Senior Art Director

Placements24; LegKraal Gate; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first culture

Health coverage

Performance-based bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a visionary Senior Art Director to lead a fully remote art department for flagship game titles. You will define the visual style and guide a distributed team of artists from concept to final product.

You will collaborate with game directors and producers, translating creative vision into tangible assets while mentoring a remote team and staying ahead of industry trends. This fully remote role is based in South Africa, offering creative freedom and high impact.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in game art development; 4+ years in Art Director or Lead Artist roles.
• Proven experience leading art teams and defining art style for AAA or high-quality indie titles.
• Strong portfolio showing art fundamentals, composition, color theory, and storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Establish and champion the overall art direction and visual style for projects.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a remote team of artists across disciplines.
• Collaborate with directors, designers, and producers to translate vision into assets.

Skills

Art Direction

Remote Leadership

Team Mentoring

Visual Storytelling

Education

BFA / Fine Arts

Equivalent Experience

Tools

Photoshop

Maya

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Unreal Engine / Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a globally recognized leader in interactive entertainment, is seeking an visionary Senior Art Director to lead their fully remote art department. This crucial role involves defining and guiding the overall visual style and aesthetic direction of their flagship game titles. You will be responsible for inspiring and managing a distributed team of artists, ensuring the highest standards of visual quality and artistic integrity from concept through to final product. This is an exceptional opportunity to shape the visual future of acclaimed games while working remotely from anywhere within **South Africa**. Our client fosters a remote-first culture that values collaboration, innovation, and creative freedom.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and champion the overall art direction and visual style for assigned game projects.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a remote team of concept artists, 3D modelers, animators, technical artists, and UI artists.
• Collaborate closely with game directors, designers, and producers to translate creative vision into tangible visual elements.
• Oversee the creation of concept art, character designs, environment art, UI elements, and other visual assets.
• Ensure artistic consistency and quality across all game assets and platforms.
• Develop and maintain detailed art style guides and documentation.
• Review art assets regularly, providing constructive feedback and ensuring adherence to the established art direction.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in game art and visual development.
• Effectively communicate the art vision and provide clear direction to the art team and other departments.
• Troubleshoot artistic and technical challenges faced by the art team.

Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in game art development, with at least 4 years in an Art Director or Lead Artist role.
• Proven experience leading art teams and defining the art style for successful AAA or high-quality indie game titles.
• Exceptional portfolio showcasing a strong understanding of art fundamentals, composition, color theory, and visual storytelling.
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D art creation software (e.g., Photoshop, Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter).
• Strong understanding of game development pipelines and technologies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, essential for managing a remote team.
• Ability to inspire and motivate artists, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Experience with Unreal Engine or Unity is highly desirable.
• Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Computer Graphics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated success working effectively within a fully remote or distributed development team.

Benefits

Our client offers a highly competitive salary and benefits package, including comprehensive health coverage and performance-based bonuses. This fully remote role provides unparalleled flexibility and autonomy. We support continuous professional development through access to online training, industry conferences, and workshops. You will be part of a passionate and talented team dedicated to creating visually stunning and immersive experiences within the **Arts & Entertainment** industry. This role offers significant opportunities for creative influence and career advancement.