Lead Visual Effects Artist (Games)

Who We Are

We are Skybound.

We love creators. We love fans. We love thrilling games, indelible images and moving stories. Our roots are in comics, but our brands extend to video games, television, movies, merchandise, and live experiences. We take special pride in original tales, fresh characters, and diverse voices.

From well-known franchises to freshly-minted originals, we offer the chance to join brilliant creators in shaping a new generation of entertainment in a concentrated, agile environment in which every perspective matters, and any idea can create a breakthrough.

Opportunity

Skybound Game Studios is looking for a Lead Visual Effects Artist to drive the visual impact of a new, unannounced project. You will be responsible for creating spectacular particle effects, stunning decals, and lighting effects in a customized UE5 engine. The Lead Visual Effects Artist will establish and maintain VFX pipelines, manage a team of VFX artists, and ensure the highest quality of visual effects in the game.

As a Lead Visual Effects Artist, you will guide the creation of inspiring effects that help bring one of our major properties to life. You will oversee the effects process end-to-end, driving visual development, gameplay clarity, and best-in-class performance in the engine. Together we will turn concepts and prototypes into awe-inspiring experiences for our players.

Reports: This position will report to the Art Director of Skybound Game Studios.

Responsibilities: Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and mentor a team of VFX artists, fostering a collaborative and creative environment.
• Collaborate with the art, design, and animation teams to create amazing character and environment visual effects, rich with opportunities for narrative, gameplay, and cinematic action.
• Develop and implement VFX pipelines to ensure efficient and high-quality production.
• Drive new methods and advanced techniques to showcase the combat and destruction of the experience.
• Ensure that assets are optimized for target platforms while retaining artistic integrity.
• Provide estimates, manage time, and hit deadlines to stay on track with set schedules and tasks.
• Maintain the visual consistency and quality of VFX throughout the project lifecycle.
• Demonstrate a high degree of experience and control in Unreal Engine 5, particularly Niagara.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in console or PC games as a VFX artist, with at least one shipped title.
• 2+ years of experience in a lead or supervisory role.
• Artist portfolio demonstrating proficiency in creating stylized visual effects for gameplay that are clear to read and evocative of the action on screen.
• Strong technical skills with the ability to troubleshoot and work efficiently within a game pipeline.
• Understanding of technical limitations in game engines and the ability to execute to quality within those restrictions.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to maintain high-quality assets with consistency without continuous supervision.
• Experience with creating stylized, graphic, and cartoony visual effects that resemble a 2D aesthetic.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with asset tracking tools like Perforce and JIRA
• Experience with real-time, physically based lighting
• Experience creating destruction and damage effects
• Experience reviewing and providing feedback to internal teams
• Passion for video game development, combat-oriented games and Skybound IP

Job Type: Regular, Full-Time

Salary Range: $120,000-$160,000

• Actual base salary is dependent on several factors including but not limited to; market dynamics, location and region, experience, specialized skills/training (education), level of responsibility, budgetary considerations, tenure at the company (for current employees), etc.
• The salary range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees
• Compensation decisions are dependent on circumstances of each role

Skybound offers a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, as well as free counseling through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). We also offer a 401K plan with 4% match, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, generous time off, wellness benefits, and tuition reimbursement.

Company Overview

Skybound is a multiplatform content company working closely with creators and their intellectual properties, extending stories and universes to new platforms, including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and beyond. We are home to critically-acclaimed global franchises, including The Walking Dead and Invincible.

Skybound Games produces, publishes and distributes video and tabletop games across all genres, including the multi-million-unit selling The Walking Dead video game series. In addition to our wholly-owned franchises, we work with independent developers to foster and create original games with compelling characters and worlds, strong creator and artistic focus, and innovative approaches to engaging genres.

Invincible is one of Skybound's tentpole franchises (celebrating 20 years!) and spans the world of comic books, merchandise, video games, and the critically acclaimed adult animated television series on Prime Video. Now in its second season, the television show has consistently ranked as one of Prime Videos top-streamed series with a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the groundbreaking comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Invincible revolves around 18-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age—except his father is (or was) the most powerful superhero on the planet. Still reeling from Nolan’s betrayal in Season One, Mark struggles to rebuild his life as he faces a host of new threats, all while battling his greatest fear - that he might become his father without even knowing it.

The show stars Steven Yeun, with Sandra Oh, Zazie Beetz, Grey Griffin, Chris Diamantopoulos, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth Rogen, and J.K. Simmons. Executive producers include Skybound's own Kirkman, David Alpert, and Margaret M. Dean.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Skybound we value diversity and are looking for extraordinary employees of all backgrounds! Skybound is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship, age, genetic information, disability, hair texture or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, Skybound complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination.

Skybound will consider applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the CA Fair Chance Act and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.