Lead VFX Artist

Company Description

To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers — this is our mission. Want to dive deeper into our company’s culture? Explore our social media and check out our You Tube channel where we share behind-the-scenes insights and stories direct from our team members!

CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Lead VFX Artist to join our studio in Boston to work on Project Orion, the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 and the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise. This candidate will bring their years of expertise, stellar leadership skills, meticulous attention to detail, and passion for creating world class assets to help drive the next generation of high fidelity VFX in games.

• Manage a team of high performing VFX artists.
• Create high-quality, real-time visual effects: explosions, fire, smoke, clouds, weapons FX, debris, and weather elements.
• Mentor VFX artists, fostering a culture of creativity, trust, and technical excellence.
• Collaborate across multiple disciplines to support gameplay, cinema tics, and environments with best-in-class VFX.
• Drive innovation and research new workflows, tools, and techniques to push the boundaries of real-time VFX.
• Ensure VFX content produced by the team is performant and within technical budgets.
• Write and prepare briefs for outsourced work, provide feedback, and maintain quality standards.
• Partner with Directors and Production to strategically plan and estimate work, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines.

• 10+ years of experience in the gaming industry, with a focus on real-time VFX creation.
• Proven leadership experience, with a track record of mentoring and developing talent.
• Expertise in both real-time and baked simulations.
• Strong knowledge of VFX tools and pipelines (Houdini, Max, Maya, etc.).
• Solid understanding of P  concepts, real-time rendering techniques, shaders, and lighting.
• Deep knowledge of performance and optimization for real-time VFX.
• Experience working independently to identify, own, and deliver high-impact work.
• Strong knowledge of SideFX Houdini.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and presentation skills.
• A strong portfolio that demonstrates mastery in VFX creation for games.

This job requires working in Boston, US.
Working mode: in-office in a hybrid or full-time capacity.

• Company paid medical healthcare (dental vision & mental).
• Paid Leave — 20 days of holiday for every team member per year (26 days after two years).
• No dress-code — we like to keep it casual.
• 401K with employer matching.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement.

• Flexible working hours.
• Trainings, lectures and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available. There’s always something to learn!
• Merch — gifts for newborn rebels and regular chances to nab some cool swag!
• A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team.

• Dog-friendly office — dog owner? Bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet at the studio.
• Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.