Microsoft is seeking an experienced Senior Character Artist to join our team. In this role, you will partner with the Art Director and Lead Character Artist to establish high artistic standards and techniques in alignment with the experience vision. You will be instrumental in both defining the look of the character, leveraging the modular components of the art pipelines and creating high-quality assets. You will also help drive our character creation process while defining and maintaining a high bar in bringing our Avatars to life.
Responsibilities
You will collaborate closely with technical art and engineering teams to ensure that characters meet high technical standards, and you will drive prototyping for content, workflows, and features. You will also utilize feedback to iterate on art models and visuals and provide feedback to guide the internal and external Art team on quality, consistency, and brand style. Additionally, you will be responsible for organizing and leading creative discussions, brainstorms, and reviews to ensure effective communication with cross-discipline partners.
Additionally, you will be responsible for coaching, mentoring, and training other character artists, providing and receiving feedback, collaborating with others to share techniques and ideas, and contributing to a positive working environment that prioritizes both implementation and experimentation.
Qualifications
Required/Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Computer Arts , Video Game Art, 3D Art, Fine Arts, Interactive Media or related art field AND 4+ years’ experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment
OR equivalent experience.
Portfolio and / or reel demonstrating relevant artistic skills.
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
8-10+ years’ experience using related software and packages (e.g., Maya, 3DS Max, Photoshop/Adobe suite, Mental Ray, Substance Designer/Painter/Zbrush, SideFX Houdini, After Effects, Unity, Softimage).
Experience creating detailed and high-quality characters and solving complex technical issues like real-time rigging, skinning, rendering, surfacing, and budgets to optimize content for performance.
Proven experience in character/avatar development for Triple-A (AAA) titles with avatar/customization system knowledge.
In-depth knowledge of material/shader development and experience with Substance Designer/Painter or equivalent software.
A deep understanding and demonstrated knowledge of anatomy, form, and silhouette.
Technical proficiency in low and high poly character modeling, advanced surfacing workflows, and prior experience in the Unity engine are also needed.
Bonus points for applicants who have experience with scan data management, outsourcing management, character customization workflows, and Triple-A (AAA) game development.
Experience shipping multiple projects or products end to end.
We welcome talent from a wide range of backgrounds both in and out of the games industry and we strive to create a respectful, inclusive environment where you can bring your best self and do your best work.
If you're ready to work on the cutting edge of the industry with a passionate team, please apply with your resume and portfolio.
Art IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $112,000 - $218,400 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $145,800 - $238,600 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
Benefits and Perks
Industry leading healthcare
Savings and investments
Giving programs
Educational resources
Maternity and paternity leave
Opportunities to network and connect
Discounts on products and services
Generous time away
