Art Director

The Position
Avalanche Studios Group now seeks an Art Director and offers the chance to work with some of the most talented and experienced individuals in the gaming industry.


We are looking for an Art Director to our Expansive Worlds division, to oversee development of concept art, project art style, technical art direction and work closely with our Creative Director and Game Director to realize the vision of the game. The responsibility of the Art Director is also to lead and mentor the artists, grow internal talent and also push visual boundaries.


Job Responsibilities
Direct, coordinate and review the work of the projects art and external content creators to ensure highest asset quality and unity of visual style.
Create concepts, prototypes and examples that allow developers to create game content with minimal revision, providing specific art assets that serve as a quality benchmark for the product.
Provide product aesthetic vision to key stakeholders through the preparation and presentation of appropriate project materials (including milestone updates, work-in-progress presentations, etc)
Collaborate with other Directors and the projects Lead Artist to establish best practices and improve the projects art pipelines.
Collaborate with engineering, design, and production to establish strong performance metrics so that product content hits aesthetic and technical targets simultaneously.
Provide original and creative input, inspiring the art team and making a significant contribution to the overall quality of the product.
Act as a role-model for artists by emphasizing project and company goals, provide aesthetic feedback on performance and mentor and train Artists in aesthetic and production skills.
Provide feedback and act as a stakeholder towards external partners



Qualifications
Typically 5+ years of games industry experience in art and art direction.
Must have art direction and/or art lead experience on at least two published AAA titles and participated in the full development cycle of these titles.
Position is recognized as having a very high level of artistic achievement. Traditional art skills and creativity is a must.
Proven excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal and organizational skills; able to communicate effectively both verbally and visually.
Able to work well under pressure and with deadlines.
Effective management and motivation of team members.
Expert knowledge of Photoshop and other 2D packages
Expert knowledge of one or more types of 3D software (Maya, 3DS Max is preferred, ZBrush, Mudbox)
Strong understanding of game development process.
Experience with outsourced content and proven ability to work with outsourcing and external development teams.
Solid understanding of architecture, human character anatomy, gesture and clothing.
Good understanding of shaders and material expressions.
Solid experience and understanding of art/animation pipelines on Xbox 360 and/or PS
Up to date knowledge of current art techniques and development processes.


Able to work with programmers and designers to help establish art pipelines and improve existing technology.
Diligence with individual and team tasks, schedule and adherence to budget limitations
Solid organization skills with adherence to optimization and asset management.
Strong Troubleshooting skills.
Positive attitude and a desire to bring new ideas to the team.
Passion for making and playing great games, with an awareness of current titles and industry trends.



We will only consider applications that consist of both a cover letter and a CV. In your cover letter you should include why you want to work at Avalanche Studios Group. For this role you need to be able to work full-time in our Stockholm office. To apply for this position please register below. Apply as soon as possible as we review applications continuously. All further information is provided under non-disclosure agreement only.


Our values
At Avalanche Studios, we believe in worlds without limits, and we are committed to develop a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strive to hire great talent from a variety of backgrounds. Being part of our world is not contingent on where you’re from, your gender, or sexual orientation. It’s all about your passion, courage and craftsmanship.