Art Director - AAA Game Visuals & Team Lead

Placements24; Durban; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an imaginative and experienced Art Director for a Durban-based game studio, overseeing visual development for a AAA title. You will define aesthetic direction, lead a diverse art team, and ensure high-quality, consistent visuals across characters, environments, UI, and effects.

The role requires 8+ years in game art, with at least 3 years in an Art Director/Lead Artist capacity, and a strong portfolio across shipped titles.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in game art production
• 3+ years in Art Director or Lead Artist roles
• Strong art portfolio across multiple shipped titles
• Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop
• Deep understanding of game engines (Unreal/Unity)
• Excellent leadership and communication skills
• Clear feedback and collaboration across disciplines
• Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts/related field or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the overall art direction and visual style for the game project.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of artists including concept artists, 3D modelers, animators and texture artists.
• Collaborate with designers, programmers, and producers to align art with gameplay and narrative.
• Develop and maintain style guides, mood boards and concept art to guide the art team.
• Oversee creation of all visual assets: characters, environments, props, UI, effects.
• Ensure quality and consistency of art assets per specs.
• Manage the art production pipeline including asset creation, integration and optimization.
• Conduct art reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging art tech.

Skills

Art direction

Leadership

Mentoring team

Art pipelines

Communication

Color theory

Feedback

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts or related field

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an imaginative and experienced Art Director for a Durban-based game studio, overseeing visual development for a AAA title. You will define aesthetic direction, lead a diverse art team, and ensure high-quality, consistent visuals across characters, environments, UI, and effects.

The role requires 8+ years in game art, with at least 3 years in an Art Director/Lead Artist capacity, and a strong portfolio across shipped titles.