Art Director

Stardock is committed to making visually compelling games and is currently seeking a full-time, in-house Art Director. We work with bleeding edge technology and need an experienced veteran to guide and blend our amazing engineering capabilities with our talented art team. The Art Director not only sets the visual style but provides specific guidance, both artistic and technical, on how to achieve those goals. This role will initially focus on one title, with the scope expanding over time to oversee all artists at Stardock. This position is located in Plymouth, MI and relocation assistance will be provided.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Control the overall aesthetics of the project (UI, art style, FX, etc.)
  
• Establish visual targets for the art team
  
• Manage outsourcers and freelancers to support production loads
  
• Create implementation strategies to achieve aesthetic goals
  
• Provide specific visual feedback throughout the stages of production to completion
  
• Evaluate existing assets across Stardock's ecosystem for effective reuse in new titles; advocate for new assets where needed
  
• Mentor artists across the studio, including direct mentorship of a high-potential junior artist
  
• Collaborate with design, production, and engineering to balance department needs, project goals, and visual targets

Education and/or Experience Desired:

• A proven leader in producing high-quality visuals
  
• Must have shipped at least one title in either a Lead Art or Art Director role
  
• 10+ years of experience in the games industry
  
• A portfolio that demonstrates strong artistic vision and execution
  
• Deep understanding of art production pipelines to maximize efficiency and quality
  
• Expert-level familiarity with Autodesk Maya and/or 3ds Max, and Adobe Photoshop
  
• High proficiency in areas such as lighting, rendering, and texturing
  
• Expertise with PBR based pipelines, software, and assets
  
• Ability to work well under deadlines and ability to multi-task