Senior Environment Artist

Senior Environment Artist

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Environment Artist based in the United States.

As a Senior Environment Artist, you will play a key role in creating visually compelling, immersive game environments across a variety of projects, ranging from stylized, cartoon-inspired worlds to realistic settings. Working closely with art leadership, designers, engineers, and technical artists, you will transform creative concepts into polished, optimized in-game environments. You will contribute to the entire environment art pipeline, from research and concept development to modeling, texturing, and implementation in the game engine. Your expertise will help shape level design, enhance visual quality, and overcome complex artistic and technical challenges. This role offers the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic game development environment, with flexibility to work remotely, in a hybrid arrangement, or on-site. Initially offered as a six-month temporary position, the role may be extended or converted into a permanent full-time opportunity.

Accountabilities:

• Create high-quality game environments tailored to the artistic direction, technical requirements, and performance constraints of individual projects.
• Collaborate with art leads and project art directors to interpret creative briefs, research visual references, and translate concepts into compelling in-game environments.
• Develop environment assets through modeling, texturing, and material creation, ensuring consistency with the project's visual style, whether stylized or realistic.
• Implement environments directly in Unreal Engine and adapt workflows to meet the needs of different platforms and production pipelines.
• Research emerging techniques, evaluate production methods, and introduce effective processes that improve efficiency and visual quality.
• Work closely with level designers to establish level flow, define the relationship between gameplay and environment art, and determine the appropriate balance between design and artistic elements.
• Partner with technical artists, engineers, and other departments to develop new techniques, optimize workflows, and resolve complex technical or visual issues.
• Identify, investigate, and help resolve bugs and production challenges while proposing creative solutions that benefit the project and the wider team.
• Manage priorities, maintain clear production schedules, provide reliable task estimates, and deliver work within agreed timelines.
• Review other environment artists' work, provide constructive feedback, and contribute to the team's overall artistic standards and problem-solving efforts.

Requirements:

• Bring 5–10 years of professional experience in environment art or a comparable role within the game development industry.
• Demonstrate strong proficiency in Autodesk Maya and/or 3ds Max, alongside substantial hands-on experience with Unreal Engine. Familiarity with Unity and proprietary game engines is an advantage.
• Have experience creating environment textures and materials using tools such as Substance Designer, with a solid understanding of environment modeling, texturing, and asset implementation workflows.
• Be comfortable developing environments from complete concept art or interpreting incomplete references and translating them into cohesive, production-ready assets.
• Possess a strong artistic eye and the ability to create visually impactful environments that meet creative objectives while pushing visual quality when appropriate.
• Understand level design principles, gameplay flow, and the distinction between design-driven and art-driven elements within a game environment.
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, sound creative judgment, and the ability to evaluate complex feedback and develop practical compromises.
• Work effectively both independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams, maintaining organization, accountability, and a consistent delivery schedule.
• Communicate clearly with artists, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders, provide accurate project estimates, and contribute constructively to collaborative decision-making.
• Be capable of investigating technical issues, troubleshooting production problems, and helping the art team find solutions to challenging tasks.
• Hold a relevant degree or professional certification, or possess equivalent practical experience.

Nice-to-have qualifications:

• Experience with ZBrush for sculpting and refining environment assets.
• Familiarity with visual effects (VFX) creation and implementation.
• Experience with level whiteboxing and early-stage environment blockouts.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong environmental composition, visual storytelling, technical proficiency, and the ability to adapt to different artistic styles.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation: Annual salary ranging from $92,000 to $110,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements: Choose between remote, hybrid, or on-site work, subject to project and team requirements.
• Comprehensive healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement planning: 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.
• Financial protection: Employer-paid life insurance.
• Paid time off: Generous paid leave and 18 paid company holidays annually.
• Family support: Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance: Support available for eligible relocations.
• Employee well-being: Access to an Employee Assistance Program and fitness club discounts.
• Team engagement: Sports team sponsorships, annual company events, and project wrap parties.
• Career development: Opportunities to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and contribute to diverse game development projects.
• Inclusive workplace: A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering an environment where different perspectives are valued and employees are encouraged to contribute their ideas.
• Potential long-term opportunity: Possibility of extending the initial six-month temporary contract or transitioning to permanent full-time employment.