Important Note

To our wonderful friends and followers around the world, Jagex is not pausing its search for the most talented people to join its ranks. We’re a successful, robust and growing business, after all.

In light of the current situation concerning coronavirus, we have already made changes to the way we recruit, and of course are mindful of following all necessary processes to ensure the safety of our staff and anyone we might come into contact with.

Jagex has switched to working almost entirely remotely, and in line with that our recruitment and selection process has moved to an entirely remote one with video calls being the preferred method of interview.

Our hiring managers are engaged, we are well-prepared and we sincerely look forward to talking to you soon. Our team of expert recruiters will be in touch with you to talk you through the process and changes and what to expect.

So, don’t delay, get that application in today!

Company Overview

A leader in creating deep and engaging experiences on PC and mobile, Jagex was founded in 2001 and is today one of the UK’s biggest and most respected video game developers and publishers.

Famed for its flagship MMOs RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, Jagex has welcomed more than 260million player accounts to its world and created a $1bn lifetime franchise revenue. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond running games in live operations; our titles are living games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds.

Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly-active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.

Jagex is expanding and extending its portfolio with fresh franchise titles, new IP and, in 2018 launched Jagex Partners, delivering third-party publishing and operational services exclusively for the living games of the future.

Jagex employs more than 400 people at its Cambridge headquarters and is on the hunt for talented people to work across the business to help the company to achieve yet another year of record growth and player satisfaction.

Job Purpose

As an Art Director you are accountable for defining, setting and maintaining a coherent art vision for your project that supports both product and creative direction. You are accountable for overseeing a smooth pipeline ensuring the highest visual quality is achieved by internal and external development teams throughout production that meets the art direction criteria.

You will be expected to work closely with product, production, design and engineering to steer and develop your vision while providing direct leadership and guidance to your art team. The team look to you as an inspirational leader who provides motivation, mentoring and coaching as well as advocating team creativity and best practices throughout all art disciplines including health and well-being.

Represent your team at a product, leadership and craft level both to the wider studio, community and industry.

At a Director level you contribute toward studio wide topics, decisions and directives that will move the studios creative department forward and continue to establish Jagex as a studio of exceptional talent.

Key Duties

• Develops and establishes an art vision that enhances and supports the creative direction, game design, product and marketing strategy
• Accountable for the quality of all art output on their assigned product
• Produces easily digestible Art Direction visuals, pitches, guides and documentation to align team understanding and direction
• Directly line manages Associate Art Directors, Leads or parts of the art team as applicable
• Concisely and clearly communicates upward to EP, Senior Directors, VP’s and Exec
• Advocates for best practices and pipelines in all art disciplines including outsourcing
• Works with production to effectively plan art team delivery and highlight strategic risks
• Creates team growth plans and collaborates with HR and talent acquisition to deliver
• Levels the team up through mentoring, training and personal development plans
• Inspires, motivates, and unleashes potential in individuals and team to deliver beyond their expectation
• Establishes high performing teams with craft excellence
• Keeps themselves and the team informed of the latest advancements of technology and techniques specific to art.
• Contributes toward studio initiatives, is a team and studio ambassador personifying the company values.
• Is part of studio creative leadership shaping the strategy of the art department within Jagex

Essential Skills

• Portfolio demonstrating Art Direction capability (Style/ Production guides, paint-overs, etc)
• Extensive end to end game development experience from concept, production through to live game on PC or Console to AAA standard
• Able to communicate and propagate an artistic vision to teams, stakeholders and externally as required
• Competent with strategies in growing, developing and managing multidisciplinary art and animation teams on a live product
• Comfortable documenting and presenting current industry best practices to art and animation teams, critiquing problematic assets and workflows
• Practical mentoring capability in two of the following areas: environment art, character art, concept art, technical art, UI, VFX or animation
• Working knowledge of modern game development workflows across all major artistic disciplines
• Able to show a solid understanding of art fundamentals; anatomy, composition, lighting/ value, form/ function and perspective
• Strong leadership skills with an inspirational lead by example approach that unleashes potential in others
• Ability to bring a competitive edge to the studio through Art Direction

Company Benefits

• Flexible Working
• Bonus Scheme
• Private Health Care
• Gym Membership
• Generous Pension Contributions
• Life Insurance
• Free Cycle Repair
• Income Protection
• Dental Plan
• Free Fruit and Drinks
• Subsidised Canteen

Feel like you fit this role, but don’t meet all the requirements? We strive for fresh perspectives, so as long as you can demonstrate how your attitude and other abilities might make up for any gaps we would welcome your application.

Jagex are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.