfolio that demonstrates expertise in modeling, including hard surface and organic assets for characters in game
• Demonstrated experience working with realistic art styles
• Demonstrated experience working with modern FPS engines (UE4, UE5, etc.) and modern art pipelines
• Exceptional modeling, texturing, and sculpting using Maya, Zbrush and Substance Painter
• Keen production sensibilities, ability to collaborate on timelines and communicate with Production and team members on task duration and prioritization
• Ability to maintain high-quality and consistent progress
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and teaching skills
• Strong ability to interpret and adapt to general and flexible direction. Can thrive in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment
• A passion for games

Preferences

• Experience with AAA First or Third Person action titles
• Familiarity with source control and asset tracking tools such as Perforce and Jira
• Strong traditional art foundations: e.g. figure drawing, concept art, and illustration

Benefits

Some of the benefits and perks our employees get to enjoy, include:

• 100% Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage for you and your family
• 401k Matching
• Profit Sharing Plan
• Student Loan Repayment Plan / College Savings Plan
• Career Improvement Plan
• Flexible Work Arrangements - In-House, Hybrid, and Remote
• Generous Time Off Policy
• Company Events - In-Person Summer Family Bash + Halloween Party + Virtual Events
• Fully Stocked Kitchen + Sponsored Food Trucks

The estimated base pay range for this role is:

$135,000 - $180,000 USD

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.