Lead Lighting Artist: Shape Mood & Environments

Placements24; Noord-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Paid time off

Learning resources

Creative studio

Job summary

Placements24 in Kimberley is seeking a Lead Lighting Artist with 5+ years in game lighting to guide the art team and shape mood through light and shadow. You will set lighting standards, develop strategies, and oversee implementation across environments and cinematics.

You will work with environment artists, tech artists, and directors to meet visual targets and ensure lighting enhances player experience, with opportunities to mentor juniors.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years as a Lighting Artist in the game industry, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior capacity.
• Proficiency with industry-standard lighting tools and game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Strong understanding of color theory, composition, and the principles of light and shadow.
• Experience with real-time lighting techniques, including baked lighting, dynamic lighting, and global illumination.
• Excellent artistic eye and the ability to translate art direction into tangible lighting solutions.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and inspire a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the lighting team, setting artistic direction and providing technical guidance.
• Develop and implement lighting strategies and solutions for game environments and cinematics.
• Create visually appealing and performant lighting setups that enhance mood and atmosphere.
• Collaborate with environment artists to ensure lighting integrates seamlessly with scene composition and assets.
• Optimize lighting performance to meet target frame rates and hardware specifications.
• Mentor junior lighting artists and conduct quality assurance reviews of lighting work.

Skills

Leadership

Lighting techniques

Unreal Engine

Unity

Color theory

Mentoring

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Global Illumination

Job description

Placements24 in Kimberley is seeking a Lead Lighting Artist with 5+ years in game lighting to guide the art team and shape mood through light and shadow. You will set lighting standards, develop strategies, and oversee implementation across environments and cinematics.

You will work with environment artists, tech artists, and directors to meet visual targets and ensure lighting enhances player experience, with opportunities to mentor juniors.