Lead VFX Artist

Wolcen Studio; New York; Remote; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Wolcen Studio is seeking a passionate Lead VFX Artist to work within a multicultural team on cutting-edge projects using Unreal Engine 5. This full-time position involves leading the VFX team, creating stunning visual effects, and collaborating closely with other disciplines to enhance gameplay experience. Suitable candidates should possess strong technical skills and 7+ years of experience in game VFX.

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in visual effects for games, with at least one shipped title.
• Experience leading or mentoring other artists.

Responsibilities

• Define visual style and direction of VFX.
• Lead and mentor a team of VFX artists.
• Build and maintain VFX production workflows.

Skills

Artistic eye

Technical skills in Unreal Engine

Collaboration

Proactive

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Tools

Unreal Engine

Maya

Blender

Houdini

Substance Designer

Substance Painter

Job description

Wolcen is looking for a passionate Lead VFX Artist, interested in working within a multicultural team and Unreal Engine 5 in our journey to develop and work on very interesting projects. The ideal candidate is organized and self-motivated and must work well with others, enjoy, and seek out collaboration.

You will work with multiple disciplines to identify effective solutions.

This is a full-time position. We are all currently working remotely, but you are welcome to work from our office in Nice, FR, or remain fully remote.

What You Will Do:

• Define the visual style and direction of VFX in line with art direction and gameplay needs.
• Lead and mentor a team of VFX artists, fostering quality, creativity, and growth.
• Work closely with design and gameplay teams to translate mechanics into impactful visual feedback.
• Build and maintain VFX production workflows and tools/pipelines.
• Balance performance, readability, and visual appeal, especially in a top-down perspective.
• Help scope and prioritize VFX work across gameplay, environment, UI, and cinematics.
• Contribute hands-on by creating real-time effects using Niagara and Unreal 5.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of experience creating visual effects for games, with at least one shipped title.
• Strong artistic eye and deep understanding of timing, shape, motion, and color.
• Proven ability to create effects from concept to final polish, including textures, shaders, and mesh assets.
• Experience leading or mentoring other artists.
• Strong technical skills in Unreal Engine (Niagara), and 3D software (ex: Maya, Blender, Houdini).
• Comfortable working cross-discipline with game designers, animators, and engineers.
• Ability to identify inefficiencies in workflows and drive improvements.
• Proactive and interested in taking on new challenges
• Strongcommunicationskills
• AdvancedEnglishskills

Bonus Points

• Experience in top-down or isometric games.
• Working knowledge of 3d software
• Familiar with Substance Designer/Painter or other texture tools.
• Understanding of VFX performance optimization and profiling for real-time games.