Outsourcing Art Lead

WHO WE ARE

We’re ArenaNet—we’ve created a studio that makes online worlds infused with innovation, hand-crafted excellence, and creative passion. We're not the only ones who share this passion; gamers made Guild Wars 2 the fastest selling MMO game in the West with more than 3 million copies sold in its first 9 months, and players and press have consistently called it one of the best MMOs of all time.

Our studio is built on foundations of excellence with a focus on community. We constantly innovate, unlocking the true potential of online role-playing with game-changing titles like Guild Wars 2 and beyond. The status quo is not good enough for our dedicated worldwide community of players, which is why we question the de facto industry conventions and demand more from ourselves as developers.

We are looking for an outsourcing art lead that shares our passion for creating worlds and the assets that fill them. This position will be leading a team of internal outsourcing artists and will be the driving force in shaping and maintaining the quality of all assets coming into and out of the outsourcing team. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Work with the Art Director, Art Manager and discipline leads to drive and maintain high visual quality of outsourced art content.
• Lead the outsourcing art team by establishing and maintaining use of best practices and standards.
• Direct and mentor the internal outsourcing art teams through verbal and written feedback.
• Assess current outsourcing pipelines, identify pain points and implement better strategies where feasible. 
• Communicate the visual design and development of outsourced art assets through art specifications, style guides and reference material.
• Drive team growth regarding adopting new relevant tools, techniques and programs. 
• Partner with the Outsourcing production team to build and maintain a set of best practices and relationships with internal team and outsourcing partners.
• Create documentation, asset specs, and supporting reference materials with clear instructions.
• Identify and improve our outsource pipeline to help streamline asset integration.
• Maintain asset tracking throughout the stages of production.
• Partner with internal artists to validate art asset delivery and provide production support.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

• Previous lead experience on a shipped title within a game production environment.
• A strong eye for quality and the ability to provide clear feedback accordingly.
• Ability to communicate art direction in an effective, efficient and positive manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively across the studio, including with non-art disciplines. 
• Strong traditional and digital art skills.
• Experience with: Maya, Zbrush, Photoshop, Substance Suite, Perforce.
• Self-awareness, interest in taking and giving critiques, and a desire to produce work at the highest levels of AAA quality and game performance.
• Recognizing when current outsourcing pipelines need to be changed or updated and establishing and executing on a more effective approach.
• A passion for teamwork and improving communication.
• Deep understanding of art production across all relative disciplines.