Lead Visual Effects Artist New United States, Remote

Insomniac Games; Plum (Allegheny County); Remote; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a talented Lead VFX Artist to manage and develop their visual effects team. The ideal candidate will balance hands-on VFX creation with leadership, ensuring high-quality standards and effective collaboration across teams. Responsibilities include mentoring artists, improving production methods, and coordinating with various departments to enhance gameplay and user experience.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in creating art assets.
• Strong understanding of production schedules and project goals.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop the visual effects team.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams for cinematic moments.
• Guide VFX artists on aesthetic and technical considerations.

Skills

Leadership

Creative problem-solving

Tools

Houdini

Maya

Unreal

Unity

Photoshop

Substance Designer

Job description

Insomniac is seeking a talented Lead VFX Artist to manage and develop our visual effects team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in creating art assets, demonstrating mastery of industry standards, proprietary technology, and departmental workflows. A strong understanding of production schedules, project goals, game performance, and technical considerations is essential.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Balance hands-on VFX creation with team leadership and management.
2. Collaborate with the Principal VFX Artist to plan, create, and test content creation pipelines.
3. Ensure external VFX partners are well-trained and meet quality standards.
4. Work with Production Management to scope, plan, and track tasks and bugs.
5. Coordinate with the Art Director to maintain consistent quality and style.
6. Guide VFX artists on aesthetic and technical considerations.
7. Create and animate real-time digital FX that support art direction and reflect physical phenomena.
8. Partner with design and gameplay teams to produce VFX that enhance gameplay, accessibility, and user experience.
9. Assist Tool and Engine teams in evolving proprietary tools to improve VFX fidelity.
10. Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams for cinematic moments and narrative support.
11. Manage, mentor, and review the performance of VFX artists.
12. Implement new production methods to improve team efficiency.
13. Coordinate with departments to ensure timely asset delivery.
14. Address workplace conduct issues promptly to foster a safe environment.
15. Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties

This role includes supervisory responsibilities, including hiring, training, performance reviews, and conflict resolution.

Computer Skills

• Expert in Houdini and Maya, with skills in joints, locators, animation, simulations, materials, shaders, lighting, and rendering.
• Proficient in 3D modeling and UV mapping.
• Strong experience with game engines like Unreal and Unity, and VFX systems such as Niagara and PopcornFX.
• Deep understanding of shader networks and scripting languages like MEL, Python, VEX, HLSL.
• Proficient in Photoshop and procedural texture software such as Substance Designer.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office; familiarity with Blender, Nuke is a plus.

Other Skills

• Strong foundation in composition, design, and color theory.
• Ability to work from detailed concept and reference art.
• Traditional painting skills in stylized and photorealistic styles.
• Leadership, mentoring, and interpersonal skills.
• Creative problem-solving abilities for technical challenges.