Art Director

About the Role

As our Art Director, you will be the creative anchor and the architect of our production pipeline. This is not a "pure management" role; we are looking for a hands-on visionary who can blend high-end aesthetics with mobile market insights. You will define the "Art Bible," integrate AI-native workflows to 10x our output, and build a modular, industrial-grade production system that ensures uncompromising quality from internal teams and external vendors alike.

Key Responsibilities

Visual Strategy & Market Alignment

• Define and iterate the project’s visual identity by blending high-level aesthetics with deep insights into the 4X/SLG mobile market.
• Lead the evolution of the game’s style to ensure it resonates with global audiences and stands out in a competitive UA (User Acquisition) landscape.

Style Governance (The Art Bible)

• Author and maintain a comprehensive Art Bible and style guides, defining clear standards for color palettes, silhouettes, materials, and proportions.
• Ensure all visual directions are "production-ready," providing concrete visual benchmarks for every creative discipline.

Industrial Pipeline & Modularization

• Establish modular production rules to ensure efficiency, such as standardized character poly-counts, texture specifications, and material channel conventions.
• Design a scalable asset architecture that allows for rapid iteration and high-volume content production without technical debt.

Quality Control & Standardization

• Develop rigorous Quality Checklists (Self-check, Delivery, and Engine-verification) to eliminate rework and prevent "style drift."
• Standardize the outsourcing pipeline, ensuring external vendors can flawlessly align with internal quality bars and technical requirements.

AI-Native Workflow Architecture

• Lead the integration of Generative AI tools into the art department to accelerate concepting, texturing, and asset prototyping.
• Establish best practices for AI-assisted art production, maintaining a balance between cutting-edge efficiency and artistic soul.

Requirements

• Proven Leadership: 8 years of art leadership experience in the mobile gaming industry, preferably within the 4X/SLG, or high-fidelity strategy genres.
• Aesthetic Mastery: A world-class portfolio demonstrating a strong sense of composition, color theory, and the ability to define a unique "Western Cartoon" or "Stylized Military" aesthetic.
• Industrial Mindset: Deep understanding of the technical constraints of mobile engines (Unity) and the ability to translate "pretty pictures" into optimized, shippable game assets.
• AI-Forward Thinking: Strong motivation to explore and integrate cutting-edge AI tools into the production pipeline to bypass traditional bottlenecks.
• Extreme Ownership: A pragmatic problem-solver who can navigate a flat team structure and take full responsibility for the visual quality and delivery timelines.
• Systemic Communication: Ability to articulate complex visual concepts into clear, actionable technical requirements for artists and engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Engine Proficiency: Advanced hands-on experience within Unity, including custom shaders, lighting setups, and post-processing.
• Global Market Insight: A history of launching successful mobile titles in Western markets with a keen eye for what drives player engagement in SLG titles.
• Vendor Management: Experience managing high-volume external art pipelines and establishing feedback loops that drive quality improvement.

Employee Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous Time Off
• Free daily lunch and complimentary snacks