Global Art Director | AAA

Job Title: Art Director
Location: Remotely (mostly US-based) or Europe
Company: 1518 Studios/PTW
About Us:
1518 Studios/PTW Family is a leading art and animation studio specializing in the gaming industry. 
Our team of highly skilled artists, designers, and developers work with top-tier clients worldwide to create stunning visuals, VFX, and immersive experiences for games.
Role Overview:
We are seeking a visionary Art Director with a passion for the gaming industry to lead our talented team of artists (outsource art and co-dev). 
As an Art Director, you will be responsible for driving the artistic vision for a variety of projects, ensuring high-quality deliverables that align with our clients' goals. You’ll work closely with game developers, creative directors, and production teams to shape visual aesthetics, from concept art to final assets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the artistic direction for game projects, from concept through to final execution.
• Collaborate with creative teams and clients to ensure alignment with the project’s artistic vision.
• Supervise and mentor a diverse team of artists (both 3D and 2D), animators, and designers.
• Ensure all assets meet technical and aesthetic standards across various platforms and styles.
• Manage the visual consistency and quality of all game art elements, including environments, characters, vehicles and VFX.
• Oversee production pipelines, ensuring efficient workflows and timely delivery of assets.
• Stay current with industry trends and incorporate new techniques and tools to enhance visual outcomes.

• At least 7 years of proven experience in game development. Various styles and technical requirements are required. 
• Bachelor degree in Arts, Graphic Design or related major preferred but outstanding portfolios and a proven industry record will also be considered.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with a collaborative approach to effectively convey creative concepts and ideas to cross-functional teams.
• In-depth knowledge of industry standard software (Marvelous Designer, Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer) 
• Excellent communication in English, both written and spoken.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment with tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with game development pipelines, from pre-production to post-production.

Preferred:

• Experience in AAA and indie game development.
• Familiarity with Unity and Unreal Engines.
• Familiarity with 3D rendering pipelines. 

What we offer

• Permanent and fulltime position with competitive
• 401K and Group Insurance Benefits coverage

• 20 days Paid Time Off package plus paid Public Holidays
• Paid personal and sick leave
• Flexible & remote work model
• Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family (Spouse, children, parents, siblings)
• Collaborative, dynamic and entrepreneurial culture

Who we are

PTW is a boutique games services company that provides custom solutions worldwide. We believe in accelerating innovation across the globe. We started more than 25 years ago and since then, have grown exponentially year-on-year to who we are today. Our history is in gaming, and we are still gamers at heart. In our time within the games industry, we have worked on over 1,500 titles across all genres and all platforms.

We have grown rapidly over the past few years and now have 16 sites spanning the globe. The PTW umbrella of companies includes SIDE, 1518, OR Esports, and Ghostpunch. SIDE works at the cutting edge of interactive media as a provider of audio services for the global entertainment market. 1518 is known industry wide for world-class art and is also our in-house game and product development studio.

Basically, anywhere in the world, any platform, any genre, we can help come up with a custom solution to make games run better, get to market faster, and enhance the lives of more players.

In summary, we connect and bring fun to the world.