Lighting Artist

Join Romero Games as we develop John Romero’s next First Person Shooter in partnership with a major publisher! This is an unprecedented opportunity to join a thriving independent development studio and work on a high-profile title that will be played by millions of gamers worldwide.

Romero Games Ltd is looking for an inspiring and creative Lighting Artist to join our growing team. As our Lighting Artist you will work alongside our creative team to ensure the game looks great and that we utilise every lighting trick in the book (plus some news ones) to enhance the gaming experience for our players. We are looking for an individual with experience, vision, and passion for creating cutting edge games.  As part of an independent development studio, you will have a significant impact and contribute on multiple levels to the games we make.

This position is open to remote work for the right candidate, and relocation to our office in Galway, Ireland is also possible.

What you will do:

• Own the lighting for environments including cinematics, interior and exterior, ensuring they align with the game's artistic vision

• Develop and implement lighting setups that enhance atmosphere, mood, and readability while maintaining performance standards

• Collaborate closely with the Design, Art, Programming and Production teams

• Understand and balance artistic goals with technical constraints, ensuring lighting fits within performance budgets

• Utilize Unreal Engine 5’s lighting tools, including Lumen, Ray Tracing, and Global Illumination, to create realistic and dynamic lighting

• Troubleshoot and debug lighting issues, working closely with Tech Art and Engineering teams to resolve rendering challenges

• Contribute to the development of best practices, documentation, and workflow improvements for the lighting pipeline

 What you need to have:

• A strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality lighting in real-time AAA games or other real-time projects

• At least 3 years of professional experience in game development, with a focus on lighting

• Proficiency in Unreal Engine 4/5, particularly Lumen, Ray Tracing, and Volumetric Lighting

• A deep understanding of color theory, light physics, and cinematic lighting principles

• Familiarity with HDR, LUTs, exposure settings, and tone mapping for realistic lighting

• A passion for storytelling through lighting, creating immersive and atmospheric experiences

• Working knowledge of Blueprints, Material Editor, and post-processing effects in Unreal Engine

• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills with a proactive mindset

Candidates will be required to provide a portfolio and explanation of what work was done on the portfolio projects.

Romero Games Benefits

• Ownership. Everyone in the company benefits from ownership in the company. Every full-time Romero Games employee is given a stake. (This benefit is not open to contractors.)

• Vacation: Time off for vacation. Five weeks vacation per year + 10 national holidays. Extra vacation days after 5 and 10 years of service.

• Hybrid Working. Flexible working hours, including work-from-home and remote work.

• Sabbaticals: At 5+ years, should you choose to take unpaid time for a personal project, we will cover 20% of your pay provided that it is in your area of interest.

• Premium Health. Premium health benefits, plus extended healthcare coverage.

• Fertility Leave: For employees undergoing IVF treatment, surrogacy or other forms of fertility treatment, two days per cycle for recovery or travel.

• Relocation assistance. Flexible start dates, relocation reimbursement and assistance in finding housing. 

• Life-Friendly Policies: We understand that work is one of the things that you do and that life happens. We have a long and consistent pattern of life-friendly management, whether taking your kids to creche, assisting your parents with an appointment, or taking your pet to the vet.

• Menopause: Up to five days off per year for appointments or recovery days.

• Compassionate Leave / Bereavement. We support employees by offering paid time off during bereavement for immediate family. This includes loss of pregnancy, including the loss of surrogate pregnancy.

• Parental Leave and Support. Family-focused benefits include fully paid maternity and paternity leave and flexible work hours. Most people here are parents. We get it.

• Professional Development: World-class workshops on accessibility, diversity, design and more, from internationally recognized experts.

• Social Events. Regular social events such as pub nights (including online pub nights), holiday parties, barbecues and conferences, with accommodation and travel covered by us. 

• Expert Speakers. Monthly insider expert seminars with renowned creators such as John Carmack, Rhianna Pratchett (Tomb Raider), Warren Spector (Deus Ex), David Brevik (Diablo), Harvey Smith (Dishonored), Josh Sawyer (Pillars of Eternity), and more.

• Bike to Work Programme: Within Ireland, using the Bike-to-Work government initiative, employees obtain a brand new bike and safety equipment worth up to €1,250 for a regular bike, and up to €1,500 for an electric bike. The scheme covers your new bike and gear, saving 52% of the retail price of bike and equipment.