Expert Head Artist

Job Title:

Requisition ID:

Job Description:

Your Mission

As Expert Head Artist at Sledgehammer Games, you will oversee the creation of character portraits, hair authoring, blend shape capture as well as helping with facial rig development and performance.

You are an expert communicator, collaborator, and ambassador for the team. You will collaborate with Tech Art, Tech Anim, Leads and Directors to create photo real portraits that adhere to quality standards and tone of Call of Duty franchise. Aiming for the utmost realism in execution while maintaining PBR standards and working within technical guidelines.

You understand the head creation, both from scan and from scratch. You can mentor your team, proactively find solutions, and deliver significant feedback to both internal and external developers with confidence.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Create realistic portraits, from sculpt or scan portraits.
• To author and leading the creation of hair.
• Create documentation of processes for others to follow as needed.
• Work closely with Leads, Directors and Artist to maintain the style and quality bar of CoD franchise.
• Works closely with the Tech Anim, Tools, Engine, and Tech art counterparts from Sledgehammer and other CoD studios to develop new workflows or improve existing tools and technologies to streamline team efficiency.
• Provides feedback to both internal and external artists regarding quality and technical execution.
• Proactively helps to troubleshoot and fix problematic content. 
• Be a trusted gatekeeper for performance, efficiency and quality.
• Research subject matter relating to objectives to ensure an authentic experience.
• Pushing the quality of the character heads for millions of fans to enjoy.
• This position requires travel to our studio location in California, US.

Player Profile

Minimum requirements:

• 8+ years in the game industry working in art capacity.
• At least one shipped AAA title, from beginning to finishing a product, including work on an actor/actresses’ likeness either from scan, or made from scratch
• Inspiring portfolio demonstrating focus and commitment to realistic characters especially portraits and likeness.
• Has experience with the entire scanning process, from the photo capture session, processing capture data to a control/game rig (the asset ready for animation).
• Experienced with facial rigging (blendshapes, bone base rigs or hybrid) and FACS (facial coding system.)
• Experienced with texturing for facial, including makeups.
• Experience with photogrammetry/ scanning/ PCAP tools and software.

Knowledge & Skills 

• Able to create in-game realistic portraits from scratch.
• Strong anatomy knowledge.
• Strong understanding in creating character art assets in multiple major 3D and 2D packages (Zbrush, Maya/ 3DS Max, Photoshop, Substance) for console hardware (Xbox, PS, PC.)
• Excellent understanding of Physically Based Rendering system and techniques.
• Knowledgeable with skin and hair shaders and the ability to create in-game hair.
• Knowledgeable in processing raw head scan to a finished in-game asset.
• Possesses in-depth understanding of game engines, pipelines, and processes.

Key Attributes

• Rock solid communication across departments and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to thrive in a challenging and often ambiguous environment.
• Takes direction well and can confidently give clear concise direction
• Willingness to improve and learn new skills
• Able to work under pressure and meet production deadlines

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since our inception in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WWII (2017), and, most recently, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

As industry leaders in first-person shooter development, our commitment to excellence is reflected in every detail of our games, from highly polished multiplayer experiences to emotionally engaging single-player campaigns. At Sledgehammer Games, we believe in pushing boundaries, redefining the possibilities of interactive storytelling, and setting new standards for visual and gameplay fidelity. Together, we aim to deliver world-class gaming content that continues to set the bar for quality, innovation, and player engagement.

We are excited to invite a talented and passionate developer to join our growing team as an Expert Head Artist based in our Canadian studio. In this role, you will work collaboratively with our talented teams across the globe, including our locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com.

Our World
At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.