Art Director - Media & VFX | Immersive Worlds Lead

Local Projects, LLC; Manhattan (KS); On-site; USD 103,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/Dental/Vision

401k

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Local Projects is a design studio renowned for technologically advanced work that blends physical and digital environments. The Art Director: Media & VFX leads teams of designers, animators, and editors, shaping immersive worlds and experiences across interactive narratives.

Reporting to the Director of Visual Experience Design, this NYC-origin role requires strong on-set VFX experience, 3D/game engine workflows, and advanced CG skills. Travel and flexible NYC studio work are expected.

Qualifications

• Experience as a CG design/artist lead in the animation and visual effects industry.
• Experience leveraging current AI workflows and models to improve pipeline efficiency.
• On-set Visual Effects Supervisor experience preferred.
• Excellent design sensibility with strong technical and conceptual thinking.
• Proficient in CG software (Maya, Cinema4D, Unreal, Unity).
• Experience with CG character pipelines and VFX (motion capture or live-action face replacement).
• Familiarity with emerging AI tools and efficiency enhancements.
• Compositing skills with Nuke/Flame/After Effects.

Responsibilities

• Lead with a technical and creative design process embracing experimentation and iteration.
• Ensure ADA accessibility across physical environments while designing.
• Communicate concepts and technical requirements clearly to teams/clients.
• Translate project strategies into actionable design directions with leads.
• Work within a unified design system and narrative across phases and disciplines.
• Coordinate dependencies, budget, specs, and production constraints.
• Flag challenges early and propose timely solutions.
• Manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Lead and participate in design reviews and sessions.
• Mentor teammates with feedback and development.
• Stay updated on industry practices and share advances.
• Contribute to studio standards and best practices.

Skills

CG lead design

AI workflows

VFX on-set experience

3D/game engine workflows

Maya/Cinema4D/Unreal/Unity

Compositing with Nuke/Flame/AE

Unity/Unreal engine

2D/CG/post-production workflows

UI/UX collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Degree in Animation/Visual Effects or equivalent

Tools

Maya

Cinema 4D

Unreal Engine

Unity

After Effects/Nuke/Flame

Job description

Local Projects is a design studio renowned for technologically advanced work that blends physical and digital environments. The Art Director: Media & VFX leads teams of designers, animators, and editors, shaping immersive worlds and experiences across interactive narratives.

Reporting to the Director of Visual Experience Design, this NYC-origin role requires strong on-set VFX experience, 3D/game engine workflows, and advanced CG skills. Travel and flexible NYC studio work are expected.