Studio Art Manager

Jobtailor; City of Troy (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks a seasoned Head of Art to oversee an art team of 30+ artists, driving quality across AAA projects. You will shape the long-term art vision with Studio Leadership, mentor senior managers, and lead upskilling initiatives to keep teams current with Unity, Unreal, and proprietary engines.

The role requires strong communication, strategic thinking, and proven success in large, multi-location studios. A track record of shipping art-driven titles is essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in game art leadership or related creative leadership roles.
• Experience managing multi-level hierarchies within a production environment, with a total team size of 50+ artists.
• Proven ability to balance creative excellence with operational decision-making.
• Strong understanding of art production pipelines, tools, and resource planning.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; able to inspire, influence, and develop others.
• Has shipped multiple games in an art-focused role: concept, character, environment, illustration, world-building.
• Experience using Unity, Unreal, or proprietary engines, software, and tools.
• Experience with modern workflows and knowledge of the entire lifecycle of a project, for current AAA games both large and small.
• Excellent collaboration and both written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of approximately 30+ artists working under a structured hierarchy of senior people managers.
• Ensure the art department delivers exceptional quality across all projects.
• Lead and coach senior people managers; cultivate a culture of feedback and development.
• Identify and lead departmental upskilling initiatives, including software workshops and mentorship programs.
• Partner with Studio Leadership and Production to define the long-term art vision and standards for both locations.
• Oversee art resource planning and headcount allocation across active projects.
• Collaborate with Human Resources, Production, and directors on hiring needs and external partnerships.

Skills

Game Art Leadership

Art Production Pipelines

Unity

Unreal

Team Management

Mentorship

Tools

Unity

Unreal

Proprietary Engines

Job description

• Oversee a team of approximately 30+ artists working under a structured hierarchy of senior people managers
• Ensure the art department delivers exceptional quality across all projects
• Cultivate a culture of feedback, development, and creative excellence
• Lead and coach senior people managers
• Identify and lead departmental upskilling initiatives, including software workshops, mentorship programs, and peer review frameworks
• Champion career development frameworks, succession planning, and skill-building initiatives
• Set job expectations for disciplines across job postings, hiring, onboarding, and year-end reviews
• Partner with Studio Leadership and Production to define the long-term art vision, standards, and goals for both locations
• Oversee art resource planning and headcount allocation across active projects
• Partner with Human Resources and Production on hiring needs, recruiting, internships, outsourcing, external outreach, and external developer relationships
• Collaborate with Game Directors, Art Directors, and department leads to uphold visual identity and artistic direction
• Support creative problem-solving and align creative goals with production realities
• Serve as a cultural leader across both locations
• Promote communication across teams and studios
• Model empathy, inclusion, and leadership transparency

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in game art leadership or related creative leadership roles
• Experience managing multi-level hierarchies within a production environment, with a total team size of 50+ artists
• Proven ability to balance creative excellence with operational decision-making
• Strong understanding of art production pipelines, tools, and resource planning
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; able to inspire, influence, and develop others
• Has shipped multiple games in an art-focused role: concept, character, environment, illustration, world-building, etc.
• Experience using Unity, Unreal, or proprietary engines, software, and tools
• Experience with modern workflows and knowledge of the entire lifecycle of a project, for current AAA games both large and small
• Excellent collaboration and both written and verbal communication skills

Core Competencies

Demonstrates extensive experience in game art leadership, managing large teams, and fostering a culture of creative excellence. Proficient in art production pipelines, resource planning, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to achieve artistic and operational goals.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Game Art Leadership
• Art Production Pipelines
• Unity
• Unreal
• Team Management

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Art Production
• Resource Planning
• Creative Problem-SolvingProject Lifecycle Management
• Concept Art
• Character Design
• Environment Art
• Illustration
• World-Building
• Modern Workflows

Soft Skills

• Exceptional Communication
• Interpersonal Skills
• Empathy
• Inspiration
• Leadership Transparency

Industry Keywords

• Game Development
• AAA Games
• Creative Leadership
• Succession Planning
• Mentorship Programs

Tools & Technologies

• Unity
• Unreal
• Proprietary Engines