Art Director

Avalanche Studios is looking for a talented and established Art Director to work on the development of a high profile AAA project for PC and consoles.

The Art Director will oversee development of concept art and project art style and work closely with our 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 review and approve art assets.

Sole Responsibility:

Develop an original, inspiring, high-quality aesthetic vision for the game, including in-game visuals, user interface and packaging.
Direct, coordinate and review the work of the art team to ensure high quality and unity of visual style.
Communicate, enthuse and inspire around vision, internally and externally
Supervise the creation of concept material that can be used by other developers to produce game content that is fully aligned with the art vision.
Act as a role-model for artists by emphasizing project and company goals, provide aesthetic feedback and mentor and train Artists in aesthetic and production skills.
Ensure the work of concept and production artists remains in line with the Vision, by providing regular feedback.


Joint Responsibility with Producer:

Set up team with right staff
Identify and prioritise goals necessary to realise the Vision as well as plan and direct the work of the team to achieve these goals.
Ascertain and account for the expectation of the customer/sponsor regarding the Vision
Ensure Art Direction Vision is aligned with and supports other game areas, particularly Game Design
Collaborate with engineering, design, and production to establish common goals and progress indicators so that product content hits aesthetic and technical targets simultaneously.
Establish best practices and work to improve the project’s art pipelines.


Qualifications

5+ years of games industry, or related, experience in art and art direction at a highly competitive level.
Position is recognized as having a very high level of artistic achievement.
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.
Solid understanding of architecture, human character anatomy, gesture and clothing.
Passion for making and playing great games, with an awareness of current titles and industry trends.
Positive attitude and a desire to bring new ideas to the team.


Desirable

Traditional art skills and creativity is a must.
Expert knowledge of Photoshop and other 2D packages
Strong understanding of game development process.
Experience with outsourced content and proven ability to work with outsourcing and external development teams.
Good understanding of shaders and material expressions.
Up to date knowledge of current art techniques and development processes.
Diligence with individual and team tasks, schedule and adherence to budget limitations.
Expert knowledge of one or more types of 3D software
Art direction and/or art lead experience on published “AAA” titles and participation in the full development cycle of these titles.


To apply for this position please register below with a detailed CV and cover letter. Apply as soon as possible as we review applications continuously. All further information is provided under non-disclosure agreement only. All applicants are required to relocate to work full-time in Stockholm.