Associate Art Director

- Ensure the successful creation and execution of art domains, setting and managing quality expectations. - Support the Art Direction of external development teams, translating creative vision and providing meaningful feedback. - Define and evangelize the realization pillars for game visuals in accordance with the Art Vision and Creative Direction. - Partner with Tech Art, Level Design, Mission Design, Narrative, and Cinematics to ensure a cohesive approach to character, UI, and VFX realization. - Develop and maintain appropriate references and documentation to guide the team. - Support Art Leads and Production to plan and mandate work for the team. - Participate in reviews to validate the quality of implementation. - Train and empower Leads and ICs to integrate art direction in their work. - Assist in the preparation of documentation and presentations. - Act as a stakeholder for recruitment, hiring, and onboarding. - Actively contribute to talent development, including identifying high-potential individuals and supporting succession planning. - A minimum of 10 years in game development, with at least 3+ years as an Associate Art Director. - Shipped at least one full cycle AAA game in a Leadership capacity. - Had significant impact on a AAA title recognized for its high visual fidelity. - Bachelor’s Degree in Art or equivalent work experience. - Previous experience leading large art teams for AAA game development. - Experience working with Art Directors/Creative Directors and spearheading translation of sophisticated art vision. - UE5 Experience. - Lighting and VFX experience, working with Lumen. - Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, and ZBrush. - Proficiency in Substance Painter / Designer and PBR workflows. - Proficiency in Houdini, AfterEffects, Nuke or similar. - Background in 3D Art for games. - Experience working with hybrid/distributed teams and co-development. - Art and environmental storytelling experience. - Knowledge of asset creation pipelines. - Proven leadership and mentoring skills with a track record of guiding teams. - Being a manager of people who work in leadership positions. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and deliver difficult feedback with empathy. - A reliable, positive force multiplier, actively seeking opportunities to integrate work across disciplines. - Persistent and self-motivated with a proactive mindset. - Able to maintain effectiveness and quality under pressure, ambiguity, and fast-changing priorities. - Can build and maintain trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization. - Highly open to feedback and direction, possessing a desire to learn new skills. - Shows a strong ownership of tasks, drives work forward autonomously, and maintains a critical eye for detail. - Focus on First-Person Shooter is a plus. - Bilingual French/English is a plus (for candidates located in Quebec).