Art Manager

Big Blue Bubble Inc.; London; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Inclusive studio culture

Barista and kitchen perks

Team events and games

Job summary

Big Blue Bubble is seeking an Art Manager to lead our Art team and mentor artists and animators. You will partner with design, production, and programming to drive art direction from pre-production through full production, building a strong team with growth paths and a collaborative culture.

Responsibilities include guiding talent development, maintaining staffing, managing outsourcing relationships, supporting marketing assets, and representing art across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Art, Animation, or a related field.
• 3+ years of supervisory/lead experience.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution, and communication skills.
• Proven track record of developing talent and driving team performance.
• Experience with resource planning and performance management.
• Strong eye for detail and ability to give constructive feedback.
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, After Effects, and Spine 2D.
• Experience with Unity engine is preferred.
• Passion for gaming and mobile titles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team of 2D artists and animators.
• Collaborate with Producers, Game Designers, and Art Leads to hire, train, lead, and develop talent.
• Guide employee career pathing and professional development.
• Drive team engagement, retention, and a collaborative work culture.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with other departments and leaders.
• Manage outsourcing relationships for art and animation.
• Support Marketing in gathering assets for campaigns.
• Engage with external entities to elevate the studio’s art profile.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Talent development

Resource planning

Feedback delivery

Game industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Art/Animation

Tools

Photoshop

After Effects

Spine 2D

Job description

Big Blue Bubble is looking for an Art Manager with a passion for gaming to lead our Art team. In this role, you will be responsible for leading and mentoring artists and animators, as well as being a collaborative partner to our design, production, and programming teams.

You will bring a wealth of knowledge across several artistic disciplines and apply this expertise to build a team and ramp up art and animation development from pre-production to full production.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the team of 2D artists and animators.
• Collaborate with Producers, Game Designers, and Art Leads to hire, train, lead, and develop talent.
• Guide employee career pathing and professional development by identifying strengths and growth areas to build direct career progression pipelines.
• Drive team engagement, retention, and a collaborative, inclusive work culture.
• Act as a conduit between upper management and team members to ensure transparent communication.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with other departments and department leaders.
• Serve as an advocate for resources, tools, and continuous learning needs.
• Maintain awareness of all current projects and their 2D art and animation staffing needs.
• Ensure each artist and animator assigned to a project adheres to the overall creative vision, direction, and scope across all aspects of production (artistic, design, and programming).
• Support the Marketing Department in gathering and creating assets for marketing campaigns.
• Work with external entities to elevate the visibility of Big Blue Bubble’s art expertise, including guest speaking at post-secondary schools.
• Manage art and animation outsourcing relationships.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Art, Animation, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in a direct supervisory, management, or team lead role.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution, and communication skills.
• Proven track record of developing talent and driving team performance.
• Demonstrated experience in resource planning and performance management.
• A strong eye for detail and the ability to give constructive feedback.
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, After Effects, and Spine 2D.
• Expert understanding of anatomy, color theory, texture, lighting, and architecture.
• Experience with the Unity engine preferred.
• Strong knowledge of the game development process.
• Passion for gaming, with experience playing a wide range of mobile games.

We know the list above is extensive. You don’t need to meet every single point- we each bring our own unique strengths to the table. Let us know where your strengths lie, and get in touch with us today to explore this opportunity further!

Big Blue Bubble is committed to employment equity. We encourage applications from queer, transgender, Indigenous, BIPOC, d/Deaf, and disabled applicants. We are committed to inclusive, barrier-free recruitment processes and work environments. If you require accommodations at any point during the application or recruitment process, please submit them in confidence to [e-mail].

What Makes Our Studio Exceptional:

• Flexible hybrid work schedule providing a balance of in-office and remote workdays.
• Inclusive studio culture that fosters strong collaboration and mutual support.
• Smaller-scope projects that provide multifaceted opportunities to build skills and try new things.
• Strong focus on work-life balance with minimal overtime.
• In-office barista and full kitchen hosting daily popcorn, ice cream days, and food events.
• Unique and frequent team-building and social events (Pi Day, Office Olympics, escape rooms, gaming tournaments, movie days, and more).
• On-site entertainment including gaming consoles, an arcade machine, testing devices, and a massage chair.
• Paid game fund to help you continuously expand your industry knowledge.
• Comprehensive benefits package and annual bonuses.
• Paid time off, sick days, wedding leave, and parental leave.
• Dedication to community outreach through events such as Extra Life.
• A variety of internship placements where students quickly see the impact of their work.
• Part of the EG7 global gaming cooperative, comprised of several specialized video game entertainment companies.