Sr Staff VFX Artist

Santa Monica Studio is seeking a Senior Staff VFX Artist to lead the development of groundbreaking visual effects for an unannounced title. This role involves creating world-class VFX for cinematics and gameplay, pioneering advanced simulation techniques, and driving technical evolution in real-time VFX systems. The artist will also mentor team members, collaborate across disciplines, and take ownership of specialized R&D efforts to maintain industry-leading visual fidelity.

Must Have

• Create world-class visual effects that set new industry standards.
• Lead the development of advanced VFX workflows and pipeline tools using Maya, Houdini, Python, MEL.
• Pioneer cutting-edge simulation techniques, including real-time 3D fluids, advanced smoke and fluid simulation, and interactive character space effects.
• Drive technical evolution initiatives focused on real-time simulation architectures, voxel-based systems, and Houdini-to-engine integration workflows.
• Develop innovative solutions for visual fidelity challenges, including approaches to combat upscaling-induced VFX degradation, drape and clustering systems.
• Model, texture, animate, and optimize visual effects using Maya within proprietary engine pipeline.
• Lead strategic technical conversations with cross-disciplinary teams, driving innovation in interactive VFX systems.
• Partner with Design, Narrative, and Cinematics teams to ensure visual effects serve storytelling and mechanical purposes.
• Serve as a thought leader in the development of artistic techniques and technical processes, while mentoring VFX artists and technical artists.
• Possess exceptional time management and prioritization skills, collaborating with Production.
• Take ownership of specialized VFX domains and R&D efforts, researching and prototyping cutting-edge techniques.
• 8+ years of professional experience in visual effects creation for interactive media, with demonstrated leadership in AAA game development.
• Expert proficiency in Maya for all aspects of VFX creation.
• Advanced Houdini expertise with proven experience in real-time simulation development, 3D fluid systems.
• Advanced programming and scripting capabilities in Python, MEL, VEX.
• Deep understanding of real-time simulation architectures, including smoke and fluid simulation systems, interactive particle dynamics.
• Comprehensive knowledge of real-time rendering principles, shader development, and game engine integration.
• Exceptional artistic vision and technical problem-solving skills.
• Proven leadership and mentorship experience.
• Outstanding communication and organizational abilities.
• Self-motivated with the ability to shift between hands-on creative work and technical leadership.

Good to Have

• Shipped AAA game(s) with significant contribution to award-winning VFX systems, real-time simulation implementation, or technical innovation.
• Specialized experience in interactive environmental systems such as reactive snow, mud, foliage, debris.
• Advanced knowledge of voxel-based rendering techniques, volumetric simulation systems, and modern approaches to real-time 3D fluid dynamics.
• Experience with graphics programming and optimization, including HLSL/GLSL shader development, GPU compute shaders.
• Proven track record in technical leadership roles with experience mentoring senior team members and establishing technical vision.
• Experience with version control systems, build systems, and collaborative development tools.
• Understanding of engine integration, keyframe animation principles, and cinematographic techniques.
• Background in film/TV VFX or research environments with transferable skills in high-end simulation techniques.
• Experience with emerging rendering technologies such as ray tracing, machine learning applications in VFX, or neural upscaling solutions.

Perks & Benefits

• Environment with a large degree of autonomy
• Opportunities for growth

Can you breathe life into a unique creative vision?

Join the award-winning team that created God of War

Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced VFX Artist for the development of a new unannounced title!

This is an opportunity to contribute to the artistic vision and technical advancement of our products, with a specialized focus on creating groundbreaking visual effects systems, tools, and workflows that push our VFX capabilities to industry-leading levels for both cinematics and gameplay.

As a Senior Staff VFX Artist, you will serve as a technical and creative leader, effectively collaborating with and mentoring a wide range of development team members outside of your direct discipline, such as the Art Director, VFX Supervisors, Technical Artists, Animators, Engineers, Designers, and Producers, to achieve artistic excellence and technical innovation.

