Job details

Lead Character Concept Artist

Crystal Dynamics is constantly seeking the best gaming talent worldwide to add to our 30-plus year legacy of game development creating new and iconic franchises. We are committed to making great games with great people and living the dream while doing it.

Benefits for our regular full-time positions include, but are not limited to, a competitive regional salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options, professional development reimbursement, flexible hybrid on-site/off-site work opportunities, 12 company paid holidays, plus additional paid days in December when the studio is closed for holiday break, and the ability to accrue additional paid time-off.

Join us and shape the future of an amazing studio culture committed to creating award-winning franchises like Tomb Raider, the next Perfect Dark, and more!

We are looking for a Lead Concept Artist to play a pivotal role in shaping the visual direction of our characters and series. While focusing on concept art, your contributions will serve as a cornerstone for the project's artistic vision. You will collaborate closely with the art team to develop innovative designs that align with the project's goals, ensuring consistency and quality in every piece of work.

As a Lead Character Concept Artist, you will:

Partner with Directors and the Lead Artist to identify and execute on the quality/vision of the game.
Create amazing key art for establishing visual targets and concepts that align with the appropriate lore/creative direction of the game.
Explore, imagine, and design a variety of stylizations, looks and visual directions.
Ideate and discover artistic expressions to enhance concepts and designs. 
Deliver high-quality art in a timely manner with strong attention to detail. 
- Lead, mentor, and provide constructive critiques to both internal and external concept art teams, fostering a culture of excellence and growth.

To be considered for this role, we require the following:

Professional work experience as a Senior, Lead, or Principal concept artist within gaming, film, and/or television (or equivalent).
Experience creating concept art that directly impacted the direction of a notable video game, film, or TV show.
Ability to establish visual targets and create high-quality key concept art that captures defining moments of a series within a single shot.
Demonstrated leadership in self-direction and project ownership, alongside the capacity to guide and enhance the work of other artists.
Provide us with a portfolio or examples of concept art that showcases:
- Concept art from personal or professional projects that highlights your unique style, focusing on atmosphere, mood, lighting, and overall tone.
- Mixture of 2D and 3D art techniques expressed through the use of modern software tools.
- Versatility and skill in character design through a wide range of character representation.

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

Hands-on experience with real-time game engines, ideally Unreal Engine.
Specialization in a particular artistic style that is in line with the aesthetic of the games we create.

The pay range for this role includes the annual base salary, not including bonus and the generous benefits package that Crystal Dynamics provides all full-time employees. Individual compensation is determined by work location within our approved states or regions, as well as additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation.

Pay Range (United States)

$110,000—$155,000 USD

Not sure if you are qualified? We hope that you will still choose to apply so we may review your application!

Crystal Dynamics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to identifying and implementing positive and persistent measures to ensure equal opportunity in the recruitment, hiring, development, training, promotion and compensation of a diverse team employee group. This includes persons of different race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding, genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, political affiliation, age, veteran status, uniform service member status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or citizenship, as well as any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

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Crystal Dynamics Glassdoor Company Review

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