Lead Artist Generalist

SIDE MALAYSIA SDN. BHD.; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A game development studio in Kuala Lumpur is seeking a Lead Artist (Generalist) to define and uphold the visual direction for a variety of projects, from stylized 2D to AAA-quality 3D games. You will lead a multidisciplinary art team, establish best practices, and ensure every asset meets high creative and technical standards. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of game art experience, with a focus on leading teams and proficiency in Unity and Unreal Engine.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game art experience (2D and 3D), with at least 2 years in a lead or senior role.
• Proven ability to deliver AAA or high-quality stylized content.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and reviewing both internal and outsourced teams.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the overall visual direction, style, and quality across 2D and 3D projects.
• Lead and inspire a cross-disciplinary art team.
• Create high-quality benchmark assets demonstrating artistic excellence.

Skills

Game art experience (2D and 3D)

Hands-on proficiency with Unity

Hands-on proficiency with Unreal Engine

Expert knowledge of Maya

Expert knowledge of Blender

Expert knowledge of Substance Painter/Designer

Expert knowledge of Photoshop

Strong understanding of composition and color

Excellent communication skills

Tools

Unity

Unreal Engine

Maya

Blender

Substance Painter/Designer

Photoshop

Job description

Lead Artist (Generalist)

As Lead Artist (Generalist), you’ll define and uphold the visual direction for a wide range of projects from stylized 2D to AAA-quality 3D games. You’ll lead a multidisciplinary art team, establish best practices, and ensure every asset meets a high creative and technical standard across Unity, Unreal, and potentially proprietary engine pipelines. You’ll start by leading an internal 2D project in Unity, and help build scalable art workflows, visual standards, and production art that will power future art outsourcing and co‑development (codev) partnerships with global clients.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the overall visual direction, style, and quality across 2D and 3D projects.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a cross‑disciplinary art team (concept, character, environment, props, lighting, FX, and UI).
• Create high‑quality benchmark assets that demonstrate both artistic and technical excellence.
• Oversee asset production from concept to in‑engine implementation in both Unity and Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate closely with design, engineering, and production to ensure visual targets align with gameplay, performance, and delivery schedules.
• Review internal and outsourced work, providing clear, actionable feedback to maintain consistency and quality.
• Support project planning by accurately scoping art deliverables, identifying risks, and advising on staffing and pipeline needs.
• Help establish scalable art standards and documentation to support future art and codev projects and partner integrations.
• Attend internal and external meetings, sometimes outside of normal business hours, as necessary to support business goals.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game art experience (2D and 3D), with at least 2 years in a lead or senior role.
• Proven ability to deliver AAA or high‑quality stylized content across multiple genres and platforms.
• Hands‑on proficiency with Unity and Unreal Engine pipelines.
• Expert knowledge of tools such as Maya, Blender, Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop, Spine 2D and related software.
• Strong understanding of composition, color, lighting, materials, and visual storytelling.
• Solid grasp of performance optimization, PBR workflows, and real‑time rendering.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and reviewing both internal and outsourced teams.
• Excellent communication skills, especially in English, and comfort working in a globally distributed environment.
• Note: Specific requirements may vary depending on project needs.

Unlock job insights

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Malaysia?
• What's your expected monthly basic salary?
• Which of the following types of qualifications do you have?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Lead Artist?