Lead Artist

Established in 2019, Sumo Leamington is led by a team of industry veterans with a wealth of experience in the games industry.

With three core specialisms: service-based games, free to play titles and mobile, the team at Sumo Leamington are focussed on creating games which players keep coming back to – day after day, year after year.

As winners of the TIGA Star Employment Award for 2021, recipients of the GI Biz 2020 Best Places to Work Award and listed as one of the UK’s 100 Best Large Companies to Work for in 2021, Sumo Digital has enjoyed 18 years of stability and growth since its formation in 2003 and continues to strive for excellence across every single project.

The team at Sumo Leamington is growing, and we’re looking for the industry’s brightest stars to help bring a series of incredible projects to life.

We are looking for an extremely talented and highly motivated Lead Artist to join us at Sumo Leamington.

What's the role?

• Work with Art Director to establish visual style and benchmarks, then communicate this to the team through guidance, documentation and feedback.
• Day to day management of the art team, planning work for milestones and ensuring work is delivered to quality and on time.
• Working with code and design developing features and problem solving.
• Establishing and maintaining workflows suitable for the target platform and ensuring all work conforms to this.
• Assisting in the communication with our partners as required.
• Supporting the development of artists in the team.

To be successful you will have:

• Talent for mobile-focused development to create low-polygon models and textures. An expert of all aspects of 3D packages (Maya preferred, 3DsMax) including some knowledge of animation pipelines.
• Ability to create textures to achieve a variety of style including hand-painted, photorealism or vectors as well as imparting that knowledge to your teammates.
• A keen interest in UI development and UX for mobile devices.
• Expert in Unity game engine when used in a mobile environment and performance constraints of modern mobile devices. (Knowledge of Unreal UE4 engine a bonus).
• A deep understanding of lighting, shaders and visual effects.

· Annual Bonus & Annual Salary Reviews

· Electric Car Scheme

· Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme

· Flexible Working

· 27 Days Holiday, including your birthday a duvet day and Christmas

· Holiday ‘buy and sell’ scheme

· 5 Paid Learning Days, including 1 volunteer day per year

· Access to 4,000 Udemy Courses, The Gnomen Workshop, GDC Vault and more

· Enhanced Mat/Paternity & Adoption pay

· Free Life Assurance - 4x Salary

· Free Income Protection Scheme -up to 75%

· Free Dental Insurance

· Supportive Employee Assistance Programme with confidential 24/7/365 helpline & app

· Access remote GP, Mental Health, Physio appointments & medical second opinions

· Additional flexible benefits scheme

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Mental Health First Aiders

· Payroll Giving Scheme

· Game & Book Libraries

· Long service & project completion awards

· Wrap Parties

· Alternative Travel Prize Draw

· The Sumo GameJam

· Great family events

· Studio clubs, inc. running, board games, film…

· Life Drawing

· Yoga Classes

· Free fruit and drinks

· Employee Referral Bonus

· Career Development

· Relocation Support to the UK

· Visa Sponsorship

At Sumo, we want to enable everyone to bring their full, authentic selves to work every single day. We acknowledge that the games industry is far from perfect and a global organisation with people all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, we know it’s part of our duty to provide everyone at Sumo with a safe, accepting and affirming working environment.

We encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Sumo Leamington is situated just outside of the town centre and was recently awarded the Games Industry BIZ Best Diversity Award – a testament to its ongoing commitment to creating a home for everyone. The Studio features many onsite facilities – everything needed for the team to create the world’s best games!

Ranked the happiest town to live in two official polls, Leamington Spa is a hidden gem nestled amongst the stunning countryside of Warwickshire and remains a hotspot for talented individuals and creative minds within the games industry. Those living in Leamington Spa can enjoy:

o Local attractions such as Jepson Gardens and the Royal Pump Rooms

o A rich and diverse culture

o An expansive history and stunning architecture

o Picturesque scenery, outstanding gardens and walking routes

o Beautiful museums and galleries

Sumo Digital is an award-winning international family of studios. Recent releases from Sumo Digital studios include: BAFTA-Award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Control Ultimate Edition on Google Stadia, Apple Arcade Award-winning Little Orpheus, Hot Shot Racing, WST Snooker and Spyder.