Responsibilities

• Create world-class visual effects that set new industry standards, spanning from intricate environmental effects to large-scale cinematic sequences, while establishing quality benchmarks and maintaining artistic vision through all phases of development
• Lead the development of advanced VFX workflows and pipeline tools using Maya, Houdini, Python, MEL, and other industry-standard technologies, creating robust, reusable systems that empower the entire VFX team to achieve higher quality results
• Pioneer cutting-edge simulation techniques, including real-time 3D fluids, advanced smoke and fluid simulation, and interactive character space effects such as leaves, snow, mud, pebbles, and environmental immersion systems that create unprecedented levels of reactive realism
• Drive technical evolution initiatives focused on real-time simulation architectures, voxel-based systems, and Houdini-to-engine integration workflows that push the boundaries of interactive entertainment
• Develop innovative solutions for visual fidelity challenges, including approaches to combat upscaling-induced VFX degradation, drape and clustering systems, and high-resolution effect preservation across multiple display technologies
• Model, texture, animate, and optimize visual effects using Maya within our proprietary engine pipeline, ensuring seamless integration with existing art pipelines while collaborating closely with Engineering and Technical Art teams to balance cutting-edge visual fidelity with performance requirements
• Lead strategic technical conversations with cross-disciplinary teams, driving innovation in interactive VFX systems and establishing technical roadmaps for achieving ambitious visual aspirations while maintaining production feasibility
• Partner with Design, Narrative, and Cinematics teams to ensure visual effects serve both storytelling and mechanical purposes, creating compelling visual narratives that enhance gameplay experiences
• Serve as a thought leader in the development of artistic techniques and technical processes, while mentoring VFX artists and technical artists to foster knowledge sharing and establish best practices
• Possess exceptional time management and prioritization skills, collaborating with Production to develop comprehensive task frameworks and clearly communicate technical concepts while representing the studio professionally in all interactions
• Take ownership of specialized VFX domains and R&D efforts, researching and prototyping cutting-edge techniques to maintain Santa Monica Studio's position as an industry leader

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional experience in visual effects creation for interactive media, with demonstrated leadership in developing VFX systems, tools, and workflows for AAA game development
• Expert proficiency in Maya for all aspects of VFX creation, including modeling, texturing, animation, rigging, and pipeline integration within Maya-based proprietary engine workflows
• Advanced Houdini expertise with proven experience in real-time simulation development, 3D fluid systems, and creating production-ready HDAs that integrate seamlessly with game engine pipelines
• Advanced programming and scripting capabilities in Python, MEL, VEX, and other relevant languages for tool development, pipeline automation, and workflow optimization
• Deep understanding of real-time simulation architectures, including smoke and fluid simulation systems, interactive particle dynamics, and character space data integration for reactive environmental effects
• Comprehensive knowledge of real-time rendering principles, shader development, and game engine integration with proven ability to optimize complex VFX while addressing upscaling and resolution challenges
• Exceptional artistic vision and technical problem-solving skills with the ability to create visually stunning effects while developing technical infrastructure, particularly in drape and clustering systems
• Proven leadership and mentorship experience with demonstrated success in guiding teams, establishing workflows, driving technical conversations, and leading innovation initiatives
• Outstanding communication and organizational abilities with experience coordinating complex technical challenges across multiple departments
• Self-motivated with the ability to shift between hands-on creative work and technical leadership while managing multiple priorities

Preferred Experience

• Shipped AAA game(s) with significant contribution to award-winning VFX systems, real-time simulation implementation, or technical innovation
• Specialized experience in interactive environmental systems such as reactive snow, mud, foliage, debris, and other immersive character space effects that respond dynamically to player interaction
• Advanced knowledge of voxel-based rendering techniques, volumetric simulation systems, and modern approaches to real-time 3D fluid dynamics
• Experience with graphics programming and optimization, including HLSL/GLSL shader development, GPU compute shaders, and modern rendering pipeline integration
• Proven track record in technical leadership roles with experience mentoring senior team members and establishing technical vision for VFX innovation initiatives
• Experience with version control systems, build systems, and collaborative development tools is essential for large-scale AAA production environments
• Understanding of engine integration, keyframe animation principles, and cinematographic techniques that enhance VFX storytelling capabilities
• Background in film/TV VFX or research environments with transferable skills in high-end simulation techniques or cutting-edge visual effects technologies
• Experience with emerging rendering technologies such as ray tracing, machine learning applications in VFX, or neural upscaling solutions that address modern display challenges

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.

$143,700 - $215,500 USD

Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

If you find that you don't meet all the criteria outlined in this job description or if you feel your experience might fall short, research indicates that individuals, particularly women and people of color, tend to hesitate in applying unless they meet every requirement. At SMS, our commitment lies in creating a workplace that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. If you're intrigued by this role but feel your previous experience doesn't perfectly align with all the qualifications listed, we encourage you to submit your application. The ideal position for you could be closer than you think!

We value talent, self-motivation, and team spirit. In turn, we provide an environment with a large degree of autonomy and opportunities for growth.

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. We genuinely appreciate the time and effort you spent in contacting us and we thank you for your interest in Santa Monica Studio.

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Can you breathe life into a unique creative vision?