Art Director

The Art Director guides the artistic quality and visual direction for connected game projects, providing creative leadership and supporting art leads. This role ensures high standards, efficient workflows, and industry best practices are followed. Key responsibilities include leading art teams, client communication, project planning and delivery, and team development, ensuring projects meet quality, deadlines, and budget.

Must Have

• Lead and manage art teams across assigned studios or regions.
• Ensure teams maintain high quality, strong productivity, and steady skill growth.
• Act as a primary point of contact for clients during project kick-offs and major discussions.
• Oversee planning, execution, risk assessment, and staffing for art-related tasks.
• Ensure projects meet deadlines, quality targets, and budget limits.
• Minimum 3 years of experience as an Associate Art Director or similar leadership role in the gaming domain.
• Strong background in Character, Face and Hair Art.
• Familiarity with major game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine.
• Bachelors or Masters degree in Fine Arts, Digital Art, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in AAA game production.
• Proficiency with standard industry tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, 3D modeling software, animation tools, and related pipelines.

Role Summary

The Art Director is responsible for guiding the artistic quality and visual direction across a group of connected game projects. This role provides strong creative leadership, supports multiple art leads, and ensures all projects follow high standards, efficient workflows, and industry best practices.

Reporting To

Studio Art Director

Works Closely With

Project Directors / Senior Project Managers / Project Managers / Project Art Leads / Senior Leads / Art Directors / Senior Artists / Artists

Key Responsibilities

1. Art Team Leadership

• Lead and manage art teams across assigned studios or regions.
• Ensure teams maintain high quality, strong productivity, and steady skill growth.
• Support artists with guidance, feedback, and opportunities for improvement.

2. Client Communication

• Act as a primary point of contact for clients during project kick-offs and major discussions.
• Handle communication during escalations, ensuring client expectations are clearly understood and delivered.

3. Project Planning & Delivery

• Oversee planning, execution, risk assessment, and staffing for art-related tasks.
• Ensure projects meet deadlines, quality targets, and budget limits.
• Maintain smooth workflows and enforce quality standards.

4. Team Development & Support

• Identify talented artists and help them grow through mentorship and constructive feedback.
• Represent team needs and challenges to management for quick resolution.

Skills Required

• Ability to adapt to new technologies, tools, and industry trends.
• Strong background in Character, Face and Hair Art
• Strong leadership and talent-management skills.
• Familiarity with major game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine.
• Minimum 3 years of experience as an Associate Art Director or similar leadership role in the gaming domain.
• Excellent communication and self-management abilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively in a fast-moving game production environment.

Knowledge & Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Fine Arts, Digital Art, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in AAA game production, supported by a strong portfolio showcasing visual direction and artistic leadership.
• Proficiency with standard industry tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, 3D modeling software, animation tools, and related pipelines.

Please note: This position is for one of Playdawn's clients, and successful candidates will be hired directly by the client, not by Playdawn.

Our client is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. They are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, or other protected characteristics. They believe that diversity fuels innovation and creativity, and they strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to shared success.