Head of Art

Frontier Developments; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading video game developer based in Cambridge is seeking a Head of Art to lead its Art department. The role involves providing strategic oversight, fostering creativity, and managing a skilled team. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in managing creative teams, a strong portfolio, and a passion for gaming. A competitive salary and a range of benefits are offered, including relocation support.

Benefits

Success-based annual bonus

Private family healthcare

Flexitime working hours

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a creative management role within the games industry.
• Strong portfolio of successful game projects.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and management to Art Directors and Lead Artists.
• Foster innovation and creativity within the Art teams.
• Collaborate with the Director of Art to define and evolve art style.

Skills

Leadership and team management

Creative management

Art asset production

Problem-solving

Communication and collaboration

Job description

Frontier is an independent video game developer and publisher, crafting immersive gaming experiences with fun gameplay and unparalleled artistic quality. Renowned for its iconic creative management simulation games, Frontier captivates players worldwide with immersive and authentic game worlds. The modern studio is located in the vibrant technology hub of Cambridge (UK). The talented team at Frontier are dedicated to nurturing our existing portfolio and delivering our exciting future roadmap.

This role is offered on a full in-studio basis or a hybrid basis (typically 3 days per week in the studio). We can provide a comprehensive relocation support package as part of any offer, should you need to relocate.

WHAT’S THE ROLE?

We’re looking for a Head of Art to join to join our development team. This is a key leadership role responsible for the operation and performance of Frontier’s Art department. This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on leadership, ensuring that the right people, skills, and tools are in place to meet the demands of our ambitious roadmap. Reporting to the Director of Art, you’ll collaborate with the Art Directors, Lead Artists and other Heads of Development to define visual direction, solve complex challenges, and maintain high standards of project leadership to achieve artistic excellence.

If you’ve got a good understanding of how games are made, broad knowledge across multiple art disciplines (with expertise in one or more areas), experience of managing Art teams, and a strong portfolio of successful game projects on console and PC, then we’d love to hear from you!

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Providing people leadership and management to your direct reports (Art Directors and Lead Artists) through effective communication, objective setting, feedback, coaching, mentoring and support with career development to maintain an engaged, productive and inclusive team environment.
• Establishing a department-wide community of practice, ensuring that standards, expectations and methods are consistent across multiple teams.
• Fostering innovation and creativity within the Art teams while maintaining a clear focus on delivering high-quality gaming experiences for our players.
• Supporting and championing outsourcing as part of our development process.
• Analysing the development processes of each title and applying the insights gained to enhance the creation of future titles.
• Collaborating with the Director of Art to define and evolve the art style for new and future games.
• Assigning people to projects based on strengths and development goals, ensuring optimal team composition.
• Supporting recruitment, training, and succession planning within the Art discipline.
• Fostering a strong working relationship with other department heads to resolve cross-functional challenges and align on strategic goals.
• Anticipating future trends in game art and develop strategies to keep the team at the forefront of the industry.
• When appropriate, deploying yourself onto game projects and applying your technical skill set to support development.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Proven experience in a creative management role within the games industry with a strong portfolio of successful game projects.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop others.
• Strong background in art asset production with a portfolio demonstrating high-quality work.
• Deep understanding of art pipelines, tools, and production workflows.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across disciplines.
• Knowledge of current game art trends, best practices, and emerging tools and technologies.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think creatively, commercially and strategically.
• Passion for games and a commitment to artistic excellence.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

You will work with talented and passionate people to support, develop or publish our sophisticated and enduring games, in a creative, collaborative and inclusive environment. We love what we do, and we work hard to provide outstanding experiences for our players.

Wellbeing is a big focus at Frontier, and we are continually evolving how we can support our people. We encourage a healthy work/life balance and provide a range of wellbeing activities, initiatives and sessions to support both mental and physical health.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes a success-based annual bonus, share option schemes, life assurance, private family healthcare, flexitime working hours, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, in-house subsidised catering, support with relocation, a Cycle to Work scheme, free bike servicing, and social activities and events.

We strive to create an environment where everyone can fully demonstrate their capability and potential. If you therefore need any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please speak to your Talent Acquisition representative.