Lead Character Artist [Fixed Term]

Avalanchestudios; Stockholms kommun; Hybrid; SEK 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Avalanche Studios Group in Stockholm is seeking a Lead Character Artist to guide a team of artists in creating high-quality animal and creature visuals. You will bridge the Art Director and the team, ensuring the artistic vision is translated into compelling content.

The role emphasizes leadership, realism-driven creature art, and long-term creative excellence, with a hybrid Stockholm office presence. Immediate start with an end date of April 30, 2027.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience coaching and developing art teams
• Expertise in animal anatomy, behavior, and realism
• Strong foundation in general character art and pipelines

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of artists, translating artistic vision into high-quality visuals with focus on animals and characters
• Act as subject-matter expert in animal anatomy and realism across creature assets
• Oversee visual asset creation to meet productivity, delivery, and quality benchmarks
• Collaborate cross-functionally to resolve bottlenecks and improve workflows
• Occasionally contribute hands-on to asset creation while guiding quality and consistency
• Advocate for scalable solutions and long-term production improvements
• Support reports through hiring, onboarding, performance reviews and growth
• Provide mentorship and growth paths, with constructive feedback
• Handle administrative duties like time reports and leaves
• Represent the company on organizational and workplace standards

Skills

Leadership

Animal/Creature design

Character art

Pipeline improvement

Job description

Lead Character Artist

We are seeking a talented Lead Character Artist to join our dynamic Development team at Avalanche Studios Group in Stockholm. In this role, you'll act as a vital link between our Art Director and a team of artists, ensuring the artistic vision is translated into outstanding visual content, with a strong emphasis on animal and creature design. If you're passionate about leadership, realism-driven creature art, and long-term creative excellence, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of talented artists, clearly communicating and implementing the artistic vision to deliver exceptional quality visuals, with a strong focus on animals and characters.
• Act as a subject-matter expert in animal anatomy, behavior, and realism, ensuring authenticity and visual credibility across all creature assets.
• Oversee visual asset creation, ensuring artwork meets productivity, delivery, and quality benchmarks throughout the pipeline.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with designers, developers, and other stakeholders to resolve bottlenecks, improve workflows, and foster a positive, high-performing team culture.
• Occasionally contribute hands‑on to asset creation, using your artistic expertise to guide quality, consistency, and problem‑solving at a high level.
• Advocate for systemic improvements, scalable solutions, and long-term thinking within art production and pipelines.
• Support your direct reports throughout their entire employee journey, from hiring and onboarding to performance evaluations and career growth.
• Actively engage in team members’ professional development by providing constructive feedback, mentorship, and clear growth paths.
• Handle administrative responsibilities such as approving time reports, leave requests, and maintaining accurate employee records.
• Serve as a company representative regarding organizational, cultural, and legal responsibilities, ensuring compliance with workplace standards, employee privacy, and working conditions.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in game development within Art departments, with a high degree of expertise in animal and creature design, as well as strong foundations in general character art.
• Deep understanding of realistic anatomy, materials, fur/skin workflows, and creature-specific production challenges.
• Proven leadership skills with a track record of coaching and developing high‑performing art teams.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, able to align artistic goals across multiple disciplines.
• Experience with or strong interest in pipeline creation, optimization, and long‑term workflow improvements.
• A proactive, solution‑oriented mindset and a passion for improving both creative quality and production efficiency.

Please note: This is a fixed‑term position with an immediate start date and an end date of April 30, 2027.

Location: Stockholm office in Södermalm. Hybrid model requires presence in office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.