Senior Manager, Lead Environment Artist

Disney is seeking a Senior Manager, Lead Environment Artist in Sacramento, CA, to lead a team in creating immersive environments for a new game. Responsibilities include managing artists, collaborating on designs, and using tools like Maya and Unreal Engine. Candidates should have at least 7 years of game development experience and strong leadership skills. Benefits include health and savings options, educational opportunities, and unique Disney perks.
About the position

The Lead Environment Artist will play a pivotal role in Disney Digital Entertainment, leading a talented team to create immersive environments for a groundbreaking game experience. This position requires a blend of artistic vision, leadership, and collaboration with various disciplines to bring Disney's rich portfolio of characters and worlds to life in a new interactive universe.

Responsibilities
• Lead, manage and grow an internal team of highly talented Environment artists.
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• Collaborate with artists, designers, and other disciplines to create engaging, inspiring and compelling spaces, environments, props and items based on Disney's robust portfolio of worlds and characters.
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• Use Maya, ZBrush, Substance, Photoshop and Unreal Engine 5 to create high quality assets, materials, layouts and lighting for both architectural and organic environments.
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• Iterate on game assets and environments with fellow artists via paint overs, studies, and group critiques to improve visuals and gameplay.
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• Work closely with producers and other Leads to coordinate, develop team, and project schedules.
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• Champion and manage in-game environment performance and evangelize best practices for asset creation, materials, lighting, etc.
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• Serve as a key member of a growing game development team at Disney, helping to build and define the world of our project.

Requirements
• A portfolio of work that accurately represents your personal and team-based artistic achievements.
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• Strong leadership, artistic and interpersonal skills, while being a great partner and enjoying collaborative development.
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• Minimum of 7 years of PC and console game development experience, including holding a position of Environment Artist and/or Lead for at least 3 years.
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• Demonstrated creative vision, an excellent eye for artistic quality and confirmed knowledge of current game development techniques used to achieve specific visual targets.
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• Expertise in environmental visual design, including lighting, composition, staging, and architecture.
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• Proven understanding of environment creation that supports level design and enhances gameplay.
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• Ability to craft unique new assets and also creatively re-using existing libraries.
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• Texture and material creation proficiency with Substance Designer/Painter and Adobe Photoshop.
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• Experience developing content using Unreal Engine and/or UEFN knowledge of current UE-specific environment creation, lighting and optimization technologies and techniques.

Nice-to-haves

Benefits
• Health and savings benefits
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• Educational opportunities
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• Special extras that only Disney can provide