Do you love creating believable characters (both alive and undead)? Undead Labs is looking for an experienced and versatile Character Art Lead to help set the bar and oversee the art creation of Humans, Zombies, Wildlife, Wardrobe, and Gear for our next generation of State of Decay.
At Undead Labs, we work in highly collaborative, cross-discipline teams because we understand that the best ideas are ones we generate together. We are humble and curious in our work and are always striving to make things better - for our players, for each other, and for our industry. Everyone here is committed to helping the team thrive, enabling us to rise to the moment to build incredible games.
We have office hubs in Seattle, WA, Champaign, IL, and Orlando, FL and are also able to employ people in Texas and California. If you are currently located in one of these locations, or open to relocation, we'd love to hear from you!
Core Responsibilities & Objectives
- Combine in-depth industry knowledge and artistic skill to develop and oversee the art creation across Humans, Zombies, Wildlife, Wardrobe, and Gear.
- Establish the art bar by creating and/or polishing content to inspire and deliver final assets.
- Work across disciplines with project managers, leads, and artists to develop solid processes, pipelines, and production plans.
- Implement creative direction and feedback while advancing the character art style and production.
- Conduct character art reviews to provide aesthetic and qualitative feedback both internally and externally.
- Collaborate with outsourcing partners to provide guidance and support.
Core Traits & Experience
- Strong portfolio showcasing character artwork with a deep understanding of human anatomy, fashion and gear, form, shape, structure, and silhouette.
- Experience working with game engines, tools, and contemporary development practices with the drive and passion to keep up with emerging tools and technologies.
- Production experience with major DCC software tools such as Photoshop, Maya, Substance Painter & Designer, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, and Photogrammetry.
- Solid understanding of PBR materials and workflows.
- Advanced high and low-resolution modeling skills.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Self-motivated problem solver with the ability to own and drive the development of mid to large-sized projects.
- Solid understanding of the end-end character pipeline and closely connected disciplines such as rigging and animation.
Bonus Traits & Experience
- Experience with Unreal Engine.
- Experience developing character systems and customizable assets.
- Love for the undead and the survival horror genre
Benefits & Perks
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Undead Labs and the state in which you work.
- Medical, dental, and vision health insurance
- Unlimited PTO + studio holiday closure in December
- 401k plan with 50% matching
- Subsidized transportation to & from work
- Professional growth resources
- Discounts on the Microsoft Games store
Physical Requirements
- Close vision to monitors and screens, consistently working on computer equipment such as keyboards and monitors, long periods of sitting.
- Noise levels are low to moderate in the work environment.
Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
About Undead Labs
We are creators of the hit survival-fantasy franchise State of Decay with a fan base of over 10 million people. As an independent member of Xbox Game Studios, we collaborate with a huge network of skilled specialists in all disciplines, providing incredible opportunities for joint development and learning.
Undead Labs is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.
We look forward to hearing from you!