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Art Director (Apex Legends)

Respawn Entertainment is a AAA video game development studio that was founded in 2010 and acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017. Respawn aspires to create innovative hit games that leave a lasting impact for gamers worldwide. Our shipped work includes the critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Titanfall 2 . We are currently developing the Star Wars™ action-adventure game Jedi: Fallen Order, virtual reality game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond , and are continuing development for our live free-to-play game, Apex Legends . The opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry awaits our future team members.

Apex Legends i s looking for a highly skilled Art Director who will embrace our culture and share their hard earned expertise to create inspirational art and to guide the artistic creations of the developers they work with. We’re picturing someone who is passionate about recognizing the talent in those around them, providing effective leadership in a team environment built on collaboration, and fostering cohesiveness across disciplines. Join us and help create an incredible experience for our players.

What’s it like to be an Art Director at Respawn?

- Day to Day - As the Art Director for Apex Legends , you will be responsible for providing artistic vision, inspirational leadership, and further development of the look and feel of the game. You will manage the art team and provide constructive feedback, ensure cohesiveness, champion team needs including tech/pipeline enhancements, as well as nurture an inclusive, positive team environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about our game and can develop and maintain a deep understanding of the needs and interests of the department and how these intersect with our overall game development goals. You will oversee a team of artists and leads who have a great deal of individual influence and ownership, will leverage their expertise and strengths in conjunction with your own to fully support the goals of the department, and be a guiding force in their professional growth and career development.

- Ownership – As Art Director, you will have the opportunity to provide influence and leadership – both within the art team and across development. You will provide vision and guidance when it comes to encouraging a culture of excellence and further developing the quality of our art. You will have space to develop plans for building and structuring your team and processes for long term success. As part of a lean, focused team you will have the opportunity to shine here.

- Teamwork - You will be partnering with the talented people within your team as well as other disciplines. You will work closely with the art leads to support the creative goals and ambitions of the department, and help the work of all of our artists to shine. You will work closely with leads of other departments to further develop tools and tech, to ensure that art schedules and deliverables are achievable, to enhance pipelines both internally and externally, and to ensure that all efforts will be in service of creating an exceptional experience for our players as well as for our team. Delivering the best gaming experience for our players is a group effort, and your working relationships with others will matter.

- Values - Our artists are aligned on their values. They share their inspiration, knowledge, and passion with the others on the team. They aspire to treat everything they work on as a personal masterpiece. They play the game and are encouraged to speak up if they see anything that is not up to our high standards. They put their time and passion into what will have the biggest payoff for our players.

- Growth - At Respawn we believe that all of our team members are on a path of professional development, and making progress in that journey is a key component of happiness and satisfaction in one’s work. Our team members are encouraged to follow their career interests, while also challenging themselves. As a director on the team, you will work with each team member to identify areas of strength, and areas of desired development, and whenever possible, assign tasks and projects which will inspire the team member to grow in skill, knowledge, and capability.

What do we look for in Art Director candidates?

- Professional Expertise - We look for people who have had first-hand experience with leading an Art Department for AAA games from concept to ship, both as a creative visionary and as a guiding force in the management of their teams. We’d love to have a leader with a strong technical background in 3D, who is familiar with game engines and has the birds’ eye view for how all the pieces fit together. We seek out people who have not only helped to set the artistic tone, bar, vision, quality, and scope for a high quality project but have also directly overseen and influenced professional growth and development for team members within their department. We look for people with strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, a solid background in successfully leading others who have responsibilities and strengths of their own, and the capacity for recognizing where influence is needed and where it is not.

- Passion - Beyond your passion for art, you are also a passionate game developer. You’ll do your best work if you enjoy playing Apex Legends and nurture a desire to help create a great gaming experience for our players. We look for people who are passionate across all of our disciplines - our team members are constantly sharing knowledge and working to raise the quality bar. No one is phoning it in here – our teams love what they do and it shows in our games.

- Teamplayer - Positivity and a great attitude help to fuel greatness. The ability to accept feedback and critiques will help you tailor your work to reach its best potential. Teamwork is very important to our success!

Ideally, you also will have…

Significant previous experience as an Art Director with at least 5+ years’ experience in game development, including at least one AAA title. (Multiple shipped AAA games highly preferred.)

Portfolio of work which shows quality, taste, a high quality bar, and compelling vision.

Exceptional ability to establish, effectively communicate, and maintain artistic vision for a game team.

Ability to envision and direct a wide range of artistic assets – 2D concepts, 3D assets across the environment, character, hard surface, marketing related artwork, and beyond.

Passion for making and playing games.

Experience developing and art directing characters.

Demonstrable leadership skills and experience in people management.

The ability to communicate effectively and to build successful interpersonal relationships with department team members and discipline partners across the organization.

Excellent problem solving and diplomatic skills.

Ability to work on a team that is built on collaboration, shared leadership, and creative input at every level.

If this opportunity sounds like a great fit for you, please submit your resume and portfolio and we will get back to you once we have reviewed.