Senior Environment Artist

the hive; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

BULKHEAD is seeking a Senior Environment Artist to own major environment spaces, creating high-quality environment art from concept via playable worlds. You will manage asset creation, modular kits, and large scenes, balancing fidelity with performance in UE5 while guiding the team to meet artistic and technical standards.

You will collaborate across disciplines, contribute to planning and pipelines, mentor junior artists, review work for development, and help uplift the studio’s visual

Qualifications

• 4+ years industry experience.
• Expert understanding of current game art processes and dependencies.
• Proficient with 3ds Max or Blender, Photoshop, Substance Designer/Painter, and ZBrush.
• Expert understanding of UE5 and its technologies such as Nanite and Lumen, and working with PBR materials.
• Good communication and written skills.
• Experience with procedural content creation.
• Strong traditional painting skills.
• Experience with photogrammetry.
• World-building expertise with level design awareness.

Responsibilities

• Build the world and create high-quality environment art from visual references and previs to finished, playable world sections.
• Contribute to the environment art strategy and explain creative decisions clearly.
• Balance fidelity with performance, leading UE5 optimisation through shaders and Blueprints.
• Partner with Engineering on technical challenges, tooling and efficient workflows.
• Own large, complex gameplay spaces, leading small strike teams to deliver them on time.
• Track milestones, flag risks early and act as a key contact for environment art across departments.
• Mentor junior and mid-level artists, helping them build skills and autonomy.
• Model best practices and share knowledge across the team.

Skills

4+ years industry experience

UE5 expertise

PBR materials

3ds Max/Blender

Photogrammetry

World building

Tools

3ds Max

Blender

Photoshop

Substance Designer

Substance Painter

ZBrush

Unreal Engine 5

Job description

As a Senior Environment Artist at BULKHEAD, you will play a key role in crafting visually compelling and immersive environments that define the quality of our worlds. You’ll take full ownership of major environment spaces, from asset creation and modular kits to the assembly of large-scale scenes, ensuring they meet the artistic vision and technical performance benchmarks of the project.

You will demonstrate strong visual instincts and technical precision—driving scene development from reference gathering through to engine integration. Your work will reflect a deep understanding of form, scale, composition, and fidelity, with a proactive mindset for problem-solving and innovation.

As a senior team member, you’ll collaborate closely across disciplines, confidently contributing to planning discussions and production alignment. You’ll apply and give constructive feedback, making informed decisions that balance creative and practical needs. You will also provide mentorship to Junior and mid-Level artists, offering guidance, reviewing work with a focus on development, and sharing best practices to uphold and elevate team standards.

This role provides the opportunity to influence visual direction, refine pipelines, and contribute meaningfully to the success of both the project and your teammates, while continuing to grow as a creative and technical leader.

What You'll Do

• Build the world and create high-quality environment art, from visual references and previs for major themes through to finished, playable world sections.
• Contribute to the environment art strategy and explain creative decisions clearly.
• Balance fidelity with performance, leading UE5 optimisation through shaders and Blueprints.
• Partner with Engineering on technical challenges, tooling and efficient workflows.
• Own large, complex gameplay spaces, leading small strike teams to deliver them on time.
• Track your milestones, flag risks early and act as a key contact for environment art across departments.
• Mentor junior and mid-level artists, helping them build skills and autonomy.
• Model best practices and share knowledge across the team.

What We're Looking For

• 4+ years industry experience
• Expert understanding of current game art processes, limitations, and dependencies
• Proficient experience with relevant software packages such as 3ds Max or Blender, Photoshop, Substance Designer/Painter, and ZBrush
• An expert understanding of UE5 and its new technologies such as Nanite and Lumen and working with PBR materials to ensure all artwork is to a high standard
• Good communication and written skills
• Experience with procedural content creation
• Strong traditional painting skills
• Experience with photogrammetry
• An expert in world building with a strong understanding of level design requirements and limitations