Lead VFX Artist

Job Description

Owning and improving the VFX pipeline and being able to take an effect from simulation, creating flipbooks to setting up the effect in the game engine. To manage talents of VFX team to achieve best possible result for the project and personal growth of team members. To design and deliver visually impressive moments that the conceptual coherent for the project and positively influence gameplay and enhance the player experience.

• Provide mentorship, direction and best in class VFX principles to ensure quality results and efficient working practices.
• Know the game’s story and gameplay, understand it and evangelize it to the VFX team.
• Work with production team on tasks assignment and a team schedule.
• Translate concept art and any other available game design documents in to prototype and implement it as real-time VFX in game.
• Ensure that the work of the team follows the quality of engine standards as well as engine performance limitations, artistic direction and production deadlines.
• Driving R&D initiatives. pipeline improvements and prototypes.
• Bugfixing and general optimizations.
• Creation and oversight of effects such as environment, player, combat and more.
• Analyzing the scene for performance issues, and ensure all effects are built in the most efficient way possible.
• Using every tool at department disposal to create effects for the game (traditional particles, pixel shaders and vertex shaders for animated materials, baked physics simulations, stock animation, etc.).
• Innovating new techniques for next-gen hardware, and work with the engineers to expand the vfx toolset.
• Provide day-to-day feedback and creatively solve problems.
• Conduct consistent performance reviews of staff members.
• Conduct recruitment projects with HR collaboration.
• Conduct onboarding to new hires.

Qualifications

• Typically 8 years of professional experience as a VFX artist in game development
• Typically 2 years of experience in managing/leading team of artists
• Work on at least one shipped AAA title as a VFX Artist
• Strong Leadership & mentoring skills
• Strong understanding of color theory and how color affects mood & focal points
• Experience creating effects inside of UE5 with Niagara (or similar proprietary engine tools)
• A critical eye and excellent feeling for the timing, animation, and motion of real world objects and visual effects
• Solid experience with a variety of techniques and tools for creating vfx animation (standard particle systems, fluid sims, physics sims, etc.)
• Strong experience creating pixel and vertex shaders
• Great understanding of the constraints of real-time vfx
• Solid skills in creation of all source art needed for vfx (textures, geometry, flipbooks, normal maps, vector field textures, etc.)
• Ability to think outside the box to come up with more efficient techniques
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English
• Open-minded team player attitude
• Strong work ethic and self-motivated
• Passionate about playing and making video games

Additional Information

What we offer:

U.S.

• 100% group health insurance benefit premiums paid by PCF (Medical, Dental, Vision, Group Life, and Supplemental Live) and start on day 1 of employment.
• 401K with 100% match, up to 3% of employee salary, and vested immediately.
• Paid week off during Winter Holidays.
• 20 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• A competitive salary and performance-based annual bonuses.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.
• Long term disability, short term disability, travel insurance, as well as other benefits provided.

Canada

• Benefit package 100% paid by PCF. Insurance company reimburses 100% of claims (Up to $500 per service a year, as well as individual family coverage).
• Full Dental coverage, including major dental and orthodontics.
• 4% RRSP matching before tax deductions, 100% vested on day 1.
• Paid week off during Winter Holidays.
• 20 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• A competitive salary and performance-based annual bonuses.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.

Company Description

People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA games development studios with an international team of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices located in Poland, UK, US, and Canada, and from all over the world thanks to our remote work programs.

Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. We are one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry and we are expanding it with in-house solutions called PCF Framework.

Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting AAA projects with the top publishers in the industry: Project Gemini with Square Enix, in addition to a new IP to be self-published and two other games in a concept phase. One of our IPs is also being adapted for VR technology.

With over 20 years of experience, PCF sets out to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talents in the industry to work together on the new generation of action games for the global gaming community.

If you decide to accompany us on this journey, you’ll have a chance to perfect your craft and expand your knowledge, working alongside leaders in the industry on bringing a brand-new unique experience to the players worldwide.

Project Dagger is a yet unannounced AAA action- adventure game developed by our North American team supported by PCF’s European studios.

If you feel yourself able to deliver as nobody else, take ownership of your projects, and are ready to leave a mark on a game you work on, apply now!