VFX Director - Infinity Ward

Activision Blizzard; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 136,880 - 253,260; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) plan

Paid holidays

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Infinity Ward is seeking a talented Director, VFX Supervisor to lead the VFX team in a major Call of Duty project. The role focuses on defining visual effects style, driving real-time cinematics, and ensuring seamless integration with gameplay across multiple IPs.

The candidate will collaborate with directors, art and narrative teams, and production to maintain a high-quality standard while managing schedules and milestones in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in real-time and pre-rendered cinematics.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Define VFX style and quality for in-game cinematics and narrative sequences.
• Oversee VFX integration in real-time engines and pipelines.
• Collaborate with engineering and production to deliver scalable VFX workflows.
• Ensure cinematic effects align with artistic vision and tone.

Skills

VFX supervision

Unreal Engine

Houdini

Maya

Leadership

Cinematics

Pipelines

Collaboration

Tools

Unreal Engine

Houdini

Maya

Job description

Job Title: VFX Director - Infinity Ward Requisition ID: R027119

Founded in 2002, Infinity Ward is the original studio behind the Call of Duty® franchise. The titles developed by Infinity Ward have won more than 200 "Game of the Year" awards and 100 "Editor's Choice" awards, among many other industry accolades. Some of our previous titles include: Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare and most recently, Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare. Infinity Ward employs more than 250 people in Woodland Hills, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles. A critically acclaimed studio, Infinity Ward is proud to have one of the hardest‑working and versatile development teams in the industry. We love to have as much fun as the games we create, and it shows in our relaxed, yet diligent, workplace environment. We believe that making the best games relies on having the best people, so we like to look after ours. We enjoy having fun with top‑notch events that everyone gets involved with. Infinity Ward is wholly owned by Activision. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at https://www.infinityward.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/InfinityWard/, and @InfinityWard on X.

Our Mission

Our team is currently looking for a talented Director, VFX Supervisor. This role is based in our Woodland Hills office and follows an onsite work schedule of five days per week. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs.

What You Bring to the Table

Priorities can often change in a fast‑paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the project director, production staff, and department leads to help achieve the creative vision of the project while staying within the technical, resource, and budget limitations.
• Be aware of, and communicate to leadership and game team leadership any blocking issues or potential technical problems before they negatively affect production schedules.
• Be an envoy for any technology transfer requested by the game teams.
• Define the visual effects style and quality bar for in‑game cinematics and narrative sequences.
• Partner with the Cinematics Director, Art Director, and Narrative team to ensure all VFX align with IW’s artistic vision and emotional tone.
• Work within the established art styles of our wide‑ranging IPs.
• Lead creative reviews and provide actionable feedback to internal and external artists to maintain consistency.
• Drive innovation in real‑time effects, blending traditional cinematic techniques with the latest engine technology.
• Oversee the creation and integration of VFX in real‑time engines (Unreal Engine, proprietary tools, etc.).
• Collaborate with engineering and tools teams to develop efficient, scalable VFX pipelines for both pre‑rendered and in‑engine cinematics.
• Partner with gameplay design, animation, and level design teams to ensure that cinematic effects integrate seamlessly with real‑time gameplay experiences.
• Partner with production to scope workloads, maintain schedules, and manage milestones.

Minimum Requirements

Experience 12+ years’ experience creating real‑time and pre‑rendered cinematics.

Knowledge & Skills

• An intimate knowledge of Call of Duty, their associated lore, characters, and history.
• An intimate working knowledge of the Pre‑Render and In‑Game Cinematics core pipeline.
• A basic understanding of IW’s proprietary engine.
• Ability to adapt to various art styles.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Strong Knowledge of multiple scripting languages, development practices, and asset deliverable pipeline architecture.
• Expert knowledge of real‑time VFX workflows and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine Niagara, Houdini, Maya, EmberGen, or proprietary tech).

Extra Points

• Familiarity with game engine optimization, scripting (Python, MEL, Blueprint), and VFX pipeline automation.
• Experience working on AAA game franchises or high‑end cinematics.
• Familiarity with Call of Duty and their visual tone.

Our World At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences. We’re not just looking back at our decades‑long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization. We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under‑represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance. Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full‑time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $136,880.00 - $253,260.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.

In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is the world’s largest interactive entertainment company, with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Skylanders®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet! We’re proud to be recognized as one of FORTUNE’s "100 Best Companies To Work For®" for five consecutive years and have earned a spot on FORTUNE’s “Most Admired Companies,” and “Future 50” lists. Our 10,000+ global employees are some of the best and brightest talents across entertainment, media, and technology.

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