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Electronic Arts Inc. is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. EA delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets.
Character Artist, Remote in Europe
At Maxis, we thrive on outrageous thinking. It's the fuel that inspires the best games in the world. We're creators and great storytellers. Our mission is not just about amazing our peers – it's about amazing our fans. Taking risks. Working with each other. Daring to dream big. Together, we can improve the way millions play every day.
Maxis has a very unique player base with 60% of our audience being women between the ages of 18-24. We are looking for someone with deep insights on how to create the best experience for our players.
Maxis is looking for you to be a part of the creative team. We ask that you are motivated and can work well with a cross-disciplinary group.
The Character Artist works closely with the Art Director and Technical Leads to define visual standards and technical specifications of characters for the project. In addition to creating high quality character models and materials, the Character Artist guides junior members of the team and external partners to deliver work that meets the project standards. The ideal candidate proactively seeks opportunities to elevate the game, embraces constructive feedback, and thrives in a highly collaborative environment.
You will report to one of the Maxis Development Directors within the studio.
Key Responsibilities:
- Work with the Art Director and technical partners to define and refine the look and feel of characters for the project.
- Work with Technical Art, Engineering and other artists to develop the character creation and integration pipeline.
- Create high quality character models and materials/shaders including in-game and high-resolution assets.
- Update style and technical documents for the character art team.
- Collaborate with Technical Artists to create and improve tools and workflows.
- Actively participate in milestone planning and reviews.
- Work within deadlines and display strong time management skills.
- Provide mentorship for junior team members.
- Review work from external partners and provide feedback.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of 5 years of production experience as a character artist.
- Have served as a Lead Character Artist on a published title and have shipping experience on multiple game titles.
- Strongly proficient in industry standard software like Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer and Photoshop.
- Strong understanding of scale, proportion, surface properties, and human anatomy.
- Demonstrated ability in character stylization
- Knowledge of character setup and rigging.
- Ability to create shaders/materials using painting and node-based techniques (e.g. Substance Painter and Designer)
- Knowledge of high-poly to low-poly surface baking
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Passion for making and playing games
Nice to have:
- Experience working with Unreal Engine and implementing 3D work into the pipeline
About EA
At Electronic Arts, we exist to Inspire the World to Play. We create extraordinary new game experiences for our millions of players everywhere by bringing together talented people that combine creativity, innovation, and passion. We know that our strength lies in the diversity of our people. We immerse our employees into an inclusive culture, and provide opportunities for learning and leading that allow them to do the most impactful and rewarding work of their careers. We put our people first. We provide comprehensive benefit packages with a focus on health and wellbeing to support your needs and help you balance your career and personal life. We provide access to dynamic and collaborative work environments, opportunities to connect and contribute through our Employee Resource Groups, and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free video games and so much more! Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Electronic Arts also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.