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Environment Art Director (External Development Dept / Apex Legends & Star Wars)

Respawn Entertainment is a AAA video game development studio that aspires to create new hit games that leave a lasting impact for gamers worldwide. Our work includes the critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends and Titanfall franchise. We developed the Star Wars™ action-adventure game Jedi: Fallen Order and virtual reality game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond , and we are continuing development for our live free-to-play game, Apex Legends .

You can learn more about our studio and values at respawn.com/studio .

We are looking for an accomplished Art Director to drive direction, art quality, and ensure visual alignment from our external partners; and to lead and mentor our internal team of external artists across multiple projects throughout the studio. Reporting to Respawn's Director of External Development, as Environment External AD you will work closely with internal art directors and art leads throughout Respawn to develop and employ efficient working practices and ensuring that all externally authored art content meets our high visual quality demands. Additionally, you will evangelize the studio art culture and help foster a collaborative environment where our artists within the Respawn External Development Department and our external partners feel empowered to perform to the best of their ability.

What you will do...

• Contribute to art direction and drive the execution of externally created environment assets and level content to quality across multiple projects (if necessary)
• Own the quality control of external content and manage the feedback and approval process
• Coordinate content reviews and provide visibility with internal stakeholders on an as needed basis
• Create and critique briefs and production packages for Ex Dev Production
• Able to communicate clear feedback visually, with quick production concept art or paintovers, if necessary
• Gather references and assist in the look development process
• Align with game team partners on high-level vision and high-level direction
• Manage performance issues and provide guidance to external partners across multiple projects
• Oversee external art training and documentation
• Define project level art production strategy and assist in scheduling
• Coordinate with the Studio External Art Director, Ex Dev Operations Manager, and Ex Dev DD’s on addressing vendor gaps, quality issues, scheduling, or changes in scope
• Coordinate the creation of technically sound and qualitatively exceptional benchmark assets used to guide external artists
• Work with the Studio External AD in defining/documenting Ex Dev best practices and internal training
• Lead and career manage Respawn Ex Dev Environment Art team with a focus on establishing and maintaining a collaborative, open, communicative, and inclusive departmental culture
• Coordinate vendor communication to internal team
• Identify new partners and help manage vendor testing
• Identify opportunities to elevate the type of work being done externally
• Actively seek opportunities to improve processes and facilitate solutions at all levels in the organization
• Be responsible for staying up to date on cutting edge tools and techniques and ensuring relevant knowledge is disseminated across the department
• Polish and tune external content on an as needed basis.

Ideally, you will have...

• An experienced eye for artistic quality and detail with the ability to breakdown and communicate complex feedback and art direction clearly using visual, verbal, and written medium.
• The patience, temperament, creative-thinking, and communicative adaptability required to help ensure constant alignment with external partners often separated by distance, language, and cultural aspects.
• Experience working directly with external service providers.
• An understanding of Ex Dev risks or requirements. Communicate effectively on behalf of the partner teams to internal stakeholders.
• The best people skills. Empathy for fixing the problems of others, whether internal Respawn or external partners, and respect for others' time.
• 8+ years of AAA game experience; 5+ years of experience in a Lead and/or Art Director role
• 3D Generalist sensibilities with the ability to constructively evaluate and critique characters, weapons, vehicles, props, and environment assets and expert knowledge of foundational art principles.

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

In addition to opportunities for creative impact and professional growth which come with being a member of our team, working at Respawn has many other perks and benefits! Learn more at respawn.com/perks .