We are looking for a Senior VFX Artist to join our team of artists, designers, programmers, and other creatives at Amazon Games - San Diego, to help lead the internal and external effects teams. The Senior VFX Artist owns the style guide, implements and supervises the creation of video game special effects in accordance with a project’s artistic direction and production deadlines.

At Amazon, our goal is to create great PC games. We believe in ground-breaking games that can redefine the boundaries of player experience and change the way the world sees digital entertainment. Games have the power to connect people on a massive scale, and creating these experiences will produce some of the future’s most influential voices in media and art. We seek the best game developers in the world to join our team and become the architects of this vision. Join us, and you’ll have the power of Twitch, and AWS to shape the future of games.

The ideal candidate should have strong artistic skills, and an understanding of the technical constraints on the target platforms. You must have a knack for transforming ideas into fluid animations and rich effects. A high degree of familiarity with industry standard tools is a must as well as a strong portfolio.

Responsibilities

Be customer obsessed and collaborate with the Art Director and Creative Director to deliver on intended vision.
Create animated VFX using various methods and implement them without concepts
Create, manage and optimize VFX assets by scheduled deadlines.
Collaborate with artists, designers, programmers and animators to iterate, polish and deliver projects
Understands simple and complex VFX asset creation
Ensures that VFX are optimized in accordance with the approved game style and technical requirements constraints.
Cultivate an organized and disciplined workflow
Works with the Art Manager to create a plan and schedule
Provides assessment on how to improve individual and team performance.
Works within the technical limitations of the game engine.
Creates and maintains workflow documentation for your team's content
Shares artistic knowledge with artists, and mentor them as appropriate

Basic Qualifications

5+ years professional experience with at least 1 shipped AAA title in a Senior or Lead role
Bachelor’s Degree in Art or equivalent experience in related field
Online Portfolio demonstrating ability to create VFX and implement for real-time game engine.

Preferred Qualifications

High level communication skills to collaborate with artists, designers, programmers, and QA.
Experience using game engines (Unity, Unreal Engine, CryEngine)
Experience with 3D software (Autodesk, Blender, SketchUp, ZBrush)
Experience with animation software (Adobe After Effects, Maya/Max, Blender, DigiCel FlipBook, Toon Boom)
Experience using image manipulation software (Adobe Photoshop, GIMP)
Experience with Lumberyard, PopcornFX, Cascade/Niagara, or Unity’s Particle Editor
Experience with Houdini (Fire and smoke sims)
Ability to concept/storyboard VFX ideas
Ability to create flipbook texture sequences
Demonstrate basic understanding color theory, lighting, modeling and UV texturing of a 3D object.
Ability to interpret and transform abstract ideas into compelling effects
Ability to accept feedback and implement suggestions
Experience and knowledge of animation principles
A high level of comfort with scripting tools
Meets/exceeds Amazon’s leadership principles requirements for this role.
Meets/exceeds Amazon’s functional/technical depth and complexity for this role.

Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.amazon.jobs/en/disability/us.