Character Art Manager

RPMGlobal; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Talent Table benefits

Job summary

RPMGlobal is seeking a hands-on Character Art Manager to ideate and develop original character artwork for global Consumer Products. You will lead character artists and external vendors to ensure on-model, on-character, and on-brand artwork across priority projects.

The role requires a strong portfolio, on-site collaboration in Los Angeles 3 days/week (Tue–Thu), and a hybrid arrangement for an 11-month contract. The hourly rate is $130/hour, with benefits available through Talent Table. No C2C.

Qualifications

• Strong portfolio showing character illustration, pose development, expression work, outfit exploration, and storytelling.
• Excellent drawing skills with anatomy, gesture, movement, proportion, silhouette, and expression.
• Proven ability to draw established characters while adding fresh personality and energy.
• Experience in Consumer Products, animation, entertainment, licensing, or related creative field.
• Experience directing internal or external artists and creating drawovers.

Responsibilities

• Ideate and develop original character poses, expressions, outfits, props, group compositions, and interactions.
• Personally sketch and refine artwork, providing hands-on support for priority projects.
• Translate model sheets, turnarounds, animation references into assets for Consumer Products.
• Ensure artwork stays on-model, on-character, and on-brand with fresh personality and storytelling.
• Create drawovers and redlines addressing anatomy, likeness, proportions, and costuming.
• Build scalable character art libraries for apparel, toys, packaging, publishing, and other product applications.
• Identify gaps in assets and recommend additional artwork based on seasonal and business needs.
• Brief and direct artists, freelancers, vendors, and agencies from concepts to final execution.
• Review artwork at each stage and provide actionable creative feedback.
• Partner with Style Guides, Product Development, Franchise, Marketing, and external teams.
• Present concepts and incorporate feedback while protecting character design DNA and commercial needs.
• Prepare final assets for style guides, seasonal packs, and global libraries.
• Manage multiple workstreams and flag timing concerns early.

Skills

Character illustration

Pose development

Anatomy understanding

Leadership

Art direction

Tools

Photoshop

Illustrator

Job description

Our Client, the world's leading entertainment streaming service, is looking for a hands-on Character Art Manager to ideate and develop original character artwork for global Consumer Products. This person will expand characters beyond existing production assets through fresh poses, expressions, outfits, activities, and interactions that can be used across a wide range of products.

The Character Art Manager must be a strong artist who can personally sketch, draw, and revise artwork while also directing character artists, vendors, and agencies. They will ensure all artwork remains on-model, on-character, and on-brand while supporting priority projects, including Kpop Demon Hunters and preschool and children's titles.

This is a hybrid, 11-month contract. Candidates must be available to work on-site in Los Angeles, CA, three days per week (Tuesday through Thursday)and cannot hold H-1B visa status. Hourly rate is $130.00/hour. Benefits are available through Talent Table. No C2C.

Responsibilities

• Ideate and develop original character poses, expressions, outfits, props, group compositions, and character interactions.
• Personally sketch and refine artwork, providing hands‑on support for priority projects when needed.
• Translate model sheets, turnarounds, animation references, and approved production artwork into assets created specifically for Consumer Products.
• Ensure artwork remains on-model, on-character, and on-brand while introducing fresh personality, movement, and storytelling.
• Create drawovers and redlines to address anatomy, likeness, proportions, expressions, silhouettes, and costuming.
• Build scalable character art libraries for apparel, accessories, toys, packaging, publishing, retail, softlines, and other product applications.
• Identify gaps in existing character assets and recommend additional artwork based on seasonal, title, and business needs.
• Brief and direct character artists, freelancers, vendors, and agencies from early concepts through final execution.
• Review artwork at each stage and provide clear, actionable creative feedback.
• Partner with Style Guides, Product Development, Franchise, Marketing, filmmakers, and external production teams.
• Present creative concepts and incorporate feedback while protecting the character's design DNA and the commercial needs of the artwork.
• Prepare and organize final assets for inclusion in style guides, seasonal packs, retail programs, and global character art libraries.
• Manage multiple workstreams, flag creative or timing concerns early, and maintain a high standard of quality across deliverables.
  

Qualifications

• Strong portfolio demonstrating character illustration, pose development, expression work, outfit exploration, and visual storytelling.
• Excellent drawing skills with a strong understanding of anatomy, gesture, movement, proportion, silhouette, and expression.
• Proven ability to draw established characters accurately while bringing fresh personality and energy to the artwork.
• Experience in Consumer Products, animation, entertainment, licensing, or a related creative field.
• Experience creating drawovers and directing internal or external artists.
• Understanding of how character artwork translates across different product categories and production methods.
• Strong communication, presentation, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and other relevant digital drawing tools.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced creative environment.