Lead Props Artist

Cloud Imperium Games; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cloud Imperium Games in Manchester is seeking a Lead Props Artist to guide a talented team in creating high‑fidelity, hard‑surface props for locations, cinematics, and marketing. You will set the quality bar, mentor artists, and collaborate with Art Direction to ensure assets meet visual and technical standards.

You will champion excellence in hard-surface modeling, texture baking, and asset pipelines, oversee workloads, provide constructive feedback, and help grow the team’s skills while

Qualifications

• Exceptional ability to produce and review highly detailed, well optimised hard surface models, with a keen eye for quality across the team.
• Deep understanding of the artistic and technical fundamentals of game art production, with the experience to guide others and uphold standards across the department.
• Expert knowledge of material creation, high poly modelling and texture baking, with the ability to coach and upskill artists at all levels.
• Strong understanding of soft furnishing and organic asset creation, with the ability to oversee and provide direction on a wide range of asset types.
• Define, own, and communicate metrics and technical setup on assets, ensuring the full team works to consistent and well-documented pipelines.
• Be a proactive and inspirational leader, motivating the team, rising to challenges, and problem solving to keep production running smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation of a diverse array of high-quality props, setting the artistic and technical benchmark for the team.
• Champion and elevate the quality of artwork across the team, both visually and technically, through regular reviews and feedback.
• Collaborate with other departments to produce assets with specific design and technical requirements.
• Partner with Art Directors and Producers to plan workloads, allocate tasks across the team, and ensure deliverables are met to schedule and quality targets.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Props Artists, conducting regular reviews, providing constructive feedback, and supporting the professional growth of each team member.
• Be a proactive and inspirational leader, motivating the team, rising to challenges, and problem solving to keep production running smoothly.

Skills

Hard surface modelling

Texture baking

Team leadership

Mentoring

Art direction collaboration

Workflow pipelines

Job description

We are a crowdfunded company and have a dedicated and enthusiastic community of backers who are helping us create the “Best Damn Space Sim Ever”. We want to build the best we can deliver and we believe wholeheartedly in the value of exceptional diverse talent.

Founded in 2012 by renowned game developer Chris Roberts, Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) is one of the largest global independent studios, dedicated to delivering next-generation AAA games. CIG prides itself in thinking outside the box, encouraging creativity and developing ground-breaking technology. CIG believes in raising the bar for the gaming industry and the community as a whole.

About the Role:

The Props team produce a variety of foreground assets for locations, features, cinematics, and marketing. Our staple is intricate hard-surface props such as furniture and dressing assets, but we also produce a variety of soft furnishings and organic assets – as well as complex interactable objects. Many of the assets we create are used by players and AI so need to be highly detailed, functional, and beautiful! As Lead Props Artist, you will be responsible for guiding and mentoring a talented team of artists, setting the quality bar, and working closely with Art Direction and other departments to ensure our props meet the highest visual and technical standards.

What does our Lead Props Artists do?

• Lead the creation of a diverse array of high-quality props, setting the artistic and technical benchmark for the team.
• Champion and elevate the quality of artwork across the team, both visually and technically, through regular reviews and feedback.
• Collaborate with other departments to produce assets with specific design and technical requirements.
• Partner with Art Directors and Producers to plan workloads, allocate tasks across the team, and ensure deliverables are met to schedule and quality targets.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Props Artists, conducting regular reviews, providing constructive feedback, and supporting the professional growth of each team member.

What would we expect from our Lead Props Artists?

• Exceptional ability to produce and review highly detailed, well optimised hard surface models, with a keen eye for quality across the team.
• Deep understanding of the artistic and technical fundamentals of game art production, with the experience to guide others and uphold standards across the department.
• Expert knowledge of material creation, high poly modelling and texture baking, with the ability to coach and upskill artists at all levels.
• Strong understanding of soft furnishing and organic asset creation, with the ability to oversee and provide direction on a wide range of asset types.
• Define, own, and communicate metrics and technical setup on assets, ensuring the full team works to consistent and well-documented pipelines.
• Be a proactive and inspirational leader, motivating the team, rising to challenges, and problem solving to keep production running smoothly.

Diversity Statement

CIG is a global company, staunchly committed to cultivating a culture and workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, lifestyles, and perspectives. Together, we are creating a space where authentic recognition, appreciation, and understanding of the importance of diversity is fostered by everyone. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strive to build a team that represents all walks of life, and we want every employee to bring all the things that make them unique to the work environment. The universe is as vast and varied as the people in it, and it’s our differences that make it special.

Fraud Statement

We are aware of people receiving job offers that fraudulently allege to be from CIG. These types of fraud can be carried out through false websites, fake email addresses claiming to be from our company, or social media. We do not ask for your personal info like bank account numbers, identification numbers, etc through social media or chat-based apps, nor do we request or send money for the purchase of business equipment.

If you suspect fraud, please report it to your local authorities, as well as reaching out to us at info[@]cloudimperiumgames.com with any information you may have.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!