Lead Game Artist III

Ainsworth Game Technology•Reno, NV

20h

About The Position

THE LEAD GAME ARTIST III IS A STUDIO-LEVEL AUTHORITY WHO SHAPES THE LONG-TERM VISUAL VISION AND ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE OF THE ORGANIZATION. THIS ROLE DRIVES TRANSFORMATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN ART QUALITY, PRODUCTION METHODOLOGY, AND MARKET COMPETITIVENESS ACROSS THE GAME PORTFOLIO. THE LEAD GAME ARTIST III LEADS THE MOST COMPLEX VISUAL INITIATIVES, ESTABLISHES GOVERNANCE FOR ARTISTIC STANDARDS, AND MENTORS ALL ARTISTS TO SUSTAIN EXCELLENCE AT SCALE. REPORTS TO SENIOR STUDIO LEADERSHIP AS DESIGNATED.

Requirements

10 yrs+ Professional experience within a design industry, ideally Gaming Industry.
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Graphic Design, Electronic Arts or related field.
Demonstrated mastery of game art direction, production execution, and scalable quality systems.
Exceptional ability to influence across the organization and align diverse stakeholders around a unified visual vision.
Deep understanding of production realities (schedules, constraints, optimization) and how to drive durable improvements.
Strong mentorship and leadership presence at the studio level.
Expert-level Adobe Creative Suite skills (Photoshop, Illustrator; After Effects).
Strong design fundamentals: color, composition, lighting, perspective, and typography.
Excellent knowledge of animation workflows (2D/3D) and/or tools such as Blender, Maya or 3DMax.
Proficiency in Spine.
Strong ability to multitask across projects while maintaining quality and deadlines.

Responsibilities

Set long-term portfolio-level visual vision and quality bar aligned to market trends, player expectations, and product strategy.
Establish governance for art direction standards: benchmarks, review models, approval workflows, and measurable quality criteria.
Lead the most challenging visual initiatives (new style paradigms, major rebrands, high-risk content, cross-platform visual consistency).
Sponsor and drive large-scale pipeline evolution efforts that materially improve speed, quality, and reliability of production.
Provide executive-level guidance on creative risks, opportunities, and investment priorities (tools, staffing, outsourcing strategy).
Act as final escalation point for art quality, brand cohesion, and high-impact player-facing presentation issues.
Develop senior talent pipeline by mentoring all artists and shaping leadership expectations for craft excellence.
Partner with recruiting to set portfolio standards and long-term capability needs.
Support recruiting/interviewing and portfolio evaluation; help define role expectations and leveling standards.
Produce concept sketches through finished production art for games: symbols, backgrounds, branding, game titles, key feature art, and UI elements as required.
Collaborate across disciplines (Design, Math, Technical/Game Development) to align visuals with mechanics and player experience.
Contribute to workflow improvements: templates, reusable kits, file standards, review processes, and documentation.
Own the visual execution of major game features and/or complete games from early concept through final production polish.
Establish and maintain style guides, visual benchmarks, and reusable asset kits for themes and feature sets.