Lead Real-Time Artist

Imerza; Sarasota (FL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Imerza, based in Sarasota, FL, seeks a skilled leadership professional to manage a team of artists. You will balance hands-on production with leadership, ensuring high-quality real-time projects. With over 8 years of experience and expert knowledge of Unreal Engine 5, you will guide artists, uphold quality, and streamline workflows.

This role requires strong management skills and a background in architectural visualization. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional 3D production experience.
• Proven experience managing and developing artist teams.
• Expert working knowledge of Unreal Engine 5.

Responsibilities

• Lead a studio of 3 to 4 artists across concurrent real-time production projects.
• Own studio-level QA, applying consistent standards.
• Mentor artists and provide performance feedback.

Skills

3D production experience

Management skills

Unreal Engine 5 expertise

BIM/CAD understanding

Digital twin concepts

Architectural visualization experience

Proficiency in 3ds Max and/or Blender

Project tracking with Jira

Tools

Revit

Rhino

SketchUp

Perforce

Houdini

Substance

Job description

Compensation: $100,000 to $120,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Imerza is a digital twin and architectural visualization studio built on Unreal Engine 5. As Epic Games' official US partner studio for Digital Twins, we work with developers, architects, and destination brands on some of the largest and most complex real‑time environments in production today. Our work spans gigaproject‑scale development programs, hospitality and mixed‑use digital twins, and high‑end sales center experiences.

This is a leadership role that requires hands‑on production. You will split your time roughly equally between building and leading. That balance is intentional and permanent, not a transitional phase. You will lead a studio of 3 to 4 artists across concurrent real‑time production projects, own quality from brief through delivery, and stay technically engaged through pre‑production, pipeline work, and R&D.

What You'll Do:

• Lead a studio of 3 to 4 artists across concurrent real‑time production projects.
• Build alongside your team; you are a producing lead, not a pure manager.
• Own studio‑level QA as the final gate before work advances, applying consistent standards across frame rate targets, asset budgets, naming conventions, and visual quality.
• Lead project kickoffs and distribute production context and knowledge across the team so it does not rest with any single person.
• Actively reduce specialist dependencies so studio output is not contingent on any one individual.
• Lead pre‑production technical setup to define approach and visual language on new projects.
• Contribute UE5 pipeline improvements in collaboration with Principal Artists and the wider department.
• Mentor artists and provide direct, constructive performance feedback and career development support.
• Represent your studio's work in client and stakeholder contexts as that responsibility evolves.
• Recommend on hiring decisions and performance outcomes for studio personnel.
• Work within an art budget defined in collaboration with Production.

What We're Looking For:

• 8+ years of professional 3D production experience.
• Proven experience managing and developing artist teams, required.
• Expert working knowledge of Unreal Engine 5: Lumen, Nanite, PCG, and real‑time rendering pipelines.
• Solid understanding of BIM/CAD‑to‑UE5 pipelines: Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp via Datasmith.
• Awareness of Pixel Streaming and its implications for real‑time art production decisions.
• Familiarity with digital twin concepts and how real‑time art decisions affect downstream data pipelines and platform performance.
• Architectural visualization or architecture background strongly preferred; familiarity with architectural scale, construction documentation, and FF&E is a genuine advantage.
• Perforce required; Jira or equivalent project tracking.
• Proficiency in 3ds Max and/or Blender; Houdini and Substance beneficial.

Portfolio Requirements:

• Submit a real‑time walkthrough reel demonstrating interactive environments; pre‑rendered video or still imagery will not be accepted as substitutes.
• Include project‑level context for each piece: your specific role, the scale of the project, and the production constraints you were working within.
• Before submitting, review our work at Imerza.com.

Additional Requirements:

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is based in Sarasota, FL. Candidates who can work onsite or are willing to relocate are strongly preferred. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate.

Imerza is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Imerza is a participant in E‑Verify.