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Lead Character Artist - New World

Amazon Games is looking for a Lead 3D Character Artist to join our team in sunny Irvine, CA. Our Orange County office in Irvine, California, is creating New World, an open-world MMO that pits players against each other and the haunted wilderness of Aeternum, a mysterious island in the twilight of the Age of Exploration. You will work alongside a vibrant community of developers and game-lovers as we all work to share this ambitious game with the world.

Amazon Games applies the principles of Amazonian culture to the world of game design. We have a diverse team of talented, creative people pairing their love of making games with the unique strengths that come with being part of Amazon. Across all of our teams and locations, we are united by a common purpose: to share great gaming experiences with customers around the world. We believe in a future where everyone is a gamer and everyone can create, compete, collaborate and connect through games, and we are looking for the right people to help us build that future. With the power of Twitch and AWS at your fingertips, you will have the chance to innovate in gameplay, creativity, marketing, and technology, while working alongside some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.

The perfect candidate will have a key role in establishing the look, design and creation of the characters that populate the game worlds. You possess strong knowledge of all aspects of character creation and are a hardworking self-motivated team player that brings future heroes to life. The right candidate has the passion for crafting iconic characters and skills that produce stunning, high-quality and efficient AAA game content. You should have a strong sense of vision to create high-quality assets that delight our customers.

What you will do:
· Work closely with the Art Director and Art Lead to execute the artistic vision of the game
· Lead, manage and mentor the character art team in development of high-quality AAA characters
· Lead the development of the character visual style/pipeline for outfits, weapons, and creatures to deliver competitive, cutting-edge assets
· Contribute to the references, concepts, and art direction, while also having the initiative to take the work further independently
· Work closely with the team and external partners to ensure that quality is consistent and cohesive
· Increase the team’s skills through mentorship and artistic techniques
About Us

Inclusive Culture, Work/Life Balance, & Career Growth
Here at AWS, we embrace our differences and are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We offer ten employee-led affinity groups with 190 global chapters, innovative benefits, and annual and ongoing learning experiences (including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences). Our team also puts a high value on work-life balance and offers flexible working hours. We believe striking the right balance between your personal and professional life is critical to life-long happiness and fulfillment. Additionally, our team is dedicated to supporting you with mentorship and pathways for ongoing development. We have a broad mix of experience levels and tenures, and are building an environment that celebrates knowledge sharing and promotes career choice.

Basic Qualifications

· Shipped 1+ PC/Console title as a Lead Character Artist
· 5+ years of experience in AAA game development (PC and/or console)
· 8+ years of experience in game development or equivalent work e.g. live product development
· Passion for making and playing games!
· Online Portfolio demonstrating character art skills

Preferred Qualifications

· You have proficient knowledge of Unreal Engine, Maya / Modo / MudBox / ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter or equivalent package.
· Solid knowledge of next generation asset creation pipelines, tools, software.
· Strong grasp of form, shape, structure, and silhouette as they relate to modeling and gameplay.
· Thorough understanding of anatomy and how characters move when rigged.
· Solid knowledge of working with PBR shaders, normal/spec/diffuse maps to get the best look within game engine technical limits/constraints.
· Great eye for light, shade, color, and detail in creating texture maps.
· Able to create assets under supervision that fulfil the needs of rigging, animation, and design to ensure clean handoff for assets.
· Able to articulate pipeline needs developing new or improve upon technologies to improve character team quality and output
· Ability to learn new tools and techniques.
· Able to accurately estimate the time to complete individual tasks.
· Ability to mentor and share knowledge effectively.
· Meets/exceeds Amazon’s leadership principles requirements for this role.
· Meets/exceeds Amazon’s functional/technical depth and complexity for this role.
Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.amazon.jobs/en/disability/us.