Lead 3D Artist

At Side, we partner with some of the world's leading developers and publishers to solve complex production challenges and help bring exceptional games to life. From concept through live operations, our co-development teams work as trusted extensions of our clients' studios, contributing expertise across design, engineering, art, audio, QA, and production.

We are looking for a talented and creative Lead/Senior 3D Artist to join our game development team. The ideal candidate should have strong skills in creating high-quality 3D characters, environments, props, and game-ready assets. You will work closely with the Art Director, designers, and developers to bring creative concepts to life while maintaining visual consistency and artistic quality. Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software, texturing, UV mapping, and asset optimization is essential. Join us to create visually stunning and immersive gaming experiences!

Requirements

What will you do:

• Champion the established art direction, ensuring all artists understand the vision and maintain a consistent style and quality across all visual assets.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of 3D artists, providing regular, constructive feedback through critiques and reviews to elevate their skills and output.
• Collaborate closely with the Art Director, Creative Director, and other department leads (Design, Engineering, Production) to align the artistic vision with Art Directions and technical constraints.
• Define, document, and continuously improve art production pipelines and workflows to maximize team efficiency and quality.
• Manage the art team's day-to-day, including task scheduling and resource allocation in collaboration with production.
• Personally create high-quality, "benchmark" art assets (characters, environments, props) that serve as a gold standard for the team and establish the target quality bar.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the art team, representing their work, needs, and challenges in production meetings and to studio leadership.
• Drive the aesthetic quality of the final product, taking ownership of the look and feel of art deliverables.
• Work hand-in-hand with technical artists and engineers to troubleshoot visual issues and develop innovative tools and techniques that push the art team’s work.
• Translate high-level creative briefs and concepts into clear, actionable tasks and detailed direction for the art team.
• Research and implement new art creation techniques, software, and technologies to keep the team at the forefront of the industry.
• Review and approve art assets from internal artists, ensuring they meet project standards.
• Assist the recruiting team by screening portfolios, conducting interviews, and participating in the hiring and onboarding of new art team members.
• Champion a healthy, collaborative, and positive team culture that encourages open communication, and shared ownership.
• Ensure all art assets are rigorously optimized for performance across target platforms without compromising the core artistic vision.
• Stay informed about emerging trends, artistic styles, and technological advancements within the video game and broader entertainment industries.
• Help troubleshoot and resolve complex technical art bugs that arise during production.

What are we looking for:

• 5 years work of experience as a game artist
• Proficient creating high quality organic and hard surface assets
• Proficient using software such as Autodesk Maya, 3dsmax, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Substance 3d Painter, Zbrush
• Proficient using game Engines such as UE5 and Unity.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Positive, Collaborative Company Culture
• Attractive Local & Regional Benefits
• You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
• We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.

About Side

Side (formerly PTW) is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 20 studios in 14 countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. 

Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets. 

Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc

- Champion art direction and ensure consistent visual quality across all assets. - Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of 3D artists, providing constructive feedback. - Collaborate with Art Director, Creative Director, and department leads to align artistic vision with technical constraints. - Define and improve art production pipelines and workflows. - Manage day-to-day art team tasks, scheduling, and resource allocation. - Create high-quality benchmark art assets (characters, environments, props). - Act as primary point of contact for the art team in production meetings. - Drive the aesthetic quality of the final product. - Troubleshoot visual issues and develop innovative tools with technical artists and engineers. - Translate high-level creative briefs into actionable tasks. - Research and implement new art creation techniques and software. - Review and approve art assets to meet project standards. - Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding new art team members. - Foster a collaborative and positive team culture. - Optimize art assets for performance across target platforms. - Stay informed about industry trends, styles, and technological advancements. - Help resolve complex technical art bugs. - 5 years work of experience as a game artist. - Proficient creating high quality organic and hard surface assets. - Proficient using software such as Autodesk Maya, 3dsmax, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Substance 3d Painter, Zbrush. - Proficient using game Engines such as UE5 and Unity.