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Art Director

Lab42 is a best in class cross-platform game developer based in the UK. Now in our fifth-year, our headcount has grown to nearly 40 experienced people supported by a veteran management team with backgrounds from Activision, Codemasters and EA.

With an exceptional engineering team who bring experience of working directly on dozens of titles across a range of platforms, we are ideally set up to take on the responsibility of full SKU development, adaptations & ports from platform to platform and focused co-development where our adaptable production techniques and processes enable us to dovetail with our partners.

We hold the official license for World Snooker and internally developed the photo-realistic, sports/simulation Snooker19, the first in an ongoing game franchise, for all major Consoles and PC. That’s in addition to providing a range of development services and special projects to a growing client list which features Paradox, Sega, Klei Entertainment, Aspyr, Magmic, Ripstone and WayForward.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the Sumo family, winners of the Develop: Star Awards 2019 Best Studio and GI Biz 2020 Best Places to Work; big things are on the horizon and we want you to be part of our continued journey. Join us!

Lab42 is made up of a diverse mix of fantastic people, although sometimes, some groups are still under-represented. We are working to remove obstacles that can make it difficult for those groups to progress their careers in the games industry. We welcome applications from under-represented people in the gaming industry, including, but not limited to BAME, LGBQT+, women, people with physical disabilities, neurodiversity or mental health issues, and parents or carers.

As the Art Director, you will take the helm leading on all art aspects from the design and development of artwork to the general management and supervision over environment, character, visual effects and animation. You will have several key relationships across the studio, working in conjunction with the Art Lead and Design Lead to set and lead the quality standards for a game, with profound knowledge of techniques and technical limitation requirements.

You will undoubtedly be a confident art leader unafraid to be an advocate for the art team with the ability to have a holistic approach on how art impacts the gaming development lifecycle. With a passion for excellence you will drive high standards, mentor and support team members and push for creative collaboration across both the Art department and other disciplines.

Within this role you will:

• Manage art teams to establish language and vision for each project.
• Take an active role in planning of projects and project pitches.
• Ensure art teams have the proper techniques and tools to deliver top quality art on a project.
• Motivate and inspire the art team ensuring they keep the artistic style and mood consistent with defined visual style.
• Mentor and provide strong career guidance to art staff.
• Drive innovation, establish art staff best practices and methods.

We need you to have:

• A number of years working in game development as Senior member of an Art Department with a minimum of 3 shipped titles
• Solid commercial knowledge of current game art production pipelines and workflows.
• Excellent knowledge of all the latest games that are in direct competition with the products that are being developed at the studio. This is to ensure quality level of art is maintained.
• A deep understanding of a variety of art 2D and 3D software packages, knowledge of engine and tool sets required to generate assets.
• Outstanding technical understanding of colour theory, composition and staging techniques.

You will also need to demonstrate that you can:

• Produce finished art of an exceptional quality
• Work to develop solutions for any issues that may arise
• Effectively work with limited guidance and take initiative
• Manage large and diverse teams, supporting all levels of the department
• Keep abreast of upcoming innovations in the industry and identify how we can continue to progress the department
• Define and maintain art production pipelines for efficiency and state of the art assets.
• Clearly and effectively communicate with all levels of the business

Lab42 was formed 5 years ago with just one developer, and we have grown organically to 40 staff over the last five years. Now part of the Sumo Group we’re based in the heart of Royal Leamington Spa; a thriving town with a bustling game-development scene

We are a small, dedicated bunch with experience, drive, passion and creativity. Lab42 has a flexible working environment that make this a relaxed and friendly place to work. By prioritising the happiness and wellbeing of our staff we have been able to hire many industry veterans, and we are proud to have one of the lowest rates of staff attrition in game development.

To apply for this role please include your current CV and any relevant portfolio content where relevant. You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this role.